Technology uses body scanning techniques in a more accessible and accurate way
EXATECH, a startup incubated at Incamp (Unicamp's Technology-Based Business Incubator), works on the development of software and smart devices for the detection and pre-diagnosis of skin cancer, with the aim of reducing inequalities and increasing accessibility to this type of exam.
The company was created in 2020 by Unicamp alumni. Leonardo von Huelsen and Leonardo Cazzuni have degrees in Physics Engineering from the “Gleb Wataghin” Physics Institute (IFGW), and Felipe Garcia has a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Unicamp (FEEC).
Skin cancer is the most common in Brazil and accounts for around 30% of all malignant tumors registered in the country, according to the National Cancer Institute (INCA).
Leonardo von Huelsen explains that the idea of creating the company arose in 2018, following the discovery and treatment of melanoma, a type of skin cancer, in his father. “Based on his case, we decided to offer solutions for detecting skin cancer,” he recalls.
Since then, EXATECH has been working on developing an application for healthcare professionals and a smart, automated device to perform dermoscopy exams to help pre-diagnose skin cancers, more quickly and at a lower cost compared to conventional methods. available on the market. The technology is based on the creation of an image bank that will provide the conditions to perform digital dermoscopy exams, using body scanning techniques in a more accessible and accurate way. “We want to collect and catalog images of skin lesions to build a database that helps improve recognition and diagnosis methods for skin cancer, such as melanoma,” he said. “The goal is to develop an easy-to-use application for smartphones that helps healthcare professionals organize and digitize patient data,” adds von Huelsen.
One of the company's motivations is to improve the quality of diagnosis. According to von Huelsen, one of the problems with current technologies is that they favor the analysis of light skin, as they were developed in countries with a predominantly white population. “This is a serious problem that we intend to face with the creation of our application”, she highlights.
This article is part of the series of reports produced by Inova about the companies that make up Unicamp's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Find out which companies can join this ecosystem and how to get involved register on the Entrepreneurial Experience page.
The original text was published in Inova Unicamp page.
