Jennwood Chen, MD1, Timothy Pickett2, Ashley Langell1, Ashley Trane1, Brian Charlseworth1, Kris Loken1, Sarah Lombardo, MD1, John T Langell, MD1. 1University of Utah Hospitals, 2Liger Medical
Introduction: The slow progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN to cervical) to cancer makes it a largely preventable disease. Tragically however, cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in women worldwide, particularly in resource poor settings. The primary reason for this disparity is the relative lack of cost effective treatment strategies in low-income countries. Therefore, our objective was to develop a low cost, highly effective thermo-coagulation device aimed at treating CIN lesions for use in resource poor settings.
Methods: With industry partnership, our Center for Medical Innovation assembled a multi-disciplinary team of students, surgical residents and clinical faculty. The team studied the therapeutic landscape, environmental constraints, and used simulation to understand human factors, design and usage requirements. A physical device was manufactured by first creating a digital image (SOLIDWORKS® 3D CAD). Then, using a 3D printer (Stratasys Objet30 Prime 3-D printer), the image was translated into a physical object. Tissue burn depth analysis was performed on raw chicken breasts warmed to room temperature. Varying combinations of time and temperature were tested and burn depth and diameter were measured thirty minutes after each trial. An arithmetic mean was calculated for each corresponding time and temperature combination. User comprehension of operation and sterilization was tested via a participant validation study.
Results: Our efforts resulted in a functional battery powered hand-held thermo-coagulation prototype in just 72-days. Total cost of development was <$500. Proof of concept trials at 100 °C demonstrated an average ablated depth and diameter of 4.7mm and 23.3 mm respectively, corresponding to treatment efficacy of all grades of precancerous cervical lesions. User comprehension studies showed variable understanding with respect to operation and sterilization instructions.
Conclusion: CINLUAMA™ is a low cost, high fidelity thermo-coagulation device aimed at treating CIN lesions. This technology could potentially serve as an integral piece of the “screen-and-treat” approach to premalignant cervical lesions in resource poor settings as outlined by World Health Organization (WHO).
Presented at the SAGES 2017 Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.
Abstract ID: 84139
Program Number: ETP730
Presentation Session: Emerging Technology Poster
Presentation Type: Poster
