Image From BBC News
Sânziana Foia, a PhD student in bioengineering at Imperial College London, has developed a groundbreaking system called Papcup. This device allows women to test themselves for cervical cancer using a menstrual blood sample from the comfort of their own homes.
Sânziana’s idea was born from her uncomfortable experience with her first smear test at 25. She sought to find a better way for women to test for cervical cancer signs.
Papcup uses a bio-sensor to detect Human papillomavirus (HPV) strains that can cause cervical cancer, providing results in just 15 minutes. This small, fist-sized device has the potential to increase screening rates, particularly among younger women and those who avoid traditional smear tests due to discomfort or anxiety.
With Papcup, women can take control of their health and test themselves in the privacy of their own homes. Not only this, the device has the potential to save lives because it detects cancer-causing HPV strains at a very early stage.
Papcup has passed the feasibility stage and is now in prototype development. Further refinement and clinical trials are planned to bring this life-changing device to women as a product.
Sânziana’s idea was initially developed through Imperial College London’s Advanced Hackspace mentoring system. She now receives support from the University of Edinburgh’s Venture Builder Incubator, which helps innovations progress from ideas to reality.