Abstract

Cervical cancer is a leading malignancy among women in developing countries. Screening based on visual techniques, including visual inspection (VI), VI with acetic acid (VIA) and VIA under magnification (VIAM), has been tested in different research settings and found to be useful. In the field settings of primary health centres, the only available light source is generally a tungsten bulb emitting yellow light attached to a torch or examination light. This type of light has a masking effect on the lesions in a pinkish mucosal background. Thus, an ideal light source with certain magnification is a highly desirable requirement for VI of the cervix for early detection of early and precancerous lesions. A portable, user-friendly, low-cost device (AV Magnivisualizer), which has a complete spectrum of visible light (white light) and interchangeable magnification, was developed by the authors. This instrument showed better sensitivity to detect significant precancerous lesions of the cervix compared with VIA (83% vs 54%) without losing any specificity. Studies confirmed that the AV Magnivisualizer may replace a colposcope in settings where colposcopy facility may not exist. After studying the potential utilisation and usefulness of its ever-evolving role in screening and evaluation at a very low cost (approximately US$160 per piece), the Government of India launched this instrument for widespread use. The Indian Council of Medical Research has recently completed the agreement for commercial production of the equipment. This article elaborates the development of the device and validation studies on this equipment in various settings.