This master’s thesis presents a comprehensive redesign of the vaginal speculum, an essential yet historically problematic device used in women’s healthcare. The project focuses on addressing three main issues: enhancing patient comfort, fulfilling physician needs, and ensuring environmental sustainability. This work aims to resolve the persistent discomfort and anxiety associated with pelvic exams, which are exacerbated by the current design of the speculum, while also considering the environmental impact of the healthcare sector.

The vaginal speculum has seen little change since its invention in 1845, despite its controversial history and the discomfort it causes to patients. Traditionally, its design prioritized the needs of healthcare providers, often neglecting the experience of the patient. The discomfort caused by the device has been a significant deterrent for women undergoing gynecological examinations, contributing to delays in the diagnosis and treatment of various health conditions. While some modern adjustments have been made—such as the shift from reusable metal speculums to single-use plastic versions—these changes have increased the environmental burden of healthcare, particularly in the context of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The project followed the three diamond design method, encompassing the phases of Discover, Define, Ideate, Conceptualize, Develop, and Deliver, to create a new speculum design. The process began with an in-depth exploration of the needs of three primary stakeholders: patients, healthcare providers, and the environment. This included literature reviews, hands-on explorations, and interviews to understand the diverse perspectives and challenges faced by each group.

The resulting design, named "Lilium," integrates patient-centered features such as improved ergonomics, reduced invasiveness, and enhanced aesthetics to alleviate patient discomfort. For healthcare providers, the design offers a more efficient and user-friendly tool that facilitates better access and visibility during examinations. In terms of sustainability, the Lilium speculum is designed for reusability, with a focus on materials that reduce environmental impact while maintaining high standards of hygiene and safety.

It is widely known that the healthcare industry is under pressure. On one side the costs keep increasing while on the other side the push to decrease environmental impact grows (Capolongo et al., 2015). Within this graduation project circular methodologies will be used to make a step in decreasing the environmental impact of the healthcare sector. Findings from report 2.1 from a consortium called DiCE are used intensively. One of the aims for this project is to contribute to this consortium as well. As a case study, the focus product is the electrocardiogram (ECG) lead set. A set of cables that are used to measure heart frequencies. Within the impact of the ECG lead set, the increase in the use of single patient use (SPU) lead sets is a problem. This results in the lead set system having more impact. The solution for this is the multi patient use (MPU) lead sets. But with MPU lead sets other problems pop up. To get more hospitals to switch (back) from SPU Lead sets to MPU lead sets multiple aspects are important. First is cleaning. Interviews, observations and research show that MPU lead sets are harder to clean (Albert et al., 2010). The next aspect is the quality of the MPU lead set. Prolonged use increases the risk of a lower quality lead set. Which could result in needless extra alarms and so in dangerous alarm fatigue for the nurses (Albert et al., 2014). To ensure quality a quality control system on lead sets will need to be implemented. Further important aspects for designing for a MPU lead set in a circular proposition would be the durability of the lead set and the ease of use within a hospital system. The proposed concept tackles these problems in the following way. The lead sets are monthly deep cleaned and checked on quality by a centralized cleaning department. The MPU lead set itself is redesigned to be easier to clean and a special cleaning tool is developed to help with cleaning. Combined this will create a system in which the MPU lead set will be a viable solution for hospitals again.