A medical tool was used since the Roman Empire for gynecological examinations, just got its first meaningful upgrade, and this is thanks to a team of women -led design researchers in the Netherlands.

Pelvic exams despite being important for women’s health, the equipment used for them has not developed much. In fact, vaginal speech – often described as ‘duckbill’ – remained more or less similar since the 1840s.

a fortiori? The healthcare of women is notorious. The 2023 Deloite report found that only 1% healthcare R&D investment leads to female-specific conditions globally.

But this may begin to change.

Recently graduates, and researcher Tamara Helling, Ariadna Izakara Gual, both from the Tu Dail, a technical university in both the Netherlands, have now developed a completely new spaculum design, called lilium.

It promises better comfort, less anxiety, better visibility and more user -friendly experience for both patients and doctors.

From Roman Times to Delt Labs

Speculum has a long and uncomfortable history. Its early versions are before ancient Rome, where the metal spoon -spoonful devices were used.

But this is Je Marian Sims-The “Father of Gynecology” of the 19th century-who popularized a metal-shaped speculaum based on a Libra spoon.

Sims tested his equipment on slave black women without anesthesia, and the design of the device remained untouched for a large extent for more than a century.

Even today, many women consider it to be cold, aggressive and deeply uncomfortable. Size and sounds can trigger anxiety and embarrassment.

As Ariyada kept it, even more than the pain that comes with the inserting or removal of the device, “this is about ‘pistol’ shape, cold and uncomfortable emotion, emotions.”

This inspired him and Tamara to make Lilium. This speech that uses soft materials and a flower-induced design to reduce discomfort on both physical and psychological.

Meet Lilium: A flower, not a duckbil

The lilium spaculum is made of semi-flexible, medical-grade TPV rubber. It consists of two main parts: a three-stalled incert-shaped flower, and a soft tube mechanism that separates the petals for examination.

Patients can either insert it themselves, such as a tampon, or a healthcare provider.

Initial testing has shown promising results. Eight patients and seven healthcare professionals (including five nurses and two doctors) tried to exclude it using a pelvic model.

Decision: Better visibility of the cervix – especially in thicker patients with a folding wall where traditional duckbill equipment struggles – and overall a very comfortable experience.

All eight patients preferred Lilium on traditional design.

Lilium is also environmentally friendly compared to existing devices. With just two parts (compared to nine in multiple standard speculams), it is clean, skewed and easy to reuse.

Why does it matter: Problem with today’s equipment

About 35% of women experience pain, fear or shame during vaginal examinations, and a third quotation around fear, embarrassment or anxiety.

A Turkish study found that up to 76% of women described pelvic examinations as physically uncomfortable, while 80% said they felt an emotional crisis in front of them.

These emotions often motivate women to avoid or postpone significant check-ups, which increases the risk of undesken infection or cervical cancer.

Other redesign efforts: Did they work?

Lilium is not the first attempt to reconsider the speech, but it can be the most promising.

Back in 2017, a design firm named Frog led by Heli Stewart introduced ‘Jonah’, a silicone-based, three-leaf design, aimed at being cool, hot and gentle. But it never reached the clinic.

Then Nela came, a startup that created a thin, sleaker duckbill-style speculaum with a silent open-end-cloak mechanism. While this original blade clung to the concept, Nela received more traction, and is now used in some gynecological clinics.

Nevertheless, both these options have still maintained a large extent duckbill structure.

Experts say that this is not always a lack of innovation – it is a challenge to break into a system where medical equipment rarely changes.

This is why Lilium, supported by a university and already tested with health professionals, could simply be successful where others did not.

What’s next for lilium?

Prototype has already won the Young Medical Delta Thesis Award. Ariada and Tamara are now looking for partners to help the lilium practice with prototypes, and can be distributed more widely.

“We can make the pelvic examinations safe, more pleasant, and make the patient more confident,” says Tamara.

Given that the duckbill spaculum has not actually changed over more than 150 years, Lillium can be patient of reset button and the provider is waiting.