Malignant melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, as it is the most likely to metastasize and causes the highest number of deaths. It occurs when pigment cells mutate and begin to multiply uncontrollably. These mutations are caused by damage to cellular DNA, most commonly resulting from exposure to UV radiation from the sun.

If melanoma is detected at an early stage, the survival rate is almost 100%; however, it drops dramatically in later stages. This underscores the importance of preventive monitoring for existing signs, as well as the early detection of new ones. Early detection and prevention of the disease were the primary motivations behind our project, as we aimed to reduce mortality from this preventable condition.

In dermatological practice, digital dermatoscopy (videodermatoscopy) is used for monitoring skin lesions suspicious of melanoma. Digital dermatoscopy images are stored and compared to images obtained during the patient’s next visit. Suspicious changes in such a lesion are an indication for excision. Skin lesions, which appear unchanged over time are considered benign. Common systems for digital dermoscopy are Fotofinder, Molemax, DermoGenius, Easyscan and Heine. Due to their high cost, however, such systems are not very widely used.

Our goal was to develop a low-cost, open-source system for whole-body digital dermoscopy. The system comprises image capture hardware and software for analyzing and comparing the captured images. We aimed to create a device that could be easily integrated into any doctor’s office and accessible to a wide range of users. We hope that this solution will help reduce waiting times and facilitate easier and faster check-ups.

The entire solution is openly available on the GitLab website (link, zip), which, in addition to being accessible, also allows for further community-driven development.

More information about the final product can be found here.

This was a Students Innovative Project for the Benefit of Society by the Public Scholarship, Development, Disability, and Maintenance Fund of the Republic of Slovenia running at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The program was co-financed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia, and by the European Union under the European Social Fund.