Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world and accounts for almost half of all cancers diagnozed annually. More than 5 million new cases of skin cancer are diagnozed each year.
DAMAE Medical is facing this worldwide issue head on by developing a novel hand-held imaging device OCTAV®. This new approach to dermatological diagnostic is based on a disruptive optical technology invented by Pr. Arnaud Dubois, Co-Founder and CSO, from the Charles Fabry Laboratory, a joint research laboratory established by Institut d’Optique Graduate School and the CNRS (French National Research Agency), with the Université Paris-Sud as a cooperating institution.
OCTAV® is designed to capture in situ images of the skin layers with a cellular resolution. It provides more accurate diagnosis, leading to fewer biopsies of benign lesions and earlier detection of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Thanks to the imaging probe, the dermatologist has immediate visualization of the cellular microstructures of the suspect lesion down to the dermis. The combination of 3 imaging modes (vertical, horizontal and 3D) allows a better understanding of skin pathologies in order to accelerate their management and pave the way for non-invasive diagnosis and treatment.
The French startup is developing a full software solution, based on a data storage cloud-platform, a computer-aided software designed to assist dermatologists with OCTAV® image interpretation, as well as telepathology and patient services.
About the founders/CEO:
Anaïs Barut is Co-Founder and CEO; she specializes in technological business and management. She is specifically in charge of the relationships with the medical community and establishing the business model and the marketing, commercial and financing strategies. She achieved a Master's Degree from the HEC Paris School of Management. In 2015, Anaïs was named one of the ten best French innovators under 35 by the MIT Technology Review.
David Siret is Co-Founder and CTO ; he specializes in biophotonics, imaging systems engineering and medical innovation. He developed the previous proofs of concept and presently manages the R&D project. He is specifically in charge of the product development, the Intellectual Property strategies, and the industrial partnerships. He graduated from the Challenge + Program of HEC Paris, that aims at coaching scientific entrepreneurs.
Professor Arnaud Dubois is Co-Founder and CSO, bringing to the company the benefits of leading-edge research in optical coherence tomography (OCT) carried out over 15 years at “Ecole Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielles” and “Institut d’Optique Graduate School”. Arnaud Dubois has published over 100 research articles and 10 book chapters. He is the inventor of the technology developed by DAMAE Medical.