Optical process and apparatus for non-invasive detection of melanoma

A spectrophotometric apparatus for optical melanoma detection, the apparatus comprising:

• two or more light sources;
• a display;
• a memory having stored thereon a set of spectral signatures that are of melanoma;
• a processor configured to perform operations comprising:
• receiving a command to scan a segment of skin for the presence of melanoma;
• and
• illuminating the segment of skin sequentially with light at a plurality of wavelengths using the two or more light sources in response to the command, wherein each of the plurality of wavelengths are within a range of approximately 300 nm and 950 nm;
• and
• a detector configured for receiving an elastic scattering spectrum from the segment of skin at each of the plurality of wavelengths,
• wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:
• determining a measure of intensity of the received elastic scattering spectrum over the plurality of wavelengths;
• comparing the measure of intensity of the received elastic scattering spectrum over the plurality of wavelengths to the set of spectral signatures indicative of melanoma stored in the memory, wherein at least one of the spectral signatures indicative of melanoma is derived at least in part from:
• a ratio of an amount of light scattered by melanoma-containing lesion tissue to an amount of light scattered by healthy skin in each of at least two spectral regions;
• and
• a difference between an average rate of change in the amount of light scattered by the melanoma-containing lesion tissue at a first wavelength and a second wavelength and an average rate of change in the amount of light scattered by the healthy skin at the first wavelength and the second wavelength;
• and
• sending a message to the display indicative of a presence or absence of melanoma based on the comparing.