Velscope® - new method in early detection of oral mucosal changes

The most common way to detect disease is by visual inspection of the suspect tissue. However, the human eye is not optimized for this task because the perceived spectrum of light is divided into three channels, all of which have overlapping spectral sensitivity curves. Here, we present new methods to optimize visually perceived contrast based on spectral differences between normal and abnormal tissue. We apply these methods to the perception of fluorescence emission from the oral cavity. Abnormalities in the oral cavity are optimally perceived when the excitation is between 420-440 nm. To optimally visualize fluorescence at 340-nm excitation, the emission should be observed through a blue bandpass filter transmitting light at 430 nm. The VELscope® system uses oral tissues’ autofluorescency as a new and completely non-invasive screening of mucosal changes and enabling early detection of potential pre-cancer, oral cancer and other oral diseases, and it position itself as an advanced level of preventive care. We will present the main features of this adjunctive diagnostic tool, and we’ll answer the most FAQs and doubts about its application in daily practice routine. Keywords: Velscope, screening, fluorescence, tissue abnormalities, early detection