Applications of biomedical engineering in reproductive biomedicine: sensing and drug delivery to the lower female reproductive tract

Current intravaginal products for contraception and prophylaxis against sexually transmitted diseases lack the efficacy that is both needed and technically possible. A multidisciplinary effort-that integrates gynecology, pathology, microbiology, and reproductive biology with engineering and materials science-can provide critical and missing information to the process of design and development of better products. Several engineering sub-disciplines can contribute to this effort, including electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering. Specific contributions will pertain to the polymeric delivery vehicles for drug delivery, the active ingredients of those vehicles, and to methods of testing, both in vitro and in vivo.