Undergoing a gynaecological procedure without anaesthesia is often still a reality in low-wage countries. A Delft industrial designer came up with Chloe, a simple and cheap solution to be able to administer pain relief though.

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Every year, 25 million women undergo gynaecological procedures without pain relief, especially in low-wage countries. Not because it is not necessary, but because suitable and affordable instruments are not available. This motivated industrial designer Karlheinz Samenjo, born in Cameroon and raised in Kenya, to find a solution for this during his master's at TU Delft. He himself grew up next to a hospital where he heard women screaming in pain during treatments.

Long needles

In the Netherlands, pain relief for this type of procedure is administered with long needles that are also used for epidural injections. These needles are not only expensive, but because they are very thin, flexible and long, precise pricking is difficult and can perforate the vaginal wall. This causes extra pain and requires extremely careful work.

Chloe Syringe Extension Device_

Solution

Samenjo came up with a solution to both problems: the Chloe syringe extension device (SED). With this simple extension device for the standard 10ml syringe, it is fairly easy and safe to administer a local anaesthetic to the cervix. It has already been successfully tested and clinically validated in Kenya. The Chloe SED made of polypropylene can be reused up to 25 times and costs just one euro.

Industrial designer Karlheinz Samenjo: 'The best part was the conversations with women and doctors. The device offered so much relief.'

Crowdfunding

The goal of Samenjo, who founded Chloe Innovations last year, is for Chloe to become available in hospitals and eventually pharmacies worldwide. There is also interest in the Netherlands because it is a better and cheaper alternative. TU Delft University Fund has started a crowdfunding campaign to medically certify this product and bring it to the clinic.

Photo: Chloe SED