Dr. Wei-Chiang Lin, an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, was awarded a grant of $104,545 from the Casey DeSantis Florida Cancer Innovation Fund. Dr. Lin and his research team are developing a handheld multimodal skin cancer screening device, which incorporates a multispectral imager to record both the visual characteristics and optical properties of skin lesions. Additionally, the device features a mechanical indenter to assess the localized mechanical properties of these lesions.
The inclusion of mechanical interrogation in this device is pivotal in mitigating potential biases related to skin tone in optical-based skin cancer diagnostics. When coupled with sophisticated classification algorithms, this device may accurately differentiate between benign and malignant skin lesions.
The overarching objective of this work is to establish a robust initial screening mechanism for skin cancer by integrating the novel skin cancer screening device with telehealth and artificial intelligence technologies.
With funding from the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund, Dr. Lin and his team will continue to develop, construct, and optimize the handheld multimodal device for skin cancer screening; and acquire optical and mechanical properties of normal skin across diverse ethnic groups.