Dermascope - The VivaCam Macro Camera

The VivaCam^® is a small handheld dermascope coupled to the imaging processor of the VivaScope^® by a standard USB-2 interface. This device's full-color, dermatoscopic- quality images provide an overview of a lesions surface and sub-surface features. The camera, shown at right, has its own integrated light source powered by the USB interface. This assures consistent image quality, independent of ambient lighting in the procedure room. The camera provides a 24-bit, full–color, 1000 by 1000 pixel image of the site within a 10 mm by 10 mm field of view. Captured images are automatically saved within the software's open Patient Record.

The VivaCam dermascope is registered to the skin by using the standard tissue ring. This provides correlation between the macroscopic image and the confocal images obtained with the VivaScope. VivaCam full–color images can be easily acquired by pressing a trigger button on the handheld VivaCam case.

Unlike other dermascopes like MelaFind^®, FotoFinder, or MoleMax^™, the VivaCam is electronically coupled to the high resolution VivaScope so that users can navigate the dermascope image field to specific regions for confocal imaging simply by clicking anywhere within the saved VivaCam image. This will cause the XY stages to reposition to that location for further microscopic investigation of the tissue.

The software generates icons depicting the navigation history, showing the locations of stacks, captures, videos, and areas that have been viewed using the Lucid VivaScope confocally. This navigation history overlay can be saved in addition to the VivaCam dermascope image itself for subsequent review within the VivaScope application.