\nJust because it\u2019s what we\u2019ve always done doesn\u2019t mean we should keep doing it the exact same way. I thought we could do better. — Dr. Courtney Townsel<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Also known as incompetent cervix, cervical insufficiency occurs following painless dilation of the cervix too early during pregnancy. This leads to premature birth, putting affected newborns at a much higher risk for health problems and prolonged hospitalization both immediately after delivery and throughout their lives. Worse still, in many instances labor begins so early that the fetus cannot yet survive outside the womb.<\/p>\n
To prevent pregnant women with the condition from going into premature labor, highly trained maternal-fetal medicine specialists like Townsel currently use a needle to stitch or incisions to place an encircling suture below the surface of the cervix to tie it closed. This invasive surgical operation is known as cervical cerclage. Cerclage is usually performed transvaginally, but sometimes requires going through the patient\u2019s abdomen. Both methods have significant drawbacks: they are costly, difficult to perform, require hospitalization and anesthesia, and come with a laundry list of serious potential surgical complications.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis procedure is widely accepted in the field, but it is far from perfect,\u201d says Townsel. \u201cAlso, it doesn\u2019t always prevent premature birth and is usually not performed beyond 24 weeks of pregnancy.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because it\u2019s what we\u2019ve always done doesn\u2019t mean we should keep doing it the exact same way,\u201d she adds. \u201cI thought we could do better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Townsel\u2019s technology, which is in the early stages of development, essentially removes all of the potential complications for the patients \u2013 mom and baby \u2013 associated with traditional cerclage because it does not involve surgery or require hospitalization. Instead of being performed in an operating room under general or spinal anesthesia, her technology has the potential to allow cervical cerclage to take place with a quick, in-office procedure.<\/p>\n
Removing the need for an OR setting also cuts costs significantly. Hospital pricing data indicates that the traditional cervical cerclage procedure runs approximately $5,000 in Connecticut. Townsel anticipates her product would cost about one-fifth of that amount.<\/p>\n
To move her product closer to market where it could potentially save the lives of unborn babies, Townsel applied to the University\u2019s I-Corps site, Accelerate UConn. She was among 11 applicants selected to participate in the entrepreneurship program\u2019s second funding cycle.<\/p>\n
Helping UConn Entrepreneurs Get Started<\/strong><\/p>\n
Accelerate UConn was launched in 2015 and is funded through a grant from the NSF. Under the auspices of the Office of the Vice President for Research<\/a> and the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation<\/a> (CCEI), Accelerate UConn aims to successfully advance more University technologies along the commercialization continuum.<\/p>\n
\u201cProviding this type of critical early-stage support to develop technologies that could potentially save lives is at the heart of Accelerate UConn\u2019s mission,\u201d says Jeff Seemann, UConn vice president for research. \u201cSuccessfully commercializing more of the discoveries coming out of UConn not only benefits the University, but also has a positive impact on Connecticut\u2019s citizens and our state\u2019s continued economic development.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the Accelerate UConn program, \u2018entrepreneurial leads\u2019 like Townsel spend much of their time conducting interviews with potential customers to evaluate their preconceptions about who their customers will be and why they would buy a future product. More often than not, would-be entrepreneurs realize their initial thoughts are off the mark.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiscovering that your technology or business model does not resonate with potential customers is actually a positive outcome,\u201d says UConn professor of business and CCEI faculty director, Timothy B. Folta. \u201cGetting this feedback early in the process, before spending a lot of time and money, lets the entrepreneur pivot, or reorient his or her venture strategy to prepare their next round of customer discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Accelerate UConn also stresses the importance of a good team to propel technologies forward. Entrepreneurial Leads work with both an \u2018academic lead\u2019 \u2013 usually a faculty member with strong expertise in the field \u2013 and an industry mentor. The Accelerate UConn staff facilitates the team-building process for applicants who don\u2019t yet have a fully formed team.<\/p>\n
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