In 2024, Public Health England reported that 1.87 million women and people with a cervix failed to accept their cervical screening invitation – despite its life-saving potential.

Of the 5.12 million invited for screening, only 3.25 million individuals aged 25 to 64 attended – placing the national coverage at 68.7%. Below its target of 80%¹.

Specifically in the West Midlands, nearly one in three people don’t take up the screening offer², resulting in a significant regional and national unmet clinical need.

As reported in a national survey, the most common reasons cited for avoiding appointments are pain and embarrassment. This is not surprising, when considering that the conventional speculum used for screenings has seen no innovation in the last 150 years!

Recognising this unmet need, LBN Innovations set out to revolutionise women’s health with a new screening device that prioritises comfort and dignity.

Innovation

The innovation is a camera-assisted screening device that aligns with the size a tampon. With it’s small and ergonomic design, LBN Innovations’ technology aims to completely replace the traditional speculum.

The device is also capable of changing the nature of screening appointments. The camera assist allows the clinician to perform the screening at the patient’s side – preserving modesty and allowing the patient to have the check done ‘with them’ rather than ‘on them’ as they too can observe on a screen.

By addressing both the physical discomfort and emotional barriers associated with traditional cervical screening, LBN Innovations offers a transformative solution to a longstanding problem.

This pioneering device not only improves patient experience but also holds the potential to increase screening uptake, narrow socioeconomic health disparities, and ultimately save lives.

The benefits:

• Screening uptake: Disparities in screening uptakes are higher in ethnic minority communities – the minimisation of emotional barriers creates a more inclusive procedure which in turn can encourage higher screening attendance
  
• A novel innovation: Patient-centred innovations like this are essential in making preventive care more accessible, dignified, and effective for all
  
• Life-saving potential: Approximately 800 annual deaths are caused by cervical cancer in the UK³. However, with early intervention, 99.8% of cancer cases can be prevented. An accessible screening procedure could reduce mortality rates.

The West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA) has supported LBN Innovations by driving the technology towards real-world deployment through developing and protecting an early working prototype. The prototype then underwent further refinement and early stages of validation.

This has included drawing on the support of the following WMHTIA partners:

• University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB): UHB conducted a Patient and Public Involvement session (focus group) with a practitioner – gathering expert feedback to aid the additional refinement of the product design
  
• The Technology Supply Chain (TSC): Network expansion and connection to local manufacturers
  
• Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC): Technical assessment of current product design, bespoke product design development, supply chain support to keep manufacturing in the UK
  
• Azets, Acuwomen, Forresters, Medilink Midlands, Health Innovation West Midlands (HIWM): Professional business services including market positioning, financial planning, intellectual property support, stakeholder introductions and bid writing

What’s next?

The company’s goal is to build a minimum viable product suitable for clinical trials – a crucial step toward obtaining regulatory approval and market entry.

To do so, LBN Innovations are seeking to establish further investment, clinical partnerships for testing and supply chains to manufacturing scale-up.

Louise Ben-Nathan, Founder of LBN Innovations, said:

“The WMHTIA is the first programme I have partaken in that offers bespoke support tailored to my company. It has played an invaluable part in helping my innovation progress along the health tech development pathway. I cannot recommend the programme enough.”

For more information on the work that LBN Innovations are doing, visit www.lbninnovations.com

The WMHTIA is part of the pilot Innovation Accelerator programme, which is led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

This new model of funding focuses on locally-led innovation to drive economic growth and technological advancement by supporting regional innovative businesses, researchers and entrepreneurs. In the West Midlands, local leadership has been driven by a partnership comprising of the West Midlands Combined Authority, universities and other research institutions, and senior industry representatives. 

Building on the £100 million already invested between 2022 and 2025, a further £30m was spread equally across three UK city-regions participating in the pilot Innovation Accelerator programme, which includes a funding boost of £4m for the WMHTIA to continue its support of Health Tech innovators in 2025/26.

Sources:

1. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cervical-screening-annual/england-2023-24 ↩︎
2. https://www.england.nhs.uk/midlands/2022/02/18/nhs-encourages-attendance-at-screening-appointments
   -as-around-one-in-three-in-west-midlands-dont-take-up-offer/ ↩︎
3. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/cervical-cancer ↩︎