I have covered dermoscopy as a topic for many years on my blog. Three and a half years ago, I reviewed Heine’s Delta 30 dermatoscope and have continued to use it as my main dermatoscope in day-to-day practice. This week I was lucky enough to acquire the latest product from this renowned German brand - the HEINE DELTA 30 Pro. In this blog I will be taking a first look at their new flagship device.
What's in the box?
The DELTA 30 Pro is best described as an enhancement of the existing DELTA 30. Opening the box reveals a similar black hard case - slimmer than its predecessor containing the DELTA 30 Pro. Also included is a booklet and a long USB cable for charging, with a plug.
The Delta 30 Pro
The first thing you notice about the new Pro model is that it is all black in colour, without the steel grey trim of its predecessor. The device remains the same dimensions and shape, but with a few tweaks - a new button arrangement, indicator lights and the addition of a colour selector.
The device is turned on with a centrally placed power button. To its left is the polarisation button which toggles between the polarised and non-polarised light setting. On the original DELTA 30 model the button to the right of the power switch was the brightness setting. This has been moved to the right hand edge, just below the viewing lens, within easy reach. The new button, to the right of the power button is the colour change (colorshift) button - more on that in a moment.
On the left edge are two lights. The “P” button illuminates blue or white to indicate a polarised light or white light setting respectively whilst the colour selection indicator denotes which colour light setting you are using.. On the underside of the handle are three LEDs which between them indicate battery strength advising when it needs a recharge.
The Optics
Of course, the main aspect of any dermatoscope is the optics. The Delta 30 Pro sports an impressive 30mm viewing area - one of the largest available, and has an incorporated graticule for easy lesion measurement and the signature “delta” triangle to help with lesion orientation.
The main change for the Pro model is in the illumination. Gone are the flat mounted LEDs around the lens. They have been replaced by smaller, more powerful LEDs which are angled facing towards the centre of the viewing area (see images below). The idea behind this angulation of the LEDs is that it allows for more light to penetrate the skin with less reflection giving greater visualisation of the lesion in three dimensions.
In both polarised and non-polarised settings, four LEDs are used. The overall brightness of the LEDs can be adjusted using a brightness selector on the handle - it has 3 levels. The image brightness range is impressive when looking through the device with images appearing bright and crisp.
Colorshift Selector
The discerning feature in the Pro model is what HEINE term the new "colorshift" function. In both light modes (polarised and non-polarised), the colour selector button offers four colour “temperatures” described as:
Neutral warm white
Neutral cold white
Cold white
Blue cold white
Toggling through the four light settings casts a specific colour over the lesion, highlighting and emphasising different colours / features as shown below.
Looking at lesions, you can see four images of the same lesion taken under the four different settings which the company report allows the viewer to "adjust the colour temperature to suit their own viewing habits". Overall the device provides some of the clearest imaging I have seen on a dermatoscope.
Power
The device is charged using the supplied USB cable and plug. The three power lights in the underside of the device indicate remaining power level in the battery. The device holds a USB C type fitting at the base, upgraded from the original Delta 30 model, a welcome addition as most devices now work to that standard. After 10 minutes, with no buttons pressed, the device has a power saving mode and will shut down to conserve energy.
Available accessories
Desktop Charger base
For those who prefer the convenience of a charging cradle to a charging lead.
Small Lesion Plate
A must for accessing those hard to reach lesions between the toes, for example.
Phone adapter
Vital if you are wanting to easily capture images to a smartphone. As a google pixel user I am able to attach the phone adaptor ring to a clear phone case, allowing easy capture of images for patient records.
Distance working ring
A new edition to the Heine range. This device clips onto the lens stage and offers a fixed distance from the skin to the lens, which can be helpful on a number of levels. Firstly, to visualise a lesion without the risk of blanching it due to pressure from the glass lens. So, for example, when visulsing vascular structures there is no blanching. Secondly, it permits viewing of ulcerated lesions without the risk of touching the lens of the device.
Summary
The DELTA 30 Pro is a definite step up from its predecessor, the DELTA 30, offering increased illumination and colour enhancement. For podiatrists, the device is certainly the best in class for those using their dermatoscope regularly and I would throroughly recommend it. For those more price conscious the Delta One from Heine (read my earlier review here) still represents good value and a quality device.
The Heine Delta 30 Pro is now available in the UK. Its retail price is £1399.00 excluding VAT.