The most common type of cancer in women in Sub-Saharan Africa is breast cancer. In 2020, 129,000 new cases were diagnosed with only half of women living five years more after diagnosis. Recently, robotics engineer Kamisola Bolarinwa with her NextWear team developed a smart bra with built-in ultrasound technology that can aid in the early detection of breast cancer.
Bolarinwa's NextWear Smart Bra
Kamisola Bolarinwa founded Nigeria's first wearable technology company that's geared towards helping women. She lost her mother to breast cancer in 2017. There she saw how women from different age groups groaned to the pains of breast cancer and decided that she had to contribute to fighting the disease. This led to the founding of NextWear and the development of the Smart Bra that could be used by women in the comforts of their homes. It's a non-invasive procedure that lets women of all ages check on their breasts daily.
Bolarinwa explains that if women could detect breast cancer early, they will be safe, and many need not die, reports NewsMedical.
She adds that the team currently has a working prototype and was recently able to carry out local clinical trials where 15 models were used to validate what the team has accomplished thus far. The team was able to achieve 87% accuracy. Bolarinwa explains in a statement with VenturesAfrica that there were many adjustments and considerations needed, adding that the goal is for the smart bra to be able to identify whether lumps are benign, cancerous, or a tumor.
The team hopes that the smart bra would be market-ready by July of this year after a tedious 4-year journey. The team began their design journey in 2018, with the first prototype in February of 2020.
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Ups and Downs of NextWear's Smart Bra
Although the innovative smart bra gives women better chances against breast cancer, the journey hasn't been a well-paved road. To begin with, the NextWear team operates in Abuja, where the facilities and materials necessary for the development of the device are scanty. Bolarinwa explains that most of the materials needed to develop the technology need to be ordered from overseas and may take months before arriving which significantly delays the project, reports DailyMail.
Another obstacle for the team is the lack of funding. Nigeria has just begun getting around health tech. In the previous year, Kemisola applied for numerous grants, including the presidential grant. And although it was approved fund distribution has yet to come into fruition.
The NextWear team is currently still working on the Smart Bra and has plans to conduct standard clinical trials using world-certified laboratories. Kemisola explains that breast cancer isn't a regional problem, which is why the team opted for world-standard laboratories to carry out their trials. She adds that the team wanted to work with hospitals from across the country that specializes in breast cancer. Aiming for 97% accuracy.
Currently, the project is funded via revenue from NextWear's first product, a GPS necklace that alerts the family and friends of the wearer of their environment.
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