Project description
Goodbye forceps, hello gentle vacuum suction for common gynaecological procedures
Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are the most effective form of birth control apart from sterilisation and abstinence. Despite this fact, they are avoided by a large percentage of women, due to complications with placement including pain, bleeding and cross-contamination. The EU-funded Aspivix project is bringing a revolutionary surgical instrument to market to replace the tenaculum, the common cervical forceps. The Aspivix is a single-use device that relies on a gentle vacuum suction pad to steady the cervix during gynaecological procedures including IUD placement. Not only will it reduce discomfort and risks for patients, but it will also simplify and speed up the placement procedure, thus providing additional financial benefits.
Objective
For years, gynecologist practices related to Intra-Uterine Contraceptive Device (IUD) insertions, curettage and several other common indications, have featured poor care and low attention to female patients.
The use of the Tenaculum, grasping and pulling on the cervix, inside the vaginal cavity, proved to be painful and traumatic for 84% of the women, and eventually to trigger lesions and bleeding in 29% of the patients, as well as cross-contamination in 5-10% of the women. These disadvantages refrain the use of IUD contraceptive which exacerbates the unintended pregnancies, sized yearly in 85 mills and representing billions of euros in social costs worldwide.
In response, we have developed Aspivix, a new disruptive gynecological device that reduces the pain and eradicates the bleeding during the exploration procedure. Our patented device will replace the Tenaculum forceps, unchanged for over 100 years, to provide gynecologists an easy-to-use device where gentle and firm cervix uterus grasping and traction is needed. Thus, our device will facilitate the adoption of IUD, which could avoid up to 8% of unintended pregnancies and reduce derived social costs. Besides, Aspivix is intended for a single use which prevents the risk of contamination and cross-infection. Overall, Aspivix has the potential to shorten the intervention procedure (2 steps instead 7), which will represent for the physician a 28% economic benefit. As result, Aspivix will fulfill the needs of more than 64 M of women worldwide/year, a market that is projected to grow at a CAGR2016-2021 of ~6.5% due to the high demand of IUD insertions and is valued in more than €385M.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
1020 RENENS
Switzerland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.