3D Printed | Dermoscopea

3D Printed Dermatoscopes

Dermoscopy can significantly boost a clinician’s confidence in the diagnosis of skin lesions. Traditional dermatoscopes remain expensive and therefore inaccessible in resource poor settings globally, as well as in the non-specialist setting.

To reduce this health inequality, we have developed two 3D printed Dermatoscopes which have an estimated total cost of £5-20 each. 3D printers are becoming cheaper and more widespread, and hence they may be more accessible to healthcare professionals than dermatoscopes in some settings. With access to a 3D printer, doctors can simply print their own dermatoscope for a fraction of the price and benefit from the additional information it provides. 3D printed dermatoscopes therefore have the exciting potential to significantly improve access to dermoscopy where it is currently limited due to financial or other constraints.

Two 3D printed dermatoscopes have been developed, with the design and engineering lead by Jack Norris and his team from Sheffield Hallam University. The dermatoscopes we have developed are a handheld and a phone attachment device. All components of both 3D printed dermatoscopes are globally available and straightforward to assemble with limited technical ability required. All 3D printed components are optimised e.g support-free printing.

The 3D printable files for the components of each dermatoscope are freely available to download online and can be used by anyone to print the device components. Step by step instructions to build the device can then be followed in the attached guides below (handheld and phone attachment) and the 3D-printed dermatoscopes can be used in the same way as traditional contact non-polarised dermoscopy.