• It has been reported that skin image analysis and skincare treatment personalization are two of the areas of dermatology with the biggest potential for artificial intelligence (AI) development and implementation.

• There are numerous companies and apps in the AI and dermatology market. Some of these are DermaDetect, SkinVision, SkinIO, MoleScope, HelloAva, PROVEN Beauty, Google, and SkinAnalytics.
• Universities involved in using AI for dermatology purposes are the University of Berkeley, which has developed apps that uses AI to determine the best option for cosmetics, and Stanford University. Stanford University has developed AI for the diagnosis of skin cancers.

DermaDetect

•  DermaDetect is an Israeli startup that uses AI to diagnose skin lesions. The user takes a picture of the lesion and the algorithm, which uses deep learning processing, determines what the lesion is.
• However, the result is not immediate as the diagnosis is then sent to a medical doctor who has to approve it. When the doctor coincides with the AI platform, results are obtained in approximately 30 seconds.
• When the doctor does not agree with the platform, the time of diagnosis can take up to 72 hours, during which a panel of doctors can discuss the issue and establish a diagnosis.
• According to its website, the app is only available in Israel and full certification is pending.

SkinAnalytics

• Skin Analytics was founded in 2012, and the company has developed the Deep Ensemble for Recognition of Malignancies (DERM AI), a machine learning platform used to detect melanoma.
• A peer-reviewed study found that there are no statistically significant differences between the clinical diagnoses of melanoma performed by the DERM AI platform and the clinical diagnoses performed by specialists.
• This company has partnered with institutions such as the University Hospitals Birmingham in the United Kingdom to perform a community-based pilot study to continue analyzing the sensitivity and specificity of the platform.
• In March 2020, the company announced it had received its ISO certification, which is a quality standard that gives it a competitive advantage and a stronger foothold in the AI dermatology market.
• In addition, DERM AI presents itself as a tool to aid clinicians in daily practice, as well as a way to reduce costs for patients and improve access to medical care.

Summary of Findings

• During our initial research, we focused on assessing the availability of the information as well as providing initial findings for DermaDetect and SkinAnalytics.
• We were able to identify eight companies/apps innovating in uses of AI and dermatology. While we did not have time to provide details for six of these companies/apps (SkinVision, SkinIO, MoleScope, HelloAva, PROVEN Beauty, and Google), we could do so with further hours of research.
• During our initial search, only the University of Stanford and the University of Berkeley stood out as higher education institutions in which AI services for dermatology applications are being developed. However, we found numerous scientific studies performed by members of different university departments. We could expand on this information during further research.