JenLab: Most Innovative Medical Diagnostics Systems Europe 2017

Switch off the ultrasound and stow away the microscope: femtosecond laser technology has arrived. Developed by German health-tech company JenLab, femtosecond laser offers, amongst others, a non-invasive way to detect skin cancer. The ground-breaking technology provides optical biopsies to a previously unthinkable resolution and can highlight details as small as a single cancer cell.

The technology has now also found use as a tool for the testing of anti-aging drugs. Femtosecond laser can be focused on elastin and collagen and gauge the skin’s condition. Some of the world’s foremost cosmetics companies such as Chanel, L’Oréal, and Shiseido now employ JenLab’s technology in their research labs.

At hospitals, surgeons employ femtosecond lasers for the precise mapping of brain tumours which allows them to only remove cancerous cells, thus minimising damage to adjacent healthy cells.

JenLab is working on a new generation of femtosecond laser devices that will have a significantly smaller footprint whilst maintaining the high resolution. The new version is also expected to be cheaper, allowing smaller hospitals access to the technology. Partnering with medical professionals, JenLab is continuously discovering new uses for the femtosecond laser.

The CFI.co judging panel acknowledges that JenLab has accomplished the rarest of feats: to introduce a new and versatile technology that not only pushes the boundary but also finds new applications as professionals in the field explore the possibilities. The judges are honoured to offer JenLab the 2017 Most Innovative Medical Diagnostics Systems Europe Award.