Women living in remote parts of the world can now be given life-saving cervical cancer scans, thanks to new Israeli “scan in a van” technology.
The cutting-edge system has been devised by Illumigyn, a start-up outside Jerusalem.
As was highlighted during Cervical Awareness Week earlier this month, the disease is the fourth most common cancer among women.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it affected approximately 570,000 people and resulted in about 311,000 deaths in 2018.
While it can often be treated successfully if caught early, sadly many women across the globe do not have access to adequate healthcare facilities to be checked in time.
But Illumigyn have developed the first remote gynaecological technology that provides superior imaging of the cervix, enabling the earlier and faster detection of cervical cancer.
In March, Illumigyn will be launching a mobile van to visit remote Arab and Jewish communities in Israel, offering examinations, and raising awareness of the importance of testing as the best way to prevent cervical cancer.
The Gynescope can be operated by any trained medical professional, enabling screening and diagnosis, even in remote locations.
The specialist software is able to spot any changes or cancerous cells on the cervix thanks to special microscopic imaging that are analysed by AI software or a specialist.
The remote gynaecological imaging tool has an accompanying cloud platform service and a mobile app which allows a doctor or specialist to view the results remotely from anywhere in the world. The company has already signed contracts worth more than £500million worldwide including in Africa, the US and UAE.
Illumigyn founder Ran Polikaine, told the JC: “Our mission is to provide every woman, wherever and whoever they are, early detection. Early detection is the key, we can now connect physicians and patients all around the world with the internet and diagnose women very early.
“We believe Israel is a light unto the Nations. What Israel can provide is the technology to cross over into humanity, that’s our philosophy.
“Our system is cost effective. There aren’t high costs, you’re connecting the clinic to the service for a very modest fee per scan, so very unfortunate areas of the world can afford this healthcare.
“Also, it has the flexibility to be used in a range of cultures. For example, there are some Muslim countries where a male doctor possibly won’t examine a female patient. A female caregiver can use the technology and the male doctor can be sitting in the next room, or even the next country.
“We can connect a patient in Africa, where there are hardly any screenings for example to a doctor in Europe who can analyse results.”
Dr Tonye Wokoma, a UK-based gynaecologist who is visiting Israel for the first time, described the technology as “ground-breaking”.
She told the JC: “Instead of waiting weeks for your pap smear to come back from the laboratory and then being referred on for further examinations such as a Colposcopy, this system will check you on the spot and provide much faster results, saving lives.”
For more information about cervical cancer go to nhs.uk
