Made with
in Bavaria
Issue 2021 / 2022
HISTORY FotoFinder is turning 30 – let us celebrate!
Setting the Pace in Skin Imaging Worldwide
www.fotofinder.de
Anniversary //
FotoFinder Moments Rudolf and Andreas Mayer laid the cornerstone for FotoFinder Systems GmbH in 1991. Many years have passed since then – but some things have not changed since the beginning. Join us in our travels through three decades full of FotoFinder moments.
Arrow-alt-circle-right In 1995, Rudolf and Andreas Mayer, together with Kathrin Niemela, visited their first trade fair – the CEBIT – to present the “FotoFinder Bildzentrale”. Shortly afterwards, the Munich dermatologist Prof. Reiner Scherer (†) gave the founders the idea of developing a system for monitoring nevi: FotoFinder was born! The first device was delivered in summer with temperatures of 30°C and using a small Fiat Uno.
2002 with Luiz Lamardo at AAD, Washington D.C.
n: CEBIT 1995 1st exhibitio
Then and now, major trade fairs such as the EADV are a particular highlight. To turn a visit to the trade fair into an experience for our clients, we are working on ever more innovative and interactive booth concepts, such as here in Madrid in 2019. Arrow-alt-circle-right
ARROW-ALT-CIRCLE-LEFT Soon, the first international business contacts were made in France, Italy and Brazil, resulting in the development of long-standing friendships. Here we are at our first AAD in Washington D.C. in 2002 with Luiz Lamardo, whose company Emdutos still represents us in Brazil.
FotoFinder Systems GmbH had a special addition to its family in 2017: It was decided to cooperate with TrichoLAB, the Polish expert laboratory for hair analysis. Arrow-alt-circle-right
2013 EADV in Istanbu
Kasprzak 2017 with Michał from TrichoLAB
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Madrid 2019 EADV in 2018 Distributors’ Meeting
We love our international FotoFinder Community! When we meet old friends and partners and exchange ideas about our passion – dermoscopy – some meetings become a special highlight, like here in Jūrmala (Latvia) at the New Wave Meeting of Raimonds Karls. Arrow-alt-circle-right
2013
2019 In Jūrmala
arrow-alt-circle-up Naturally, we do not want to miss out on a regular meeting with all our partners. Since 2007, we have regularly invited to our Distributors’ Meeting in Bad Birnbach – most recently on a virtual basis due to the pandemic.
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ARROW-ALT-CIRCLE-LEFT After having small offices in Munich and Bad Griesbach, we moved to the first FotoFinder headquarters in Bad Birnbach, Lower Bavaria. The premises in a converted farmhouse were still quite compact – back then, development and sales were close together. Together with Rudolf Mayer, we tinkered with our cameras in “Gyro Gearloose” style.
ARROW-ALT-CIRCLE-LEFT One of the first team photos: At the time, the meeting table sufficed as a photo location. Then as now, the FotoFinder morning ritual: sharing a buttered pretzel! The great part: many people from those days are still members of the FotoFinder Family today.
2015 FotoFinder Headquarters
arrow-alt-circle-up Meanwhile, the former two-man business has grown to a FotoFinder Family of around 80 employees … ARROW-ALT-CIRCLE-LEFT … and moved into its new home in 2015. We ship our cutting-edge technology to over 100 countries from our modern company building in Bad Birnbach.
2013 Ground-breaking ceremony
The FotoFinder Family also likes to exercise together, as in 2010 during the “Cycle to Work” campaign. Arrow-alt-circle-down ARROW-ALT-CIRCLE-LEFT At weekly company sports with trainer Lars, who has been raising the pulse rate of our staff since 2016. Or even at the regional company run, when the FotoFinder team gives its all!
2018 Citymarathon
2017 Christmas party
arrow-alt-circle-up The family principle has always applied at FotoFinder, with its strong cohesion the special something that makes colleagues become family and friends. So, it’s no wonder that at Christmas parties people get together to lend a hand or sing a (Christmas) carol or two.
INSIGHTS 2021
our de FotoFinder 2010 T
To bring you even closer to the FotoFinder Family feeling and our passion for dermoscopy, we launched the FotoFinder Academy classroom events in 2017. Since then, doctors from all over the world have been visiting us in Bad Birnbach and enjoying the full FotoFinder “edutainment” programme. Arrow-alt-circle-right
Anniversary //
FotoFinder Technology A revolution.
medicam 500 medicam 400
2001 Bodyscan
medicam 200
1st bodystudio
2nd bodystudio
3rd bodystudio
Towerstation
Tuebinger Moleanalyzer
FotoFinder Bildzentrale
FotoFinder MEDIC
FotoFinder DERMA
2nd dermoscope classic
1st dermoscope classic
3rd dermoscope classic
1st handyscope
mediscope face
1991 4
1994
1998
2003
2004
mediscope studio
2006
2007
2009 INSIGHTS 2021
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FotoFinder Artificial Intelligence
FotoFinder medicam 1000s
medicam 800
2nd bodystudio ATBM
FotoFinder ATBM master
1st bodystudio ATBM
4th dermoscope classic
2nd dermoscope vexia
1st dermoscope vexia
2nd handyscope 3rd handyscope
FotoFinder vexia
DermLite handyscope
Adonia deluxe
2011 INSIGHTS 2021
2013
2014
FotoFinder studio
2015
2017
2019
2020
2021 5
Anniversary //
We’ve asked… With over 1,200 ATBM systems and over 7,000 medicams in practices and clinics around the world to date, we were curious to hear what our clients think of the FotoFinder technology and how they fared over the past decades. So we asked them!
Dr. Francisco Paschoal
Dr. med. Tanja C. Fischer
Dermatologist, São Paulo (Brazil)
Dermatologist, Venereologist and Allergist, Potsdam/Berlin (Germany)
quote-left
quote-left It was the year 2000 when I bought my first FotoFinder system. It even was the first FotoFinder in Brazil at all! I purchased the system in those days from Rolf Mayer on his first trip to Brazil. I do not remember exactly which system it was, but I guess it must have been the ancestor model of today's vexia.
I’ve known FotoFinder for longer than 20 years. After working with the technology during my residency at the Charité in Berlin, I acquired my first own FotoFinder for my Potsdam practice in 2005 – a tower station, the forerunner of the ATBM. At that time, there was no classic total body mapping, and I was the doctor with the most extensive progress documentation for nevi in Germany.
Now, many years have passed, and I still work with FotoFinder in my practice. More precisely, with the most modern version of the equipment, the ATBM master. Over the last three decades, I've been following all the developments of the equipment. I worked with all versions of the FotoFinder medicam. More and more, my work was turning to the follow-up of patients with multiple nevi with the indication of the body map. My work as a dermatologist certainly changed with the remarkable development of the technology, which became more and more confident for me and my patients over time.
Today, there are two ATBM master and two ATBM classic at the two locations in Potsdam and Berlin.
quote-right Dr. med. Dagmar Richter-Hintz
Working with these systems is not only holistic and logical, but also pleasantly simple – simply fun for me and my team! I am particularly impressed by the “leap in technology” that the cameras have made in recent decades. The images in the Mosaic View and in video dermoscopy are so detailed and the patterns so well recognisable that even the smallest melanomas are detected by FotoFinder, something which would not be possible with the naked eye! My patients also appreciate the FotoFinder devices very much: For one thing, it doesn’t matter what location they come to, images and data are always available through the networking of the Universe wireless app. On the other hand, they can follow the entire examination, which makes the whole thing transparent and strengthens their trust in me.
Dermatologist and Allergist Erftstadt, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany)
quote-left My first FotoFinder device was a medicam 500 in 2008, which I was so enthusiastic about that its successors medicam 800, 1000 and 1000s followed over the years. The latter is the heart of my new ATBM master.
In my opinion, FotoFinder is a real enrichment for every dermatological practice and its patients.
Thanks to Total Body Mapping, I can make a much more valid statement about which nevi actually need to be excised. The number of surgeries has since decreased and is focussed on those that are really necessary. It’s also remarkable that in my practice the demand for appointments for skin cancer screening increased even during the pandemic – quite different from what many colleagues experienced. The ATBM master with its hygienic distance of 1.6 m is appreciated by the patients and is not least a unique selling point in the region.
quote-right
What I particularly like about FotoFinder is that, in addition to dermoscopy, we can also use solutions for trichoscopy and aesthetics. This way, everything comes from a single source and helps to feel familiar with the systems.
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Dr. Klaus Toblier
Dr. Gabriel Salerni (MD, MSc, PhD)
Facharzt für Allgemeine Dermatologie Baden (Österreich)
Dermatologist, Rosario (Argentina)
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quote-left When I started my specialist training in 1991, we usually only worked with ordinary magnifying glasses in the practices to examine the total body status of the patients. Only hospitals and clinics routinely had hand-held dermatoscopes. It was in 1998, that I first came into contact with a FotoFinder device and purchased my first medicam – the medicam 400 model. When I opened my practice at that time, I was the only dermatologist in Baden who worked with this system. Although it was only a small private practice, I had a huge influx of people who wanted to be examined with the FotoFinder. That was over 21 years ago and I haven’t worked a single day without my FotoFinder since. It is not only reassuring for the patients to see what is being done. They can see for themselves which nevus I’m examining, right on the screen. Over the past decades, I too have always grown with this technology and become more confident in my work. By looking at the histology of an excised lesion, one can always revert back to the documentation again. This confirms one’s own suspicions – or not. Since April 2021, I have been working with a new vexia system and the medicam 1000s. The images that this camera delivers are a quantum leap. I can recognise vascular patterns and especially the criteria for malignant, non-pigmented or low-pigmented lesions. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence has also significantly improved my daily routine. Even after 20 years of experience, I can always get a quick, sensible and simple second opinion in case of an inconclusive diagnosis – and that impresses my patients as much as it does me! In short: FotoFinder has always been the heart of my exam room and I wouldn't want to miss working with it.
INSIGHTS 2021
It has been over 12 years that I have been working with FotoFinder systems. We currently work with two ATBM towers, paired in our network, one is the ATBM classic and the other is the ATBM master edition. Our first device was a FotoFinder medicam 500, after that we bought a FotoFinder dermoscope classic in 2015 and later we updated to automated total body mapping in 2017. Our early start with FotoFinder, we were the first to perform sequential digital dermoscopy in our region, allowed us to position ourselves as leaders. Generating trust with dermatologists and colleagues from other specialties allowed a very important flow of patient referrals. The start was gradual, and we currently perform about 300 evaluations per month. The technological advances of the devices, the increasing image quality of the dermoscopic images together with the incorporation of body maps with polarised light, made our task much more agile and more reliable – even for our patients. Initially, our work was mainly focused on the digital monitoring of lesions in high-risk patients. Although from the beginning we incorporated the "Two-step Method of Digital Follow-up" (Total body photography and digital dermoscopy) as our main approach, the body maps were registered manually with the medicam, which implied special dedication to make body maps as similar as possible in the successive controls, and obviously although the quality of the images were adequate for dermoscopy, it was less adequate for the body mapping. With the incorporation of the ATBM classic, the mapping process became easier in terms of time and reproducibility. Finally, with the use of the ATBM master, the polarised maps, the Mosaic View and the Bodyscan software, everything became even easier and much more reliable, now we had crucial information only with the body mapping.
quote-right Dr. Klaus Toblier in 2002 in his practice at Medicent Baden (Austria). Even then he was working with a FotoFinder system.
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Anniversary //
Interview With Rudolf and Andreas Mayer, father and son who founded FotoFinder Systems GmbH together in 1991.
It has been 30 years since Rudolf and Andreas Mayer, father and son, founded FotoFinder Systems GmbH together – at that time still under the name TeachScreen. Their first office was the back room of an Asian shop in Munich, and there was no business plan or any start-up capital worth mentioning. However, they did have a vision: to develop a digital image database that would make photo archives superfluous. Today, FotoFinder is a global leader in skin imaging and the brand stands not only for brilliant images, but also for a family community whose goal it is to give people worldwide access to state-of-the-art skin and hair examinations.
FF By founding the company in 1991, you laid the cornerstone for a long success story. What were your motives back then and how did the start go? AM We started in a completely different direction. Originally, we didn't think about medical technology at all, but about multimedia. At that time, frame grabber cards were a new technology for transferring moving images to computers. I was still a student in Munich at the time and worked in a young, innovative company. We recognised the potential of this technology and thought that it actually needed the development of applications, as these were not yet available. All one could do was feed the images into the computer, but then we asked what one could do with these images. That's when we came up with the idea of using software to create computer-based training and image databases. RM At that time I was in sales for an American company. However, we actually started our own company at relatively short notice – with a lot of enthusiasm and very little know-how. We only came to medical technology by chance. FF When you started in 1991, it was just the two of you. Today, FotoFinder employs over 80 people and is the market leader in skin imaging systems. Would you ever have dreamt of this development? What brought you to dermoscopy in the first place? RM Of course, we did not anticipate this positive development initially. In 1991, the only thing that mattered was the survival of the company. We came to dermoscopy purely by chance – and I always like to tell people about. The start-up situation was already difficult at that time, until one day we were approached by a company from Dortmund that sold sunbeds for tanning salons. This chain had heard about us through the Munich dermatologist Prof. Dr. Scherer and wanted to carry out some kind of skin check to find out the recommended duration of tanning for different skin types. At the time, that was a very innovative idea.
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AM The idea was to use image and camera technology to gain insights into this topic. This is where we came in, because we were asked to develop the appropriate software. We agreed with Professor Scherer, the project's scientific advisor on dermatology at the time, to get involved and put together a prototype camera system. Unfortunately, the chain went broke before the project could be completed. There we were – without an order and with a development in its infancy. However, Professor Scherer then said, “Well, we dermatologists would also be quite happy about such a camera system.” He encouraged us to continue building our prototype with the prospect of buying a further development from us. That’s how we came to dermoscopy. FF When was the moment you realised you had created something great with FotoFinder? AM There’s actually no concrete key moment. However, we experienced something special after this very hard initial phase when we sold the first “dermoscope”, giving us a real sense of achievement and making us realise that our business idea could actually be something after all. RM The device looked very different back then and we had to fiddle around a lot with the configuration. But the fact that our system was accepted by a client made us think, “OK, there is something to it after all, something we can work with.” That would have been sometime around the year 1995. FF What successes are you particularly proud of? What are the big milestones? RM Of course, our idea with the camera was a milestone. Unlike other cameras, the medicam had a special feature that enabled the capture of both micro and overview images with autofocus and high light intensity thanks to the patented microscope attachment. This was extremely convenient for the user and the quality of the images was also very good. The camera therefore represented an important key component and a unique selling point for us for years – even today. AM And then we were the first to have this idea with Body Mapping. That was in 2007, with the first models of our bodystudio system. Many dermatologists were excited to be able to look at moles with our video camera. However, the fact that the whole body was now being captured with such a machine was a completely new approach and accordingly, there was a lot of scepticism. At the time, we already wanted to define a different workflow. The fact that we have managed to establish and perfect this over the many years is certainly a milestone. And there’s the FotoFinder AI. Continued on next page
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Impressions FF Were there moments when you would have preferred to give up? Would you do anything differently today? RM In the beginning, everything was incredibly stressful. Money was tight because, at the time, there was no such thing as venture capital. We had to finance everything with our savings. Or let's put it this way, we always financed ourselves from our own earnings, we never had outside financing. AM That's why I started working part-time to earn some extra money. At some point, we had the breakthrough. I was 23 at the time; that was certainly quite a bumpy start to my career. I had no experience, and my father took some surprising risks. But he has always been someone who was quite willing to take risks. You ask what we would have done differently? I would no longer dare to start something like that today. And if yes, I would go ahead in more targeted manner. These days, business models look more professional. We did not have a business plan, as is now common practice. We have always moved slowly, something that is no longer the norm at present, everything has to move much faster. In this respect, FotoFinder 2021 would start completely differently. But for us it was fortunate at the time that we were close to the market with our method of always elaborating our findings. FF Looking back, what tips would you give your 30-year younger self? AM One was brave at the time and did not know what lay ahead. That’s why we had the courage to go ahead. With today’s knowledge, we probably wouldn’t do that again. [laughs] RM But perhaps we would approach it differently. But that’s difficult today because so much has changed. At that time, we also entered a period of fundamental upheavals in IT. It was certainly also a pioneering time. Now options are so exhausted, back then the situation was still very manageable. Today’s challenges posed by the abundance of regulations did not exist in this form in the past. In this respect, it is probably difficult to see all this in light of the present day. FF Which moment will you never forget? RM There are lots of those. When you think back to the wonderful moments, you do recognise some milestones. When we were at trade fairs, at some point with a larger booth, we realised: “Gosh, we used to dream of such a great stand. Now we’ve made it and have one ourselves!” What a sensational feeling. AM In the beginning, I’ll never forget that, after the first sales, we used to say, “Every time we sell a FotoFinder system, we’ll go out to have dinner at this nice restaurant on Schärding’s town square as a reward.” That would be difficult today [laughs]. Unfortunately, the restaurant has also long since ceased to exist. RM And we would have been overweight long ago! [laughs] 10
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FF 30 years after its foundation, FotoFinder is still a family business. What does the “FotoFinder Family” mean to you? RM For us, it’s an extremely strong element. We are actually able to work without conflict from within the innermost family circle. That's great, as is the knowledge that you can also transfer this feeling of connection and strength to employees, clients and partners. AM We have repeatedly found that the family atmosphere is very much appreciated and that it is possible to achieve what otherwise would not be possible. It is really special when you feel that our company is not just a place to make money, but also a place of fairness where you enjoy being, and meeting likeminded people. Taking responsibility for each other, that’s what we mean by “family”. Our thanks for this approach is commitment and loyalty. That’s really a wonderful thing! FF How did the industry change in the last three decades and what makes FotoFinder so unique when it comes to global competition? AM Although the industry has partly consolidated over the last three decades, and there are fewer and fewer players, one does notice that conditions are becoming more difficult. As we can see from the many regulations and all the quality requirements, it is expensive. This means that although there are fewer competitors, the market has become more demanding overall. We tried early on to establish a brand and give it a face, and I think we managed that extremely well. FotoFinder is a household name in many countries, and this is also based on many subtle factors: contacts and friendships, of course, key opinion leaders and, last but not least, our consistent brand policy. This distinguishes us from our competitors and makes us unique. We have very loyal clients who know what FotoFinder is all about. Our image, something extremely important in this day and age, is very good, and we are constantly working on it. This is especially noticeable now with our Online Academy series. If you're not known, you don't inspire people to look at anything online.
FF In a world that is becoming increasingly complex and digital, what gives you strength for your everyday work as a FotoFinder CEO? AM Of course, I also draw strength from my private life and the fact that we have quite a good work-life balance here in Lower Bavaria. Here you are usually quite grounded and live in a still very relaxing environment, knowing that “here I can rest and recharge”. I think it is something very positive to have a contrast to one’s work activity, something I’m experimenting with at the moment. For example, I started cooking jams – something very simple, down-to-earth, working with my hands. A pleasant change from IT and the digital world. FF Is there anything else you would like to tell the FotoFinder community? RM It's great that the FotoFinder community exists and I hope that it will continue to develop and that many will get involved, each in their own way. Something, that lives on. I'm sure everyone can contribute and thrive in their role. And I think that's not the worst thing. AM I would be happy if many others could also see it that way and realise: “Okay, the FotoFinder Family offers me a nice combination of positive professional, but also pleasant interpersonal aspects, something that maintains the fun of it.” That, I think, is the most important thing: that when you are successful, you can be passionate about your work and say: “That’s where I rest within myself, that’s what I like to do.”
FF What are your visions for the future of FotoFinder and what challenges do you expect in the coming years? AM Total Body Dermoscopy, which we initiated, still has a lot of potential. AI is also exciting, and we are only in the early stages. Scenarios can be devised in connection with what we have already worked out with telemedicine. This results in an overall structure that will of course reach many more dermatologists and also find its way into general medicine. Technically, there is definitely still a lot possible in this field. RM Yes, there is still a lot of potential. I think we will have a whole range of options in the near future. When you look at how AI already works today, then that’s very promising. Artificial intelligence will, I believe, become a very important part of our lives. INSIGHTS 2021
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FotoFinder Family //
The FotoFinder Feeling
30 years – and it feels like only yesterday that we moved into our first office as a two-man business in the back room of an Asian shop in Munich. Back then, no one would have guessed that we would one day become the world market leader for skin imaging systems in dermoscopy. Or that we would win the Bavarian Export Award and be honoured as Lower Bavaria's top company. Or even that, over the years, we would not only find business partners, but also wonderful friends and FotoFinder Family Members all over the world, without whom we would not have been able to paint this “Big Picture”. That's how it went from the FotoFinder System to the FotoFinder Feeling, which can't be put into words. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our great staff, our wonderful customers and the strong global partners at our side. We look forward to the next 30 years full of unforgettable FotoFinder Family moments!
We are family. The FotoFinder Family during the anniversary year 2021
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INSIGHTS 2021
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30 Jahre FotoFinder //