Redesigning the Speculum to Transform Women’s Healthcare

Stiliyana Minkovska, Matrix

 

For centuries, a visit to the gynaecologist has come with an unavoidable discomfort: the speculum. An unchanged, medieval-looking instrument dating back to the Roman era, it has remained a stark symbol of outdated medical design. 

Stiliyana Minkovska, founder of Matrix Health & Care, is on a mission to change that. With a background in architecture and a determination to improve women’s healthcare through design, Minkovska is developing a radical replacement: a modern, multispectral, camera-enabled device that reimagines how gynaecological examinations are conducted. 

“The speculum is invasive and torture-like. It’s a barrier to women undergoing life-saving assessments like cervical cancer screening,” she explains. 

Her innovation prioritises comfort, convenience, and control, addressing barriers that prevent many women from attending vital screenings. According to Public Health England, one in three women misses their cervical smear tests due to fear or embarrassment. Minkovska’s device aims to change that. 

 

A Personal Call to Action 

Minkovska’s journey began with her own experience navigating the healthcare system during pregnancy. As a designer, she was struck by how clinical environments and tools failed to consider patient comfort or dignity. 

“I fell unexpectedly pregnant with my first daughter during my master’s degree. Navigating the healthcare system as a patient and a designer opened my eyes to how design thinking could –and should – improve women’s experiences,” she says. 

Following her studies at the Royal College of Art and a residency at the Design Museum, where she explored furniture design to support childbirth, Minkovska turned her focus to gynaecology. Conversations with obstetricians revealed the pain points in examinations, particularly the reliance on the speculum. 

One comment stayed with her: “An obstetrician told me, ‘If we didn’t have to rely on this speculum, it would be a game changer.’” 

That moment sparked the idea for Matrix – a device designed to improve patient comfort, streamline diagnostics, and save time for healthcare providers. 

 

Redesigning the Experience 

The Matrix device combines modern design principles with cutting-edge technology. Inspired by advancements in sex tech, which prioritise human-centricity and comfort, Minkovska’s solution puts control into the patient’s hands. 

“It’s designed so women can take their time with the examination, fully control the experience, and even perform the test from the comfort of their own home,” she explains. 

The device uses multispectral cameras to capture high-quality diagnostic images and can instantly relay results to a clinician’s desktop via WiFi, Bluetooth, or even satellite connections.  

By addressing both the patient’s experience and clinical efficiency, Minkovska hopes the device will increase screening rates, reduce missed diagnoses, and support ambitious goals like the NHS pledge to eradicate cervical cancer by 2040. 

 

Barriers to Innovation 

While the potential is clear, Minkovska’s journey highlights familiar challenges faced by FemHealth founders. Women’s health, she argues, is too often overlooked by investors who fail to see its scale and significance. 

“Women’s health is very much seen as a niche – which it shouldn’t be because we make up nearly 50% of the population. It’s a massive opportunity, but we’re only just starting to scratch the surface.” 

Securing funding to take Matrix to clinical trials is Minkovska’s next step, but risk management will play a critical role. Testing a novel medical device with patients requires robust insurance to protect both the company and those taking part in trials. 

“I need funding to go into clinical trials. Insurance is the biggest element, because you need to protect yourself when you’re trialling on real people and capturing real data.” 

Traditional insurance providers often struggle to price and understand the risks of new, human-centric medical devices like Matrix. Without tailored solutions, innovators like Minkovska face delays that can hinder progress. 

 

The Path Forward 

Despite these barriers, Minkovska is optimistic. With tailored support, including access to risk management solutions like Tokio Marine Kiln’s IntelliMed, she sees enormous potential for Matrix to redefine gynaecological care worldwide. 

“If we can remove the barriers—the fear, the discomfort, the outdated tools—we can make screenings accessible and help save lives,” she says. 

Minkovska’s journey reflects a growing movement of innovators determined to close the gaps in women’s healthcare. By combining human-centric design with advanced technology, she is proving that long-overlooked medical tools can – and should – be reimagined. 

“Design has the power to affect our lives in ways we don’t always notice. If done well, it can transform healthcare experiences and outcomes,” she adds. 

For Matrix, the future is not just about replacing a 2,000-year-old instrument – it’s about empowering women, improving care, and ensuring that no one misses a vital screening again.