The uterine cervix is composed of muscle and collagen which changes as women age and under hormonal influences like after puberty, during pregnancy, and with menopause. It has been determined that during pregnancy, prior to cervical ripening, cross linked collagen fibrils are organized in tight bundles which provide tensile strength, rigidity and stiffness. As the cervix ripens in preparation for labor, cervical collagen concentration is decreases and solubility increases. However there are no noninvasive techniques available to evaluate such structural changes especially of the collagen of cervix. Developing a non-invasive way to evaluate the characteristics of cervical structure and collagen may aid in identifying women who are at risk of early cervical dilation. A specially designed polarized camera attached to a conventional colposcope can be used to take cervical images. Analyzing these images may enable us to visualize the collagen network in cervix. The purpose of this study is to explore the usefulness of polarized camera images in evaluating the cervical structure of healthy women at different ages. After evaluating and validating this approach in healthy, nonpregnant women, we plan to assess the cervical structure of pregnant women some of whom may be at risk of early cervical dilation.
| Estimated Enrollment: |
10 |
| Study Start Date: |
July 2009 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date: |
September 2011 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
The uterine cervix is composed of muscle and collagen which changes as women age and under hormonal influences like after puberty, during pregnancy, and with menopause. It has been determined that during pregnancy, prior to cervical ripening, cross linked collagen fibrils are organized in tight bundles which provide tensile strength, rigidity and stiffness. As the cervix ripens in preparation for labor, cervical collagen concentration is decreases and solubility increases. However there are no noninvasive techniques available to evaluate such structural changes especially of the collagen of cervix. Developing a non-invasive way to evaluate the characteristics of cervical structure and collagen may aid in identifying women who are at risk of early cervical dilation. A specially designed polarized camera attached to a conventional colposcope can be used to take cervical images. Analyzing these images may enable us to visualize the collagen network in cervix. The purpose of this study is to explore the usefulness of polarized camera images in evaluating the cervical structure of healthy women at different ages. After evaluating and validating this approach in healthy, nonpregnant women, we plan to assess the cervical structure of pregnant women some of whom may be at risk of early cervical dilation.
Purpose
