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New Device to Detect Skin Cancer From A Picture?

JonathanGCohen writes "News.com is reporting on a new machine that can tell you all about your skin's unique features (excessive oil, UV damage, etc.) using an image scan and software to analyze it. Its inventors plan on developing a version that can even detect skin cancer." From the article: "Apart from numbers, the technology, called Clarity Pro, can depict the depth and severity of wrinkles in a 3D chart, show the extent of bacteria-filled pores in a graph, or represent UV damage in purple dots scattered about your face in a white-light image. It can also calculate how long a person can be exposed to the sun, in minutes or hours a day, before incurring more UV damage."

2 of 79 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What about fixing your skin? by spectasaurus · · Score: 2, Informative

    Perhaps you're not aware that virtual colonoscopy requires air in the bowel. Guess how they get it there? Anyone who thinks a virtual colonoscopy is non-invasive is simply mistaken. A tube in the ass is a tube in the ass.

    And by the way, sensitivity on virtual colonoscopy is 50% and specificity about the same. Honestly, I think I'd rather have the full on colonoscopy. The accuracy is MUCH better.

  2. Re:Another reason to outlaw collecting biometrics. by HaggiZ · · Score: 2, Informative

    Insurance already discriminates. Those under age 25 are in a higher risk group on the road, they pay a premium. Males are even higher risk, they pay a premium. Too many years working in IT with a bad posture has taken it's toll on my back requiring regular chiro to make life enjoyable, so I have to have a spinal exclusion on my income protection policy. Thankfully I'm relatively young and qualified, with a white collar job so that helps reduce my premiums.

    The whole industry works by pooling the funds of many in the hope that you never actually have to use it, but when you do it is subsidised by others. It's essentially a lottery, if you never need your insurance you are ultimately out of pocket and handed over your money for nothing. If you do need it though, you "win" by reducing how much it costs you.

    Those who are more likely to take benefit from the fund have always been expected to pay more.