Hysterectomy - No More - UoM Develops live visual Endometrial Ablation

The team of final year students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Moratuwa have developed an Endometrial Ablation device with proper live visual inspection capability.

In some instances, heavy abnormal bleeding which takes place during the menstruation cycle of women will subject to hysterectomy due to failed medical treatment. Hence many Gynecologists who are referring to remove the uterus where the current ablation treatment is at risk. But the new device is being specified.

The three final year students, K.P.N. Gunarathne, M.R. Brayan and R.L.A. Harshana of the Department of Mechanical Engineering has carried out the research and were able to design and develop the machine under the guidance and the supervision of Dr. Ranjith Amarasinghe, Director, Centre for Advanced Mechatronics Systems, Coordinator, Mechatronic Systems Engineering Stream and Senior Lecturer of Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Dr. Madhura Jayawardana, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist and Senior Lecturer of Faculty of Medical Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Dr. Nirosh Jayaweera, Senior Lecturer of Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Moratuwa.

Dr. Ranjith Amarasinghe

The ablation device will be inserted through the cervix of the uterus and the correct placement of the device will be verified through the live video feedback which is taken through the endoscopic camera. Here the life visuals are transmitted using WIFI connectivity and it can be monitored either using the consultant’s smartphone or pre-set display unit. After proper placement of the device inside the uterus, the thermal balloon will be inflated using a liquid solution until it covers a major area of the inner layer of the uterus. Then the set values for the ablation process will be selected under the recommendation of the Doctor. When the ablation process is started, the preset ablation temperature will be automatically maintained inside the uterus for a preset time period. (Ex. 80 degree Celsius)

Dr. Nirosh Jayaweera

Dr. Madhura Jayawardana, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist and a Senior Lecturer of Faculty of Medical Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, stated that:

The removal of the uterine wall using a heated balloon had been done without a proper inspection of the inner uterus. This has a significant risk and there were possibilities that the machine reached the intestine while measuring the length between the cervix and the uterus.

The specialty of the machine invented by the students of The University of Moratuwa is that a camera has been used to investigate the inner uterus and it has the ability to transfer photos, live videos and information on heating and the pressure inside the uterus to a computer or a mobile phone using wireless Wi-Fi technology. Further, it has the capability to automatically control the temperature inside the thermal balloon of the ablation system following the set value.

Dr. Madhura Jayawardena
Consultant to Gynecology

The machine is being used for Clinical investigations at the first stage and will be used for surgical purposes during the second stage. The removal of the uterus wall is defined as Thermal Ablation. Presently, there are no machines that can transmit photos and live videos without a cable. As a solution to this issue, the students of the University of Moratuwa were able to invent this machine at a lower cost.

The existing machine, currently used in hospitals costs LKR 35,000 to 60,000 for the surgery of a patient. We strongly believe that we will be able to perform the surgery at a much lower cost in the future. This surgery will not be performed on younger women and generally is performed for the women after the childbirth or for the women who are at middle age with no intention of having kids. The machine has been successfully tested using a uterus of a pig and we expect to test the machine using a removed human uterus in the future.

Dr. Ranjith Amarasinghe, Director, Centre for Advanced Mechatronics Systems, Coordinator, Mechatronic Systems Engineering Stream and Senior Lecturer of Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Moratuwa further stated that:

Though, Sri Lanka has not focused on encouraging the novel ideas and concepts, a country like Japan gives their priority to these innovations. A student from this team has already been selected as a researcher from the Mechatronics Research Unit of the University of Miyazaki, Japan and he is able to carry out further research on this area, September onward in Japan. I also would like to express our gratitude to Prof. Kapila Perera, Vice Chancellor, University of Moratuwa, Prof. Nalin Wickramarachchi, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Ruwan Gopura, Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering and all others who involved with this project for their support given to work towards our research goals.