Sakura MedTech

Sakura MedTech is a medical device company developing a minimally invasive, tampon-shaped imaging device as an alternative to the speculum for pelvic exams and cervical cancer screening. The speculum, a metal or plastic instrument used to hold the vaginal walls open so clinicians can visualize and access the cervix for Pap smears and other procedures, has changed little since its introduction in the 1840s. The company positions its device as a way to reduce patient discomfort and anxiety, and therefore avoidance of screening, while preserving existing clinical standards.

The device is described as accommodating diverse patient anatomy, providing real-time visuals and data collection, and supporting AI-assisted workflows intended to increase provider efficiency. The company also states the device is intended to reduce the need for additional invasive follow-up examinations such as colposcopy by improving the initial exam. The company reports a functional hardware and software prototype with a provisional patent filed, and validation work at UChicago, Cleveland Clinic and Cook County Hospital.

Sakura MedTech originated as a student venture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and has competed in university-affiliated venture competitions, including the College New Venture Challenge run by the University of Chicago's Polsky Center in partnership with the Grainger College of Engineering, the Cozad New Venture Challenge, and the Heartland Challenge hosted by the University of Arkansas.

Founding story

Sakura MedTech was co-founded by Priya Kumar, then a senior in bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Uditha Venkata Velidandla, also in bioengineering at UIUC. Kumar, who grew up in a family of small business owners, has said she wanted to combine entrepreneurship with her interests in engineering and medicine; she and Velidandla had been brainstorming projects together and identified a lack of innovation in women's health. Kumar cited the anxiety, pain and emotional difficulty associated with speculum-based Pap testing as a reason many women are not screened, noting the World Health Organization's position that cervical cancer can be treated before reaching a cancerous stage.

Business model

The company develops a proprietary hardware and software medical device intended for use by gynecologists and other clinicians in place of the speculum during pelvic exams and cervical cancer screening, and is working toward regulatory clearance before commercialization.

Traction

The company reports a functional hardware and software prototype with a provisional patent filed and validation at UChicago, Cleveland Clinic and Cook County Hospital, and states it is raising $1.2 million to reach first FDA approvals. It cites survey data indicating 75% of surveyed US patients prefer its device over the speculum. Competition results include second place at the 2023 Cozad New Venture Challenge ($35,000), second place (tie) at the 2023 College New Venture Challenge ($20,000), and semifinalist status at the 2024 Heartland Challenge.

Latest developments

In April 2024 Sakura MedTech was a semifinalist at the Heartland Challenge in Bentonville, Arkansas, representing the University of Illinois. The company's website describes a functional prototype, a filed provisional patent, validation at three clinical institutions, and an active $1.2 million raise toward first FDA approvals.