Expansa

Insert. Deploy. Unlock. Repeat. The only pessary you can insert and remove wherever, and whenever you need.

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Inspiration

I am driven to pursue the development of this device to do everything in my power to help make women's lives a little easier. From the creation of the X-Ray machine to the utilization of MRNA technology to develop vaccines, each of these innovations have been driven by someone's desire to improve the quality of life. I am passionate about innovating in a space that has been unchanged for 35 years to improve the quality of life for women suffering from Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

What it does

Expansa's deployable pessary has a unique, patented design that is based on a kirigami inspired, twist-coupling mechanism. In its initial position, the pessary takes the shape of a tampon. Once inserted, the user is then capable of simply pressing on the top hub to deploy the expansile device. After use, the user can easily disengage the device and return it to its elongated shape for removal. This pessary effectively treats symptoms of POP by working as a space-occupying pessary, while its novel design and mechanism enables the user to comfortably insert, remove and maintain the device on their own.

How we built it

I design each pessary utilizing CAD software. I then use direct ink writing (DIW), an extrusion-based 3D printing method, to print silicone pessaries based on the twist-coupling mechanism that enables patients to insert and remove the space-filling pessary themselves.

Challenges we ran into

We have overcome many technology, design and mechanisms challenges during the development of the device. For example, the pneumatic DIW 3D printer utilized to print prototypes is very sensitive, complex technology. Once the silicone material has been mixed and prepared, the printing process is time sensitive. It has taken quite a bit of trial and error figuring how to print full pessary prototypes with this technology.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We were recently accepted into Penn Innovation's I-Corp program to join their Spring cohort! In this program, we participate in an accelerated 4-week course where we attend weekly sessions and conduct over 20 customer interviews in order to explore the value of our lab's medical device prototype.

What we learned

Having spent countless hours in lab developing the device, conducting primary interviews, researching market landscapes, gathering patient data and more, I've come to realize just how much I don't know yet. I learned that the entrepreneurial process is an ever developing one that I will only continue to learn from. In the end, this experience has taught me that there is always something else, something new, and something more to explore.

What's next for Expansa

We will continue to develop the device over the summer. We hope to have a prototype device that we can use in animal models by mid-summer. We will continue to investigate relationships with strategic partners and VARs. If animal clinical trials go well, we will begin to seek angel funding to support the 510(k) FDA approval process.

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