Researchers Redesign Vaginal Speculum To Ease Fear, Pain
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It is cold, hard, metallic and commonly associated with pain. Not a mediaeval torture instrument, but the vaginal speculum is used every day around the world for essential gynaecological exams.<\/strong><\/p>\n Two engineers at Delft University in the Netherlands are now rethinking the decades-old design of the speculum \u2014 long dreaded by many patients \u2014 to make it less intimidating and less painful.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a lot of experience with the vaginal speculum, unfortunately,\u201d Tamara Hoveling, one of the researchers behind the project, told AFP.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never seen it as a pleasurable experience and I\u2019ve always wondered why it looks like this.\u201d<\/p>\n The PhD candidate in medical industrial design then delved into the dark history behind the creation of the speculum, one version of which was developed by United States doctor James Marion Sims 180 years ago.<\/p>\n It was \u201ctested on enslaved women without permission\u201d, said the 29-year-old.<\/p>\n \u201cSo that motivated me even more to take on this project.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoveling teamed up with Ariadna Izcara Gual, who was then working on her master\u2019s in industrial design engineering at Delft.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I was doing a lot of interviews, I was doing those sort of sketches with the same sort of shape but people were still scared of the device\u201d, said the 28-year-old Spanish researcher.<\/p>\n The Cusco speculum, the most commonly used model, is a metal device with a handle, beak and screw to adjust how wide it opens once inside the vagina.<\/p>\n For many, its insertion is uncomfortable or even painful and causes anxiety.<\/p>\n \u201d When you get scared, your muscles clamp together and that makes it even harder to relax.<\/p>\n \u201cThen the speculum is opened, pushing against these tense muscles and making it even more painful,\u201d Hoveling said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I tried to look for shapes that might be related to the reproductive organs, like for example the flower, that also opens.\u201d<\/p>\n The result was a prototype called the Lilium \u2014 named after the lily flower.<\/p>\n Like the more familiar tampon, it has soft plastic and an applicator.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s designed with the patient in mind rather than the doctor. And we\u2019re really trying to improve the comfort aspect in a sensitive spot,\u201d says Hoveling<\/p>\n The Lilium also meets doctors\u2019 needs. Its three-sided opening keeps the vaginal walls from collapsing, allowing better visibility during examinations.<\/p>\n The Lilium remains at an early stage, with further ergonomic testing and material research needed to refine the prototype.<\/p>\n The researchers must still secure safety certifications, run human trials and obtain regulatory approval before it can reach clinics.<\/p>\n To fund the next phase, they launched a crowdfunding campaign that quickly drew media attention in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n Within just two days, the campaign raised 100,000 euros ($117,000) \u2014 far surpassing expectations.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s also a sign. It\u2019s proof there are people who really want change, that there is a real problem here and that the current market solutions are not the best,\u201d Hoveling said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve received a lot of emails from women who told me they actually don\u2019t go to the gynaecologist because of this device, because they\u2019re scared, because they have a traumatic experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women, according to the World Health <\/a>Organization.<\/p>\n It can be detected via a smear test or HPV screening \u2014 both performed using a speculum.<\/p>\n With funding to allow this new gynaecological tool to be developed properly, the Lilium could be saving lives within five years.<\/p>\nSombre history<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Patient-friendly design<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Dazzling success<\/strong><\/h2>\n