Usability of Speculum-Compatible Injection Devices for Administering Ethyl Cellulose-Ethanol Ablation to Treat Cervical Neoplasia in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Purpose

Current treatments for cervical neoplasia are often inaccessible in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which contributes to high cervical cancer mortality. We previously developed a low-cost ablative therapy using ethanol mixed with ethyl cellulose (EC) to a form an ethanol-retaining gel that reduces injection leakage. To optimize delivery of EC-ethanol into the cervix, we developed and compared three speculum-compatible injectors that each address clinical challenges: 1) a single needle injector, which contained an adjustable depth stop to control the depth of injection, 2) a multi needle injector, which injected three locations in the cervix simultaneously, and 3) an extender injector, which included a needle extender.

Methods

The variability in EC-ethanol injections was evaluated through bench top and ex vivo swine testing. Usability testing was performed by gynecology (GYN) providers who used each device in a custom pelvic model.

Results

Both the extender and single needle devices led to consistent ejection volumes in benchtop tests with no variability between injections. All devices achieved spherical depots with minimal leakage in ex vivo tests. In usability testing, 65% of GYN providers preferred the extender device, which achieved significantly shorter injection times in the custom pelvic model compared to other injectors.

Conclusion

While all devices met clinical constraints, the extender device was preferred by clinicians and achieved repeatable injection distributions. This work presents a clinically informed low-cost intracervical delivery method for LMICs. Future work will include validating performance in clinical trials and assessing feasibility in clinical settings to advance global cervical neoplasia treatment.