Digital health firm launches mole sizing feature to track skin health

Miiskin, a digital health platform which helps people routinely track their skin for changes, has launched a Mole Sizing feature that allows users to measure moles or lesions by using the app and a reference object such as a coin. 

During skin self-examinations, size and changes are essential elements to evaluate when monitoring moles for potential signs of melanoma. The Mole Sizing feature deploys the latest machine learning, computer vision and augmented reality technology to help users measure mole sizes and compare changes.

According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, approximately 80% of melanomas appear as new marks or moles, and 20% come from existing moles. Because individuals are the first to notice signs of skin cancer on themselves more than half the time, skin self-examinations are vital in early detection. 

Doctors recommend using the ABCDE tool to identify the five signs of melanoma. Miiskin’s Mole Sizing feature helps people identify two of the five signs, diameter (D) and evolution (E). Any mole over 6mm (¼ inch) in diameter meets the threshold for the warning sign “D”. The app’s measurement capabilities allow users to identify when a mole meets the threshold. Additionally, users can capture images of moles, including size, and monitor changes to diameter, shape and colour over time. In this way, the user can see if the mole evolves, which is the warning sign “E”. This feature does not diagnose skin cancer; users showing warning signs should consult with a dermatologist for medical assessment and treatment.

With a smartphone camera, users photograph their mole next to a coin, which acts as a reference object that is recognised by augmented reality within the app. The user then specifies which reference coin they are using and the mole’s outer extremities, allowing the app to deploy machine learning and computer vision technology to measure and record the lesion’s size. Reference coin options include U.S., U.K. and EU currency. 

While Miiskin is available on iOS and Android, the new Mole Sizing feature is rolling out to iOS users first, compatible with iOS11 and above. 

Miiskin has been at the forefront of machine learning and computer vision in patient skin self-monitoring technology since the launch of the app’s popular Automatic Skin Imaging tool for privately and automatically taking full-body photos of skin for use in skin self-exams. Automatic Skin Imaging is the most efficient way to help people identify new skin lesions, an important part of skin self-exams that is sometimes overlooked, and to more easily compare skin changes over time. Without Miiskin, monitoring changes in skin or moles’ appearance is time-consuming and challenging to perform accurately.