Duckbill Alternative Still Has a Long Way to Go: Who Will Pay for It?

It is also called a medieval torture device: the speculum or the duckbill. General practitioners and gynaecologists use them, for example, when inserting an IUD or taking a smear, but for women it is often painful. At the TU Delft, two researchers have therefore come up with a more woman-friendly alternative in the shape of a flower. However, it is not self-evident that doctors will also use the new device. The big problem: money. "After our inv…

The news spread like wildfire in early April: a female-friendly alternative to the duckbill has been designed that should make gynecological examinations less painful. The designer has now started a crowdfunding campaign, for money to further develop the medical device.