Protective Guide for Pap Smear Cell Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of a speculum during Pap smear tests is often uncomfortable and painful for women, leading to fear and avoidance of the procedure, which can result in undiagnosed preventable cancer.
Innovation Solution
A protective guide that houses and protects a cell extraction device, allowing it to access the cervix without a speculum, using an imaging transducer to locate the cervix and a slanted, low-profile design for comfortable insertion, with a stop mechanism to secure the device during withdrawal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a speculum is used to spread open the vagina for Pap smear access, then the cervix becomes accessible for cell collection, but the procedure becomes painful and uncomfortable for the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the speculum component entirely from the Pap smear procedure. Instead of using a speculum to spread the vagina, the invention uses a protective guide that allows direct access to the cervix without mechanical separation of the vaginal walls, thereby eliminating the primary source of patient pain and discomfort while maintaining cervical accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The protective guide serves as an intermediary device between the cell extraction device and the patient's vagina. This guide provides a comfortable insertion path and protects the cell extraction device during insertion and withdrawal, enabling cervix access without the need for a speculum and thus resolving the contradiction between patient comfort and cervical accessibility
2Ease of operation
If a protective guide is used to house the cell extraction device, then patient comfort is improved by eliminating speculum use, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective guide is designed to perform multiple functions: it houses and protects the cell extraction device during insertion, guides the device to the cervix, protects the device during cell collection, and facilitates comfortable withdrawal. By consolidating these functions into a single component, the patent increases device functionality without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The cell extraction device is nested within the protective guide, with the guide acting as an outer shell that contains and protects the inner cell extraction device. This nested configuration allows the protective guide to provide comprehensive protection and guidance while maintaining a compact, manageable device structure that does not excessively increase overall complexity
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
Enables a more comfortable and efficient Pap smear procedure without the need for a speculum, reducing pain and fear, and facilitating easier cell collection for examination.
Implementation Method 1
the location of the patient's cervix is determined by utilization of the imaging transducer
Data Source
AI summary
A protective guide for protecting a cell extraction device used during a Pap smear. An access tunnel receives the cell extraction device and allows for access and movement of the cell extraction device. A protective chamber covers and protects the head of the cell extraction device as the cell extraction device is being removed and inserted from the patient's vagina. A protective guide connector attaches the protective guide to an imaging transducer. After inserted into the patient's vagina, the location of the patient's cervix is determined by utilization of the imaging transducer. Once the cervix is located the cell extraction device is pushed outward from the protective chamber so that the cell extraction device head contacts the cervix and then removes cells from the cervix. The cell extraction device head is then pulled back into the protective chamber and the protective guide is removed from the patient's vagina.