It seems Heine of Germany has been busy of late, with the introduction of the Heine Delta One late last year, they have now added the Delta 30 to their range in 2020. I have managed to get hold of this new device for a first look.
The D30 showing its angled head
(The blue light indicating it is in the polarised light setting)
Readers of my blog, may recall that I reviewed the Heine Delta One Dermatoscope on the blog late last year (click here) and saw it as the first choice dermatoscope for Podiatrists based on its build, quality and competitive price. So, what’s the new Delta 30 all about? The Delta 30 is essentially a top of the range device really aimed at the frequent user. It is bigger than the compact Delta One and is designed with an angled head which should allow for more comfortable viewing of lesions on the skin.
The Heine Delta 30 in its case
Those familiar with the Delta one will recognise the similar button design and feel. The Delta 30 handle features a central on/off button and is flanked either side by a button to toggle from polarised to non-polarised light settings on one side and on the other side, like the delta one, a button to cycle through 3 brightness settings to reach the desired amount of illumination. A blue light on the side illuminates to let the user know when the polarised light setting is being used. A row of three LED’s on the reverse of the handle act as a battery charge indicator.
The Delta 30, like most dermatoscopes, offers a 10x magnification. If you are short sighted or long sighted the dioptre compensation means you should be able to focus by turning the viewing ring. This also helps to adjust the viewing distance to one which you are most comfortable with. The contact plate, as with the Delta One, has a measuring graticule and triangle which can help to orientate any images taken from the device. The plate is easily removed and can be cleaned or autoclaved as needed. Podiatrists should invest in the small lesion plate to access lesions between the toes which can easily be fitted and removed as needed (see below).
The Small Lesion Plate allows visualisation of lesions between the toes
The visual experience with the Delta 30 is where it comes into its own. The viewing field is excellent, with an impressive 30 mm diameter. Powered by 12 polarised LEDs (and 6 non-polarised) the image is crisp and very clear. The visual quality I found to be outstanding and the best I have seen to date. The Delta 30 has a lithium-Ion battery which is easily recharged with the USB charger.
iPhone Adaptor
The cost in the UK of the device is £1100 plus VAT. The Delta 30 small lesion plate (a must for reaching pigmented lesions between the toes) costs £118.35 plus VAT. Attachment to a smartphone can be achieved through the Universal phone adaptor (£26.60 plus VAT) and £44.95 plus VAT for iPhone users.
Delta 30 Desktop Charger Dock
Essentially, this device is perfectly suitable for life in the podiatry clinic, but for this top-end device it's going to cost about £360 more than the Delta One but if this is something you are likely to be using a lot, it may not seem much more for the larger viewing area and the superb optical quality this device has to offer.
The device is available in the United Kingdom from Surgisol Limited