Prototype device reveals severity of skin conditions

The advance from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has been developed at a fraction of the cost of devices with comparable capabilities that weigh up to 30kg compared to the 100g prototype device.

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The NTU team adds that most equipment used to assess skin conditions provides 2D images of the skin surface, but their device maps out the depth of the ridges and grooves of the skin at up to 2mm.

Commenting on the development, Dr Yew Yik Weng, a Consultant Dermatologist at the National Skin Centre and an Assistant Professor at NTU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, said: “The device could be especially useful in studies involving wound healing, as we are currently lacking a tool that maps the length and the depth of skin ridges. Currently, we rely on photographs or measurements in our trials which could only provide a 2D assessment.”