Portable low-cost freezing device for treating precancerous cervical lesions
Official title: Portable, low-cost cryotherapy system that does not require consumable cryogen gas for the treatment of cervical precancerous lesions
Funded at Ananya Health INC · NIH-11176179 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A portable, low-cost freezing device to treat precancerous changes on the cervix for people in low-resource clinics.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ananya Health INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oakland, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,124,942 |
| NIH project number | 5R44CA278186-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11176179 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with screen-detected precancerous cervical lesions (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) who can receive outpatient cryotherapy at low-resource clinics.
✕Less likely to help
People with invasive cervical cancer, lesions not suitable for cryotherapy (for example extending into the cervical canal), or who require surgical excision such as LEEP are unlikely to benefit from this device.
What this research studies
Researchers are building a portable cryotherapy device that freezes precancerous tissue on the cervix without needing bulky or expensive gas cylinders. The device is designed to be affordable, easy to move to remote clinics, and to produce deep, consistent tissue freezing similar to standard gas-based systems. During development they will run bench tests, safety checks, and usability testing and plan field testing in low-resource healthcare settings. The goal is to enable treatment at the same clinics where screening occurs so patients do not need referral to distant hospitals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this device could let more people in low-resource areas get immediate, effective treatment for precancerous cervical lesions and reduce progression to cervical cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Traditional gas-based cryotherapy is effective and WHO-recommended, but prior gas-free or thermal devices have faced adoption or efficacy issues, so this approach builds on known methods while addressing past limitations.
Where this research is happening
-
Ananya Health INC
Oakland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chang, Wei-Hsiang — Ananya Health INC
- Study coordinator: Chang, Wei-Hsiang
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.