Mobile Colposcopy Insertion Unit Smartphone Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Early diagnosis of cervical cancer is challenging in developing countries due to limited access to specialized equipment and facilities, such as colposcopes, which are often not available in remote areas.
Innovation Solution
A mobile colposcopy system that includes an insertion unit with a penetrating hole and a capturing path, a capturing unit that holds a smartphone with a camera, and a lighting unit to illuminate the cervix, allowing for cervical cancer screening using a smartphone attached with a capturing camera without environmental constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a traditional colposcopy device is used, then cervical cancer screening can be performed with high precision, but the device is complex and requires specialized equipment and facilities that are not available in remote areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential imaging function from the complex traditional colposcopy device and implements it using a smartphone camera. The insertion unit with lighting and capturing components is separated from the complex control systems, allowing the core function to be performed with mobile devices in resource-limited settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a smartphone camera to create a visual copy of the cervical image, replacing the need for expensive traditional colposcopy equipment. The captured images can be transmitted and analyzed remotely, providing a simplified yet effective screening solution for remote areas.
2Measurement precision
If a traditional colposcopy device is used, then detailed cervical examination can be performed, but the device is not portable and requires specialized facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the colposcopy function universal by implementing it on a smartphone platform. The same device can be used in hospitals, clinics, and remote areas, providing adaptability across different environmental settings while maintaining examination quality through the specialized insertion unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical complexity of traditional colposcopy devices with a smartphone-based optical system. The imaging function is substituted from mechanical lenses and controls to smartphone camera sensors, enabling portability while maintaining image capture capability for detailed cervical examination.
3Reliability
If specialized colposcopy equipment is available, then early diagnosis can be achieved, but accessibility is limited in developing countries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable or easily replaceable insertion unit that can be manufactured at low cost. This allows widespread distribution to healthcare facilities in developing countries without requiring expensive, maintainable equipment, thereby improving accessibility while maintaining reliable early diagnosis capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a smartphone as an intermediary device between the simple insertion unit and the diagnostic process. The smartphone captures images and enables remote analysis, bridging the gap between basic equipment and professional diagnostic capability, thus improving accessibility in resource-limited settings.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The mobile colposcopy system enables easy and effective cervical cancer screening in various environments, facilitating early diagnosis and improving healthcare access for women in resource-limited settings.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide which induces the lighting generated in the light source in a direction of the penetrating hole
Implementation Method 2
the insertion unit is formed in a tapered shape in which an inner diameter is decreased toward the penetrating hole so that scattering light output from the light source and scattered by an inner wall surface is incident to the cervical tissue
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a mobile colposcopy device for early diagnosis of cervical cancer, which includes an insertion unit which is inserted into the vagina of a woman, has a penetrating hole formed in one end coming into contact with the uterus, and is provided with a capturing path communicating with the penetrating hole, a capturing unit which is provided in the insertion unit so as to capture the cervix through the capturing path, and a lighting unit which is provided on the capturing path of the insertion unit and irradiates a lighting to the cervix through the penetrating hole. According to the present disclosure, the mobile colposcopy device for early diagnosis of cervical cancer can be simply and easily used so as to perform cervical cancer screening using a mobile colposcopy without environmental constraints including hospitals and allows women to early diagnose cervical cancer.