In recent years, many methods have been suggested for the self-examination of moles because early diagnosis is the only way to reduce the mortality rate. There is a direct correlation between image quality and diagnostic accuracy. Image quality is of paramount importance for the early diagnosis of melanoma. The acronym W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G (What You See Is What You Get) highlights a serious problem in this field : when a sign is not visible, the diagnosis will fail. The traditional diagnosis, dermatoscopy, evaluates and interprets shapes, dimensions, colors, textures and patterns.

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Terms used in diagnosis, such as "Asymmetry" or "Borders" or "Colours", can be ambiguous because they are derived from different primitives of language and are difficult for standardize. For these reasons they do not work. On the other hand, objective evaluations based on mathematical definitions offer stable and reproducible measurements. The correct support gives the right background for early diagnosis : at the left an image grabbed in 2004 .

When this research was begun in 1987, the goal was to develop new technologies to help clinicians reduce mortality due to melanoma. The difference between standardized calibrated and non-calibrated instruments has been shown in independent scientific papers by clinicians. For these reasons, we started a multicentered study involving experts world-wide using this innovative technology.