Our greatest impact is in the development of innovative new technologies and techniques.
BHI has expanded its research during 2020 to include our primary interest, cervical cancer, and COVID-19, where we are working to validate widespread testing. Our research takes place worldwide.
BHI understands the importance of global collaboration between physicians, researchers, engineers, patients, and others is essential to eliminating disease. Our global cervical cancer research program continues to work with industry partners on screening tests and novel treatment devices for cervical precancer that can be utilized in low-resource settings.
Research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Rising Tide Foundation, and the Gateway Foundation for Cancer Research is awarded to the Cleveland Clinic, BHI founder Dr. Miriam Cremer’s primary appointment.
As a non-profit research collaborative, BHI participates as a subcontractor in carrying out these studies. The goal of these projects is to collaborate with industry partners to develop and test screening modalities and treatment devices for cervical precancer that can be utilized in low-resource settings. Technologies in development include portable treatment devices that have the potential to revolutionize the field of cervical cancer prevention by making treatment available in even the most remote locations.
BHI directly conducts its own research through partnerships with governments, and grant awards through agencies and industries such as MD Anderson, WHO, Bristol Myers Squibb, among others. Research performed by BHI concentrates on the implementation of screening and treatment programs, the scaling up of these programs, and work with specific populations.
The coronavirus pandemic is especially serious in low resource regions throughout the world. In an effort to stem this crisis, we are conducting COVID-19 test validation so that communities throughout the world can have rapid and reliable testing in place.
Basic Health’s COVID-19 work provides necessary and sustainable lab infrastructure in the regions where we work. Once COVID subsides, these labs can continue to make communities safe by testing for other diseases such as HIV, HPV, and many others.
Current COVID testing validation sites include: El Salvador, Paraguay, Malawi and Nigeria.
Thermal AblationThis highly portable device (WiSAP Medical Technologies GmbH, Brunnthal, Germany) uses heat instead of cold to treat cervical precancer.
This cellphone-based colposcope (MobileODT, Tel Aviv, Israel) allows clinicians to conduct gynecologic exams in any location and to perform real-time remote consultations when an internet connection is available.
As part of our compromise to adapt new technologies to the national health system, we donated 30 EVA Systems to the Ministry of Health of El Salvador for the CAPE project. These portable devices can help doctors perform enhanced gynecological exams in any location, including rural clinics in remote areas. Innovative technologies like this one are crucial in bringing preventive services to more underserved women. Doctors can have consultations in real-time with a specialist (colposcopist) for a better evaluation, immediate response, and treatment.
AVE is an innovative artificial intelligence tool developed that consists of a machine learning (ML) classifier and a decision-making algorithm, which identifies cervical pre-cancer from a colposcopic image. AVE “learns” to identify patterns of high-grade pre-cancer from cervical images to differentiate CIN lesions from normal tissue. Retrospective preliminary data shows that AVE may have higher detection of CIN2+ than either cervicography or conventional cytology screening, and similar performance to HPV testing or colposcopy for detection of CIN2+.
HRME: High-Resolution Micro EndoscopyThe HRME imaging system is intended to be a low-cost, innovative technique that allows real-time, point-of-care detection of high-grade precancerous cervical lesions without a biopsy being performed. As part of Rice University and MD Anderson led study, BHI enrolled more than 1800 women in this project.
Instead of using cryogenic gas like conventional cryotherapy, the Cryopen® (CryoPen Inc., Southlake, TX) utilizes electricity or power from a car battery to freeze cervical precancer lesions.