Google Dermatoscope, the latest extension of Google Images

Mountain View, Saturday, May 22, 2021 – Google’s claims to be a leading player in the field of healthcare, especially by placing its expertise in mechanisms in the service of diagnosis, are often cited in these columns. The latest manifestation of this aspiration: The company unveiled dermatoscopy, the future feature of smartphone cameras, at its latest I / O 2021 conference.

Release in nature

The tool, developed by an American company based largely on machine learning, can detect 288 skin conditions and specifically diagnose melanoma. ”
We created and refined our model using anonymous data, including case data (…) of approximately 65,000 images and detected skin conditions, for different statistical categories. »Describes Mountain View on its blog. To use it, it should only be enough to accurately photograph the affected areas of his skin (and from three different angles with the help of software). Analysis of the images will be provided in addition to a short questionnaire on his profile, his predecessors, the presence of associated symptoms and the evolution of the lesion. Of course, the answers always remind us of the need to approach a dermatologist, but although these specialists are often difficult to reach in many parts of the world, Google can only appreciate the benefits of such a device. The company also guarantees that the final version of its system under development will be suitable for all skin types, from mild to dark. The final and clinical verification of the program also included the publication of several scientific studies. The applicability of the method has already received the curves of nature, which has confirmed that its effectiveness is comparable to that of experienced dermatologists.

https://www.nature.com/nm/volumes/26/issues/6

Aureli Horoch