NovaScan developing skin cancer detection device

MarginScan speeds removal surgery

NovaScan, after completing a round of financing, says it will develop a commercial version of its MarginScan product that aids in surgery to treat skin cancer.

NovaScan’s device is used in Mohs surgery to treat skin cancer. That procedure, which removes cancerous skin cells, has good outcomes for patients but is a lengthy surgery. MarginScan decreases surgery time.

Local Mohs surgeon Manish Gharia, who works for Madison Medical, has led the feasibility work on the project. So far, he’s performed surgery on 50 patients using MarginScan. Another 50 patients will be in the feasibility study before the pivotal trial.

Gharia said a typical Mohs surgery can take three to four hours. As skin tissues are removed, each section needs to be tested to determine if more cancerous cells exist. With traditional methods, processing takes an hour. With MarginScan, he said the entire procedure can take an hour.

The device, originally developed for use in breast cancer patients, uses an impedance technology to detect cancerous cells. Craig Davis, president and CEO of NovaScan, called the data supporting use of MarginScan “exceptional.”

The Milwaukee-based company recently raised $2.5 million in a $3.5 million round of funding to support the product’s development. A pivotal trial will take place in 2018. The plan is to launch the product in the United States in 2019. NovaScan was founded by former dean of the University of WisconsinMilwaukee’s engineering school, William Gregory.

Skin cancer treatment is increasing — rates of melanoma, one type of skin cancer, doubled in the past 30 years.

“We see lots of other uses for our rapid, low cost and highly accurate cancer detection technology, and have healthy interest from large medical device companies interested in incorporating the technology into their products to use application for treatment of other types of cancer,” Davis said.