Professor Earns Patent for In-Office Laser-Based Skin Cancer Detection Technology
MELBOURNE, FLA.—Florida Institute of Technology Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Kunal Mitra has been issued a patent for a laser-based skin cancer detection and treatment system, which may be used in a doctor’s office or specialty imaging center. The system is designed to reduce or replace costly, time-consuming biopsies for the detection of skin cancer cells in a patient.
“There is a sharp contrast in the absorption images of normal cells and cancerous cells, which can be detected using the short pulse laser system by measuring the reflected optical signals for the scanned area. The laser-based system can image and display healthy cells to reduce the need for painful biopsies,” said Mitra.
Dean of the College of Engineering and Harris Professor for Electrical Engineering Fredric Ham lauds Mitra: “Dr. Mitra has been instrumental in establishing a solid biomedical research program at Florida Tech in the College of Engineering. His work will be the foundation for future research in the biomedical area in the college as our biomedical engineering program grows.”
Florida Tech has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Hart Rank Investments, which has formed Med-Pulse. The company was granted an exclusive, worldwide license from Florida Tech for the technology.
“The Med-Pulse system will eliminate the need for a patient to wait days for biopsy results,” said Brian J. Andrew of Hart Rank. “It will simultaneously reduce diagnosis time by making results available immediately so that treatment may begin sooner.”
About Med-Pulse
Med-Pulse is an Orlando-based company that is developing a laser-based skin cancer detection system through an exclusive license of patented technology from Florida Tech. The company also engages in extensive research to advance less painful, less costly and more timely results for detecting skin cancers. For more information, visit www.MedPulseImaging.com.
