Dr. Iltifat Husain’s physician take is at the end of this article
Woman Care Global (WCG) is hoping to advance the detection of cervical cancer by marketing the Gynocular colposcope, which it describes as the “world’s first truly portable colposcope.” The device has been both FDA approved and CE-marked for sale in Europe and has been clinically tested in Sweden, Uganda, and Bangladesh. WCG will market the device through a distribution agreement with Gynius, the Swedish-based manufacturer. The small size allows it to be used in hospitals, clinics, and in low resource settings in the field.
The Gynocular is lightweight (480 g), fits into a pocket or small bag, and makes use of cutting edge optics, a green filter, and warm LED lighting. It is equipped with three different levels of magnification and is battery powered with a charge lasting a full day. An adaptor is also available that allows the Gynocular to be mounted on a tripod to steady its use. It can be used in conjunction with a smartphone adaptor that allows clinicians to capture, store, and send high quality digital images of a patient’s cervix to others. When connected to a cell phone’s video app or to a computer running Skype, it is also possible to send motion picture images.
A recent International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer study evaluated the Gynocular colposcope in a crossover randomized clinical trial in Bangladesh on 540 women who tested positive by visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid. The researchers explained that “Swede scores were obtained by the Gynocular and stationary colposcope, as well as samples for liquid-based cytology, HPV, and cervical biopsies. The Swede scores were compared against the histologic diagnosis and used as criterion standard…. Colposcopy by Swede score identified significantly more CIN2+ lesions than liquid-based cytology and could offer a more accurate screening and selection for immediate treatment of cervical lesions in low-resource settings.”
Dr. Iltifat Husain’s take:
The initial data coming out on the Gynocular colposcope is extremely promising. It’s already FDA and CE approved, and has clinical data that shows it can perform better cervical cancer screening than traditional methods when utilized in low resource settings. Overall, I’m surprised the Gynocular colposcope hasn’t gotten more buzz by the online / medical news community. There are so many aspects of it that are refreshing to see: more affordable, regulatory approved, and tested in clinical trials — innovation at its best.
