In the past days, our team has been subjecting the hardware and software that has been developed for our project to rigorous testing. Multiple bugs have been fixed and the dermoscope stand has been modified so that the 3D-printed components have been reinforced and all cables and plugs now join in a box at the stand’s base.

The videos below show the process of capturing an image from one perspective. The camera moves with a speed of about 10 cm/s, meaning the patient’s whole-body scan (from four angles – the front, the back and both sides) takes about 2 minutes.

The following video shows the graphic user interface (GUI) which guides the user through capturing a whole-body scan.

Instructions and parts

The open-source computer program which was developed is freely available on the online platform GitLab (link, zip). It enables the user to capture an image of the whole body, after which they can annotate individual skin lesions and capture an additional, magnified image with a USB microscope. After capturing the images, the user can add comments and compare individual exams in order to determine which skin changes require further treatment or investigation.

The list of components we used is accessible here. We hope it serves as a guide for anyone wishing to construct their own dermoscope stand or simply as a starting point for future projects.

The creation of the first dermoscope is coming to a conclusion. Concerning the hardware of the apparatus the construction is nearly finished. The lifting mechanism is also operational. The missing elements are: setting the camera and the lighting on the lifting carrier, and also connecting the apparatus with the software.

The skeleton is composed of ALU profiles. The stepper motor has been programmed with Arduino. We also had to design a couple of binding elements which we 3D printed. The motor is located on the top of the construction and pulls the strap which holds the carrier for the camera and the lighting. The are also two switches that control and mark the lifting space of the camera.

We began designing our dermoscope (the apparatus for capturing skin lesions) by reviewing similar commercial solutions on the market and compiling a list of requirements for the hardware. Thus far, we have decided on the dimensions of the equipment, the process of image capturing through lifting the camera, and the best lighting method and placement of the apparatus for optimal image resolution.

In designing our prototype, we are closely collaborating with the software division of our team to ensure that the hardware works well with the software. Shown below are a few of the concepts we considered. As our goal was to develop an efficient and low budget apparatus, we had to balance cost and functionality.

We decided on a simple, elegant yet stable construction. An image of the whole body will be taken by capturing multiple images with the camera on different heights. The height of the camera will be controlled with a stepper motor.

In order to achieve uniform lighting of the entire body and to reduce the amount of reflection from the patient’s skin, we will use two LED lights, which will be mounted on the apparatus itself.

We have already acquired the necessary components for the construction of this simple concept. Our main goal when designing the equipment is to ensure a robust and long-lasting system for lifting the camera that will guarantee consistent and even image capturing for constructive analysis.

The software for image analysis and image comparison is being developed rapidly.
A local database has been set up where patient, examination, and image data will be stored, which will allow users to access information quickly and reliably.

The basic user interface has been designed and a simple prototype was created. At its current stage, the user interface enables simple navigation through the application. It also simulates a simple image capturing process.
The application can already remotely capture images and stitch them together, there are however still some bugs that need to be addressed.

In the coming weeks, our tasks are: enabling support for basic user handling (signing in with a username and password), upgrading the database, and modifying the user interface to make it more user friendly.

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