114: Cervicare

Modern cervical cancer screening has many problems, specifically the lack of accessibility to women’s healthcare, current healthcare disparities, patient pain and discomfort, accuracy of testing, and the lack of education and increased stigma surrounding women’s reproductive care. We aimed to increase patient satisfaction, create more engagement in clear communication between the healthcare professional and the patient, and have higher rates of women in lower socioeconomic areas engaging in consistent screening. 

To accomplish these goals, we created the CerviTech Endoscope, which contains attachments built in for comfort while still being effective and efficient. The CerviTech Endoscope breaks down into four main components: the endoscope, the swabbing tool, the spring lock and the shaft. The shaft, a major component of the device, was created from an autoclavable biomedical resin, aimed to be multiuse and small in diameter to decrease the invasiveness and discomfort of the procedure. The swabbing tool is the collection device for the culture sample and is inserted into the shaft once in place in the vaginal canal. The spring lock is attached to the end of the canal after the swab is inserted and ensures necessary pressure onto the cervix to collect the sample—nothing more and nothing less. The spring lock can also be adjusted based on the condition of the cervix. 

If successful, the lower manufacturing cost of the device will allow for a decrease in the cost of examination and an increase in procedure affordability and accessibility for people with cervixes across the nation.