DermLite DL1

Description

Smartphone Dermoscopy and much more

Among the many reasons why the first DermLite was such a remarkable solution is its portability and versatility. There was nothing that even came close to its compact, in-the-palm-of-your-hand footprint. Now, more than a decade later, it is time to integrate the innovations that make the top-of-the-line DermLite devices so convenient into a digital dermoscopy solution designed for your smartphone and even iPad.

To accomplish this feat, the designers squeezed a superb, full-size 15 mm lens that's optimized for iPhone and other smartphones and tablets, high-powered LED lighting and a high-performance rechargeable battery into the simply ingenious DL1, an all-aluminum design smaller than your ring finger that lets you capture high-resolution images of excellent clarity and sharpness in both polarized and non-polarized modes, with or without skin contact.

Connect it to virtually any smartphone or tablet via the included MagnetiConnect® Clamp, and capture images of excellent clarity and sharpness in both polarized and non-polarized modes. One polarized and one non-polarized spacer are included with each unit.

If that weren't enough versatility, its battery can be recharged from any USB port, the included AC charger, or even via your very own smartphone/iPad charger and, due to its unique lighting angle, it works just as well for ENT exams as it does for dermoscopy.

Each set includes a DermLite DL1 dermatoscope with lithium-ion battery, MagnetiConnect® Clamp, snap-on polarized spacer, snap-on non-polarized spacer, snap-on polarized pocket clip, glass faceplate with 10mm scale, and a USB cable.

• About the size of a stick of gum

• Only weighs 1.9 ounces (54 grams) even with spacer/faceplate is attached

• Takes superb images with your smartphone

• May be used as a stand-alone dermatoscope

• Clips to your shirt or your iPhone

• Same lens size as the original DL100

• Cross-polarized and non-polarized modes

• Glass faceplate with 10 mm scale

• Recharges from any Mac or PC, or via your Apple charger

Directions for Use (342KB PDF)

Note: Prior to using this product, please read the battery manufacturer's Material Safety Data Sheet

Tim's DL1 Thoughts/Comments

So who should buy the DL1?

To me, the DL1 is best for somebody who - on their list of “wants” for a dermatoscope - they want “lightweight and compact.” That is, something easy to carry, clip under your pocket, or throw in your pocket. In other words, they just don't want something large and bulky. Instead, you want something very portable, very light, very compact.

If being “light and compact” are not necessarily huge issues for you, personally, I would say there are other dermatoscopes out there that will probably give you a better user experience, and a better image, if not just for the mere fact that the lenses are much larger.

The DL1 actually comes in two different versions. It comes in the standard DL1 and it comes in the DL1 “basic.”

The standard DL1 includes the device itself, and you have three different adapter options. The option that most gravitate towards is the use of using the polarized filter, which slips over. It’s very compact. It's flat, it does not stick out, it just minimally adds to the size of the DL1, and that allows you to perform non-contact polarized dermoscopy, which is what most people are doing 95% of the time.

Two other options (included with the standard DL1) are these “slip-on” faceplates - one which is polarized and one which is non-polarized. The length at which these faceplates extend from the body of the DL1 is right around the focal point of the lens in the DL1.

I point that out because the faceplates make contact dermoscopy easy. For example, if you want a staff member who perhaps doesn't him or herself perform dermoscopy regularly, but you need them to take a dermoscopy image for the patient’s chart, when they slip either of these on to the body of the DL1 and then connect that to their camera smartphone, they know that they simply have to “press the DL1 with its faceplate up against the lesion” and right about there it’s going to be in focus.

As mentioned, there are two of these faceplates - one polarized and one non-polarized. So that's great, makes it easy, especially for staff to be using it, but it also means that when you're using the faceplates, in order to really work and for the lesion to be in focus, they need to be in contact with the patient and the lesion.

One of the advantages to non-contact dermoscopy is that you don't have that need to worry about contamination and disinfecting your device with every single patient that you see. But when you use these faceplates on the DL1, contact will be involved.

So yes, they make it easy. They kind of “dummy proof” the system in which staff could slip it over the DL1 and they know it's right around that point to press it onto the lesion, and they're going to be in focus if they need to take some pictures. But the downside is that you're in contact. Not a big deal, but they will have to wipe it down with alcohol or disinfect afterwards.

As mentioned, though, most who are using the DL1 for dermoscopy, most of the time, no contact will be involved and you'll instead be using the simple “slip over” polarized filter that does not extend out and does not require contact.

So then what is the DL1 “basic”?

The DL1 basic is the DL1 device itself (with the battery, LEDs, and lens). It includes one polarized faceplate. So it's less expensive because it only includes the one faceplate.

But by its very nature, if you buy the DL1 “basic,” you are buying what is essentially a contact dermatoscope. Generally speaking, most people nowadays are looking for non-contact dermoscopy for most situations.

So again, “regular” DL1 is where you've got the DL1 device, slip-on polarized filter which does not extend out (and allows you to perform non-contact dermoscopy), and then you have the two faceplate attachments for contact dermoscopy - one of which is polarized, and the other which is not polarized.

With the DL1 “basic,” you get the DL1 device, plus the one slip-on faceplate with the polarized filter built into it.