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Vaginal Dilator for the Prevention of Vaginal Stenosis

Project Overview

Vaginal stenosis is a common late complication of radiation injury caused by cervical cancer treatment. It is characterized by the narrowing or shortening of the vaginal canal, which is often detrimental to the quality of life of those who develop this medical condition. In order to address this problem, a vaginal dilator system capable of expanding the vaginal canal was designed for the purpose of preventing vaginal stenosis in cervical cancer survivors following pelvic irradiation. 

We have been developing an expandable vaginal dilator system for clinical use and conducting several benchtop tests to characterize the mechanical properties of the designed dilator. We hope to clinically translate this device eventually to help improve the quality of life of cervical cancer survivors.

We have been working with the extender group of students for the home-used inflatable vaginal dilator. We aim for this home-used dilator to be easy to use, portable, and affordable to diminish painful symptoms of vaginal stenosis and revolutionize vaginal dilation therapy.

We have been studying physical properties and relevance for use in diagnostic vaginal phantoms. By creating a composite consisting of a silicone elastomer matrix with 3D printed thermoplastic polyurethane scaffold, we could simulate the biomechanics of vaginal tissue.

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