This is the MiaFit team, one of the Bioengineering senior design groups who designed and prototyped a mechanotherapeutic intravaginal dilator for the treatment of vaginal stenosis and other gynecological disorders. Vaginal stenosis is a long term side effect of pelvic radiation therapy treatment for gynecological cancers, and it involves symptoms relating to the narrowing and shortening of the vagina. Vaginal stenosis can negatively affect the quality of life of cancer survivors by causing physical and emotional discomfort and impairing sex life following an already painful, uncomfortable radiation treatment.  

The MiaFit dilator device is designed for affordability, portability, privacy and ease, which will revolutionize the way we treat vaginal stenosis. This group was mentored by both Dr. Frank Talke and Dr. Melissa Ledgerwood Lee, and one of the most valuable pieces of advice given to this team was given by Dr. Ledgerwood Lee towards the beginning stages of this project. She told them that most devices are made to make the most amount of profit possible, so it is important to have a good understanding of the clinical need in patients to design ethical and beneficial medical devices. This advice really allowed us to focus on the needs of vaginal stenosis patients and to explore why current devices on the market don’t meet these needs.