PeriAssist

Student Team

Master of Engineering: Ziad Khan 
Undergraduates: Hannah Bartels, Zoyia Khan, Sabrina Meziani, Suchir Baradwaj

Current assisted vaginal birth (AVB) instruments pose significant safety risks, with forceps causing 3rd-4th degree perineal tears in 8-19% of deliveries and vacuum extractors causing tears in 1-9% of deliveries, while also being associated with substantial neonatal complications including cephalhematoma (1-12%), intracranial hemorrhage, and long-term maternal pelvic floor dysfunction. Despite assisted vaginal birth being recognized by the WHO as one of seven essential signal functions of basic emergency obstetrical care, AVB rates are declining globally due to safety concerns and lack of trained providers.

PeriAssist is an innovative ring-shaped inflatable device that encircles the fetal head to provide controlled traction during obstructed labor. This device is designed to minimize maternal tissue trauma while maintaining delivery efficacy, utilizing circumferential air pressure distribution to reduce peak contact forces compared to traditional forceps and vacuum extractors.