Expansile Cervical Dilator

Student Team

Master of Engineering: Olivia Szelazek, Yuxuan Duan, Adam Winding, Marc Leber
Undergraduates: Ashley Tran, Trisha Patnaik, Aphra Quadras, Anthony Chen

Many gynecologic procedures require cervical dilation to gain access to the uterus including dilation and curettage, endometrial biopsy, hysteroscopy, intrauterine device (IUD) insertion, and treatment of cervical stenosis [1]. The Pratt, Hank, and Hegar dilators are most commonly used to sequentially open the cervical canal by inserting increasingly wider steel dilators. This requires sterilizing multiple dilators for the operating room, while the surgical assistant and physician clumsily exchange dilators, leading to a non-standard rate of dilation. Additionally, the increasing mechanical pushing force to place each dilator is associated with uterine perforation, cervical laceration, and intraperitoneal hemorrhage. The metal dilator has not been significantly changed since the 19th century [2]. Newer designs have been released on the market using inflatable balloon cervical dilation such as the Definity Cervical Dilator [3]. These dilators still need to be removed to insert surgical tools, diminishing their advances from the standard cervical dilators. The cervix is a fibromuscular tissue that may not maintain dilation in all patients leading to direct aggravation of the cervical lining while inserting procedural tools. This may also decrease efficiency if multiple dilations are needed throughout the procedure. Our novel device will allow for continuous gentle dilation with compatible access for surgical tools for seamless transitions during procedures, minimizing patient discomfort and cervical tissue damage.