The ‘Spoon’ Vaginal Sidewall Retractor

Introducing The ‘Spoon’, Bridea Medical’s innovative clip-on vaginal sidewall retractor designed to provide Enhanced visibility, access and safety during gynaecological procedures - Better vision, better outcomes.

The Problem Solved

In up to 30% of procedures, protruding vaginal sidewalls obstruct the view, complicating examinations and treatments. This common issue can lead to prolonged procedure times, heightened patient discomfort and anxiety, and even costly referrals.

Traditional improvised solutions, such as cut gloves or condoms, are often messy, time-consuming, and fail to fully resolve obstruction. These sleeves are limited to the width of the speculum, often roll back, and pose risks—particularly during electrosurgery where a rupture could cause a hazardous collapse of the vaginal walls mid-procedure.

Key Features & Benefits

The Spoon eliminates these challenges by providing a secure, high-performance retraction solution:

• Double Your Workspace: The Spoon’s innovative design allows for double the retraction compared to makeshift sleeves. Unlike sleeves that protrude inward under pressure, the Spoons push outward, maintaining their shape and resisting pressure exerted by the vaginal walls, providing significantly enhanced visibility and a larger, unobstructed space for instrument manipulation and precision.
• Hands-Free, Secure Placement: The Spoon is anatomically designed for secure, hands-free use. It clips onto the speculum’s edge firmly, locking it securely in place.
• Enhanced Patient Comfort: The rounded edges on the Spoon prevent tissue pinching, scraping, or discomfort. The tip is gently positioned between the vaginal wall and the cervix, and its curved design rests against (cups) the Cervix, distributing pressure evenly across a larger surface area to minimise discomfort.
• Procedural Safety: Made from bioplastic and heat-resistant material, The Spoon is specifically designed to endure laser and electrosurgical procedures. It shields the vaginal sidewalls during electrosurgery, significantly enhancing procedural safety.
• Increased Efficiency: The Spoon attaches effortlessly to the speculum already in place, meaning you can easily insert and clip one or two Spoons into position even after the speculum is inserted, eliminating the need to remove and reinsert the speculum.
• Full Coverage: Each Spoon captures and covers the entire sidewall, perfectly closing the gap between the upper and lower blade, from the introitus to beyond the cervix.
• Flexibility of Use: While primarily designed to clip onto the speculum, The Spoon can also be used as a handheld tool to lift and manipulate the cervix and tissue without locking it into place. They also allow for easy cervical lifting and lateral wall positioning.
• Sustainability: Our Spoons are crafted from biobased plastic, reflecting our commitment to sustainability.

Applications

The ‘Spoon’ is ideally suited for a wide range of procedures:

• General Cervix manipulation
• Gynecological exams and procedures
• Colposcopy examinations
• LEEP / LETZ and laser procedures
• Hysteroscopy procedures

Compatibility and Sizing

The Spoon attaches to all Orchid Spec® Standard, BIO, and SPX (Smoke Plume eXtraction) specula.

CAUTION: The Spoon is only compatible with Orchid Spec specula and cannot be used with or clipped onto other metal or plastic specula. It is intended for use by trained personnel only.

Size	Length	Width	Compatibility Notes
Medium	120 mm (4.72 in)	23 mm (0.91 in)	Designed for Standard and SPX specula (Medium and Wide), but can also be used on the Virgo model.
Long	140 mm (5.51 in)	23 mm (0.91 in)	Designed for Standard and SPX specula (Long), but can also be used on the Medium and Wide models (The Spoons will be slightly longer than the speculum in that case).

Instructions Overview: Attaching The Spoon

1. Preparation: First, insert the Orchid Spec Speculum, dilate it, and lock it (refer to the Speculum Instructions for Use (IFU) for insertion steps).
2. Insertion: Insert the Spoon diagonally. To manipulate the left lateral wall, insert the Spoon from the right side of the speculum opening (the opposite side).
3. Positioning: Find the tip and side of the Cervix. Slide the Spoon along the side of the Cervix partially into the lateral fornix, ensuring the curved side of the Spoon rests against (cups) the Cervix.
4. Retraction: Gently move the Spoon handle toward the opposite side of the speculum, pushing the sidewalls out of view.
5. Locking: Push the Spoon gently farther into the fornix until the hook clips securely around the outer edge of the speculum. You will feel a gentle clicking sensation.
6. Optional Second Spoon: A second Spoon can be inserted diagonally and clipped onto the opposite outer edge to retract the other sidewall.

Removal

• Do not unclip the Spoon(s); leave them attached.
• Unlock and slowly begin retracting the speculum.
• As the speculum withdraws, the vaginal sidewalls will push the Spoon(s) back into the speculum’s blades, releasing their hold.
• Continue retracting until the speculum and Spoon(s) come out together in one smooth motion.