Xcell's hair analysis gets German nod

Xcell has received European regulatory approval for its video-dermatoscope hair analysis expert system, designed to replace the traditional and painful trichographic method.

The company's German subsidiary Visiomed will offer the system into the consumer market, principally aiming at hair treatment clinics, dermatologists and specialist skin clinics.

The microDERM technology uses a computerised comparison of scalp images prior to and after treatment, and allows a quantitative analysis of treatment. Based on special organic vision technology, it uses neural algorithms to interrogate and analyse images for comparison.

Xcell originally developed the microDERM video-dermatoscope system for the early diagnosis of melanomas, as a result of a multi-centre European study into skin cancer diagnosis involving 14 hospitals in nine countries. The company is currently working on an ultra-fast and non-invasive skin cancer screening system.

Xcell CEO, Dr Saliba Sassine, said the company is also working on applications for the 3D analysis of skin for pre and post-surgical planning in laser and plastic surgery.