‘I’ve invented an alternative to uncomfortable smear tests’ – BBC News

When Sânziana Foia had her first Pap smear at the age of 25, she was surprised at how uncomfortable she found the whole experience.

The postdoctoral student believed there must be other and better ways to test women for the signs of cervical cancer.

Sânziana said: “I had my first smear test about three years ago and it was a hugely unpleasant experience. Speaking to other women I realized that it is actually a shared unpleasant experience.

“Since I was already doing a PhD in bioengineering and developing biosensors, I thought there might be a way to do this that is non-invasive and where women can have control over themselves.

“This hasn’t been innovated in decades, so it seemed like a good place to start.”

She got to work and the result is a new system called Papcup, a small device that allows women to test themselves at home using a sample of menstrual blood.

The device looks for signs of cancer-causing HPV strains in the same way a traditional Pap smear does. But there’s no need for a doctor’s appointment or waiting for results.

Sânziana told BBC Scotland News: “It’s a small device, about the size of my fist, and you put a sample of menstrual blood into it, which you collect with a cotton swab.

“The device has a biosensor inside it that is the detection unit. It reads how much HPV is in the sample and gives a reading in about 15 minutes.

“This device is intended to perform a test almost instantly, as all other tests take days or weeks before test results are known.”

The Papcup has passed the feasibility stage and a prototype is now being developed. Once that is ready, further refinement and clinical trials will take place.

Sânziana said: “We have developed the mechanical designs, the electronics and we have the proof of concept for the biocensors.

“Now it’s time to bring everything together and put this on the table, raise investment so that we can refine the biosensor and conduct clinical trials in the future so that we can eventually offer this as a product to women.”

Sânziana, originally from Romania, is doing her PHD at Imperial College London, where her idea was initially developed through the Advanced Hackspace mentoring system.

But now she has the support of a programme at the University of Edinburgh called the Venture Builder Incubator, which aims to take innovations from idea to reality.

Andrew Parfery is a Program Manager for VBI.

“We want to help researchers, PhD students and academic staff turn their ideas and innovations into a company and bring them to the market, so that they really have an impact,” he said.

“We are here for people in the UK’s universities, particularly those innovating in health and social care. That’s why we are now open to applications, particularly those providing technology-driven solutions.”

Uptake rates are lower in some areas, meaning many are missing the chance to detect cancer-causing strains of HPV. Early diagnosis could potentially save lives, according to Cancer Research Horizons, the for-profit arm of the charity.

Cidgem Selli is from CRH, which has been involved in the Sânziana project.

She said: “We know that one in two people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.

“If we can detect cancer earlier using new health technologies and inventions that move from the lab to the bedside, we will save many lives.”

The use of smear tests among younger women is also lower, but Sânziana hopes that her device will change this.

“Once they turn 25 and have had their first smear test, many of them delay, delay or skip their next appointment altogether, or live with anxiety for months.

“But they can use the new test in their own safe, private environment – ​​they don’t have to deal with a complete stranger in such a vulnerable position. It gives them back the power to test on their terms.”

Postmenopausal women and women who do not menstruate can still use the test.

She said: “They can still test with a Papcup using a traditional swab. It still has some advantages because you collect the swab yourself and the result is still instant so you don’t have to send it to a lab and anxiously waiting for weeks for your results to come in.”

A routine Pap smear looks for cancer-causing HPV strains. If these are found, further investigation will follow.

The Papcup also searches for harmful HPV strains.

Sânziana said: “If someone gets a positive HPV test, they might want to get the full smear test for a full diagnosis, where they look in depth at what’s going on. But we’re aiming to break down the first barrier that women face in getting their smear test.

“It’s really about addressing this gap in health care and the inequities that are causing women to skip their appointments. We hope to provide women with a much more comfortable screening experience.”