LED Dental has announced the VELscope Mantis, the latest generation of its oral mucosal screening technology. The Mantis is a complete redesign of the VELscope platform, bringing three visualization modes, expanded optics, and iPhone-based photo documentation together in a single cordless, rechargeable handpiece.
Inspired by nature’s most advanced eyes
The Mantis takes its name from the mantis shrimp, a marine creature with one of the most sophisticated visual systems found in nature. Where humans see three primary colors, the mantis shrimp perceives ultraviolet, infrared, and polarized light across 16 types of photoreceptors. The analogy is intentional. The VELscope Mantis is built to help clinicians see subtle changes in tissue fluorescence and reflectance that may signal early-stage mucosal abnormalities.
Three visualization modes in one device
The Mantis is the first VELscope to integrate three distinct modes into one handpiece:
Blue-light fluorescence visualization, the core VELscope technology, excites naturally occurring fluorophores so healthy tissue fluoresces in recognizable patterns. Areas where fluorescence is diminished or altered may indicate dysplasia, inflammation, or other abnormalities.
Polarized white-light reflectance is a new capability that removes back reflectance and surface glare, enhancing color response and making subtle color changes easier to visualize.
Traditional white-light illumination provides surgical-quality lighting for standard visual examination, with no need for a separate overhead light source.
Designed for everyday clinical use
Beyond its visualization modes, the Mantis improves on the VELscope Vx platform with a wider field of view that lets clinicians evaluate more tissue in each pass, enhanced image filtering for brighter fluorescence images, and a mounted iPhone adapter that captures images directly during screening for case tracking, patient education, and referrals. The cordless, rechargeable design keeps the device light and mobile, and screening stays non-invasive: no dyes, no rinses, just a few minutes added to a routine visit.
Why enhanced visualization matters
Oral cancer affects roughly 54,000 new patients each year in the United States. When diagnosed at a late stage, the five-year survival rate drops below 40 percent. When lesions are found early, while still small and localized, five-year survival rates exceed 80 percent. Early-stage lesions often present with only subtle tissue changes, and adjunctive tools like the Mantis are designed to give clinicians additional information to support identifying tissue that needs further investigation.
As Wayne Rees, CEO of LED Dental, puts it, the Mantis is not a replacement for clinical judgment. It provides additional tools for visualizing tissue change, and those tools can sometimes make the difference between finding a dangerous lesion early or late.
Availability and pre-orders
The VELscope Mantis will be available beginning June 30, 2026 through LED Dental’s authorized distributor network, including Patterson Dental, Henry Schein, Benco Dental, Darby Dental, and others. Pre-orders are open now. Every system includes access to a complimentary 2-hour continuing education program.
To order find a distributor: schedule a demonstration, or learn more, visit velscope.com.
