InnoMela is a new medical device developed by Innovative Imaging Concepts to help dermatologists detect melanoma. Melanoma is a dangerous form of skin cancer that is increasing in cases and causes many deaths each year. InnoMela uses multispectral analysis beyond what the human eye can see to improve the accuracy of identifying suspicious lesions. This has the potential to reduce errors in diagnosis and improve early detection of melanoma when treatment is most effective.

1. InnoMela and Innovative-Imaging Concepts remote control Melanoma Finder
Innovative Imaging Concepts is a medical device company that has recently developed a device
known as InnoMela which is intended to be used by dermatologists to gather additional
information about melanoma. Melanoma can be an aggressive type of cancer that begins in
cells called melanocytes. Dr Shawn Allen of Skin Cancer Foundation warns that melanoma is
“the deadliest form of skin cancer causing more than 75 percent of all skin cancer deaths, and a
major public health concern.1In 2009, the American Cancer Society estimated that
approximately 68,720 new cases of melanoma would be diagnosed in that year in the United
States alone.2 Melanoma is reported to be the sixth most common cancer in the United States.
It is also the number one cancer in young adults aged between 25 and 29.
From the above figures it is easy to see how effective screening and early detection of this
disease can be significant in reducing morbidity and mortality since the risk of dying from the
disease is directly proportional to the amount of time it has been growing. Early detection leads
to thinner cancers and to saving lives. Before the discovery of InnoMela patient skin self-
examination (SSE), physician-directed total-body skin exams (TBSE) and patient education
were the only means of detecting this cancer. However, in February of 2009 the United States
Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a statement claiming that the “current
evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of using a whole-body skin
examination by a primary care clinician or patient skin self-examination for the early detection of
cutaneous melanoma, basal cell cancer, or squamous cell skin cancer in the adult general
population.”3In the 2004 Edition of the Physician Insurers Association of America (PIAA) Data
Sharing project, the mostprevalent medical misadventure in pathology claims was diagnostic
errors,reported as the primary issue in 60 percent of insurance claims from 1985 through2004.4
Of these errors in diagnosis by pathologists, malignant melanomaresulted in the highest
percentage of paid claims (55.3%) and had thehighest average payment ($396,336).
Regardless of medical specialty, failureto make a timely and correct diagnosis can spell the
difference between lifeand death for the patient. With the introduction of InnoMela and its
versatility, and ability for early detection of melanoma these errors will be reduced.
InnoMela’s multispectral analysis is intended to allow dermatologists wherever they are to
assess skin lesion properties that cannot be seen by the human eye. This has the potential to
improve accuracy of lesion categorization.5 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) does not have a national coverage policy for multispectral analysis of skin. This means

2. that coverage the use of the InnoMela device to assess suspected skin lesions is at the
discretion of local Medicare contractors. As such, payers that decide to reimburse for this
testare likely to restrict coverage to exams performed onlyby dermatologists.
Accessibility of machine-based diagnosis can be extended by using everyday digital images,
such as images taken using the built-in camera of a smart phone or a simple digital camera.
Such an approach would make melanoma screening using InnoMela more accessible to
individuals who are concerned about the health of their skin but have not yet been able to
consult a physician probably because they lack the financial resources to do so or they have no
insurance coverage to do so.
The central appeal of e-Health devices such as InnoMela in the context of melanoma is to
increase patients’ involvement in their own healthcare and ultimately change patients’ behaviors
so that melanomas can be found at earlier stages when treating with curative intent is possible.
As and E-Health device for screening and early detection of melanoma InnoMelamight resolve
the gap between patients and primary care physicians as well, providing easily accessible
clinical skin exams at accessible locations such as CVS, Sears,Walmart walk-in clinics,
Walgreens and many others across the nation.6InnoMelaavailability will also benefit patients in
remote locations who are without access to specialists, or patients with physical barriers that
affect access to care. With an increasingly aging population and limited number of health
facilities, InnoMela might be particularly useful in elderly populations that tend to be more
isolated.While older adults use technology less studies have indicated that elderly patients
trained to use certain devices found the technology easy to use and demonstrated a high level
of satisfaction with the delivery of e-Health services.Thus InnoMela has the capacity toimprove
screening rates in this at-risk population as well.
1
Allen, S. (2012). Melanoma Screening Saves Lives. Retrieved October 28, 2012 from
http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/melanoma/melanoma-prevention-
guidelines/melanoma-screening-saves-lives
2
American Cancer Society (2009).Cancer facts & figures 2009.American Cancer Society,
Atlanta, GA.
3
Wolff, T., Tai, E., & Miller, T. (2009). Screening for skin cancer: an update of the evidence for
the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine, 150:194-198.

3. 4
Deloach, E.D. (2006). Early Detection of Melanoma-The Best Hope for the future. Healthcare
Risk Manager 12,32
5
Managed Care (2012).Computer-Aided Multispectral Digital Analysis (InnoMela) for Assessing
Atypical Skin Lesions. Evidence Review, 12-13
6
L. J. Loescher, E. Hibler, H. Hiscox, L. Quale, and R. Harris (2010).An Internet-Delivered Video
Intervention for Skin Self-examination by Patients With Melanoma.Archives of Dermatology, vol.
146, no. 8, pp. 918–935, 2010.