We are excited that our student team from 2022 was published in the ASME Journal of Medical Devices!
Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, killing over 300,000 women annually. Lack of resources to perform screening and treatment of cervical cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as well as the stigma associated with screening has led to high mortality rates in these regions. Specifically, the speculum – a duck bill-shaped device used to open the vaginal canal for visualization of the cervix by a clinician – is not always readily available, does not always provide a clear line of sight to the cervix, and can cause patient discomfort due to the pressure it exerts on the vaginal canal. To overcome these barriers, we developed a low-cost screening device for use in LMIC settings that enables better visualization of the cervix and is more comfortable than the speculum. We found our our device provided better visualization of the cervix at low cervical angles and exerted less pressure on the vaginal walls compared to a speculum. Future iterations of our device will focus on selection and sterilization of an endoscope, ergonomic improvements, integration with tools commonly used during cervical exams, and use of artificial intelligence to aid in cancer diagnosis.
