AI-assisted point of care ultrasound and an innovative vaginal speculum: a proposed combined approach to reducing spontaneous preterm birth.

The Bouquet Speculum™ is an innovative vaginal speculum developed to enhance patient comfort, improve cervical visualization, and facilitate ease of use for healthcare providers during gynecologic examinations and procedures. Studies show AI-assisted ultrasound can identify women at risk for spontaneous preterm birth (s-PTB) more accurately than standard ultrasound. Cervical cerclage, often performed to delay delivery, is sometimes difficult with standard 2-bladed speculums. The Bouquet Speculum™ combined with AI-assisted ultrasound offers the potential for improved outcomes and reduction of mortality and morbidity associated with preterm births, particularly in resource-limited settings. The Bouquet Speculum™ has demonstrated preliminary effectiveness in enhancing cervical visibility, patient comfort, and usability during cervical cerclage, a procedure employed to address preterm births associated with a short cervix or other cervical abnormalities. AI-assisted ultrasound enables early detection of s-PTB risk, allowing timely intervention with cervical cerclage to help prevent preterm births and associated infant and maternal complications. By integrating AI-assisted ultrasound with the Bouquet Speculum™, it is possible to overcome the limitations of traditional speculums and standard ultrasound and provide accurate, practical, effective, affordable, and safe solutions for reducing premature births. This method draws attention to a preventable cause of preterm birth and helps reduce mortality and morbidity while promoting better health for mothers and newborns, particularly in low-resource environments.