Women’s health has long been underrepresented in scientific research and medical innovation, leading to misdiagnosis, inadequate treatment, and reduced quality of care. Policies mandating the inclusion of women in clinical studies have spurred progress, but advancing women’s health requires far greater investment in research and technology. The rapid expansion of the FemTech sector in recent years presents unprecedented opportunities to develop tools specifically designed to enhance female reproductive health. This chapter provides an overview of technologies designed to interact with the vagina, a reproductive organ that has often been overlooked in scientific and medical research. After a brief introduction to vaginal biomechanics, diagnostic methods are surveyed, ranging from vaginally inserted devices to advanced imaging technologies. Scoring systems for assessing vaginal health and dysfunction are also presented. Therapeutic and supportive devices, including pelvic floor strengthening tools, vaginal dilators and stents, and surgical implants, are reviewed. By consolidating these diverse technologies, the chapter highlights the numerous opportunities for innovation within FemTech in advancing vaginal and women’s health while guiding investigators seeking to contribute to this rapidly expanding area.

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Engineering Vaginal Health: Biomechanics, Diagnostics, and Devices

  • Ritika Singh,
  • Monique Vaughan,
  • Raffaella De Vita

摘要

Women’s health has long been underrepresented in scientific research and medical innovation, leading to misdiagnosis, inadequate treatment, and reduced quality of care. Policies mandating the inclusion of women in clinical studies have spurred progress, but advancing women’s health requires far greater investment in research and technology. The rapid expansion of the FemTech sector in recent years presents unprecedented opportunities to develop tools specifically designed to enhance female reproductive health. This chapter provides an overview of technologies designed to interact with the vagina, a reproductive organ that has often been overlooked in scientific and medical research. After a brief introduction to vaginal biomechanics, diagnostic methods are surveyed, ranging from vaginally inserted devices to advanced imaging technologies. Scoring systems for assessing vaginal health and dysfunction are also presented. Therapeutic and supportive devices, including pelvic floor strengthening tools, vaginal dilators and stents, and surgical implants, are reviewed. By consolidating these diverse technologies, the chapter highlights the numerous opportunities for innovation within FemTech in advancing vaginal and women’s health while guiding investigators seeking to contribute to this rapidly expanding area.