Archos announces the creation of Poladerme, currently 40% owned by Medical Devices Venture.1a subsidiary of Archos whose aim is to develop a portfolio of investments in new healthcare technologies.
The Poladerme startup's ambition is to become a leader in spectropolarimetry combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning, applied to dermatology.
Poladerme, a company nurtured by Conectus, Strasbourg's Satt (Société d'accélération du transfert de technologies), is developing an innovative, rapid and non-invasive diagnostic aid, based on an optical system and artificial intelligence algorithms for in-depth tissue analysis and skin health assessment.2.
A company born of research
At the ICube laboratory at the University of Strasbourg in France, Professors Jihad Zallat and Christian Heinrich have been conducting research into spectropolarimetry and image processing and analysis techniques for over 10 years in the Trio and Images research teams. The biomedical field is a key application.
The two researchers worked in close collaboration with biologists, physicians and dermatology researchers, and in particular with Inserm and the dermatology department of Strasbourg University Hospitals. With scientific relevance validated by publications and supported by a clinical study3As a result, Medical Devices Venture participated in the creation of the Poladerme company, to support the industrialization and marketing of its solution.
Cutting-edge technology at the service of dermatology
The skin plays a fundamental role in the health and well-being of body and mind. Indeed, the skin, the body's largest organ, is the indicator of many diseases and is prone to premature aging.
The dermatoscope, the skin analysis tool used today, is based on the magnifying glass, a technology that dates back to the 11th century.
The Poladerme company is demonstrating that skin analysis will require a new technology, namely spectropolarimetry and artificial intelligence algorithms. A source of significant improvement in the daily lives of healthcare professionals and patients alike, this new technology will, thanks to its widespread use, reduce analysis times and provide a more objective reading, reducing the scope for richer, deeper interpretation of lesions.
Spectropolarimetry is a highly promising modality for cancer detection and diagnosis. Contrast between healthy and diseased tissue has been demonstrated in a wide variety of human organs. Polarization is a powerful tool for exploring various aspects of tissue organization. It is sensitive to birefringent structures such as collagen and muscle fibers, myelin and keratin, as well as to perturbations in tissue structure via depolarization. Then, using global statistical models based on decision theory, the Poladerme system will propose a sample classification associated with a confidence level.
The Poladerme solution will be available in the first half of 2022.
1 Under the terms of an investment agreement signed by Poladerme's partners on September 9, 2021, Medical Devices Venture will hold 53.3% of Poladerme's capital following a capital increase to be completed by December 31, 2021 at the latest.
2 The technology developed by the researchers is licensed exclusively to Poladerme by Satt Conectus.
3 Finalized clinical study scheduled for publication in early 2022
For more information:
www.archos.com