Introducing HT Vista lump scan.

Here at Vets4pets we have invested in the HT Vista, an artificial intelligence skin cancer screening device! Sadly, half of dogs over 10 years develop cancer, and 1/3 of those cancers are skin related. Catching cancer early means a better prognosis! Which is why we want to introduce this new technology to our dog owners.  The device is safe to use on the skin and is well tolerated by patients. No needles, gives instant results, is good value for money and highly accurate.

The HT Vista is the first artificial intelligence skin cancer screening device for dogs, performed by vets and nurses. It is a 40 second scan, no needles and results take two minutes! The HT Vista uses heat diffusion imaging technology (HDI) to determine if a mass is benign or requires further investigation. The device heats the lump by 6 degrees and is left to cool. The device then monitors the thermal activity and special features of the tissue. The data is sent to the artificial intelligence for analysis, and results are returned in two minutes.

The device is able to do this as different types of skin react differently when heated. For example, healthy skin maintains temperature well and unhealthy does not. This is because healthy and unhealthy skin have different structures, metabolism, and blood supply.

Your dog’s mass will receive a score between 1-10 and a percentage of how likely it is to be benign. For example, a 10 HDI score is 99% benign and a 4 HDI score is 89%. We will discuss the results and potentially take a sample of low score masses for lab analysis.

If you find a lump on your dog book in with our team today, we can discuss your options, perform the 40 second scan and come up with a plan that works for you.

FAQ

How does the appointment work?

Give us a call and let us know you want a screening appointment for your dog’s skin mass (lump). We will book you in for a vet consultation where a full body physical exam will be performed and discuss the location of the lumps you are concerned about. Your dog will then be admitted and we will perform the scans. For the scan to work properly and give the most accurate results, we will need to clip a patch of fur over the mass. Please let us know if you do not wish us to do this. If a lump is given a low score on the device we will discuss the options which may include a needle biopsy, wedge biopsy or removal of the mass under general anaesthetic. Any biopsies will be sent to the laboratory for further analysis.  

Will the device hurt my dog or affect the lump if it is cancer?

No, the device is non-invasive and heats the skin by 6-7 degrees only with an LED light, which is safe for everyone involved.

What if a mass gets a score between 5 and 10?

The device is, on average, 98% certain that the mass in benign, therefore no further investigation is needed but if you wish to investigate further, we can. Either way, we advise you keep an eye on the mass for any changes and get it checked regularly by your vet.

What if a mass gets a score between 1 and 4.

It does not mean that the mass is malignant! It only means that the device couldn’t guarantee at a high (greater than 90%) level of confidence that the mass is benign. The mass might have shown some suspicious thermal features; therefore, we would highly recommend further investigating this mass. By not sampling the mass, we may risk missing diagnosis of a malignant mass. Early detection of malignant masses offers better prognosis and treatment options. The result might still return as benign; however, it is better to be safe than sorry.

My dog has a lump on his eye and foot pad. Can we scan it?

Unfortunately, not. Scanning close to the eye may cause damage and will likely not be tolerated by the dog.  The footpad cannot be scanned with healthy tissue which is needed to complete the scan.

My dog has a lump on his testicle. Can we scan it?

We cannot scan testicles, mammary tissue, or lymph nodes as they are different type of body tissues and present differently to dermal masses.

My dog’s lump is ulcerated, can it be scanned?

Unfortunately, due to the biological nature of the disease process, these kinds of masses are excluded from the algorithm.

Does the size of the mass matter?

The mass must be a minimum 0.5cm in diameter.