MIRAVEX:THREE PHYSICISTS from Trinity College Dublin are behind the launch of a new device that analyses skin damage and helps dermatologists and aesthetic practitioners achieve better results with treatments for skin problems such as sun damage and acne.
Guido Mariotto, Roman Kantor and Igor Shvets have been working on the technology behind the device for five years and they have set up a spin-out company, Miravex, to commercialise it.
The Antera 3D device was launched on the market last July and sales, through distributors, have already started in Europe.
“Having developed the basic platform technology, we looked at a number of fields where it could be applied,” says Mariotto. “The decision to apply it to dermatology and cosmetics was a marketing one. The sector was less crowded and growing rapidly.”
The Antera 3D costs just under €10,000 and the purchase price includes the measuring device and an accompanying electronic notebook with all the supporting software pre-installed. As Ireland is a relatively small market for such devices, most sales are expected to be overseas. The device was designed here and the complex software that runs it was also developed here, but the manufacture of the unit has been outsourced for now.
“The beauty of the device is that you turn it on and it is ready to go,” says Mariotto. “We defined ease of use, portability and speed as three essential design features and it is much easier to use than what is already on the market. We train our distributors in its use and they in turn train their customers.
“The Antera 3D will be used to analyse the skin’s condition in great detail using 3D imaging.
“The practitioner uses the information gathered to decide on the best treatment, such as choosing which laser to use to get the best result. Our system provides before and after analysis and our trials show enhanced treatment outcomes for patients.”
Mariotto is sanguine about the competition. “There are a few companies out there but we have identified and filled a gap in the market and we have the lead time advantage,” he says.
“The device may appear very simple at the front end but it has very sophisticated software behind it. It took us years to develop the algorithms which are protected by patent.”
