PESSARY ASSISTANT TOOL BIO

In 2014 and 2015, after years of seeing some of his patients struggle with ring pessary placement and removal, Ob/Gyn Dr. Chris Radpour in Chattanooga, TN, conceived, developed, and patented the Pessary Assistant™ — the first dual-purpose device designed specifically to aid with both pessary placement and retrieval.

Invented with patients, gynecologists, urologists, physical therapists, and physiologists in mind, the Pessary Assistant™ is designed to aid in the handling, placement, and removal of most types of ring pessaries (including ring pessaries with and without support, incontinence pessaries, knob pessaries, oval pessaries, and similar types). The newest version was also specifically designed to hook the stem of a Gellhorn pessary.

Each device is injection-molded from medical-grade polypropylene (PP) — a durable, flexible material widely used in healthcare products and suitable for skin contact.

The Pessary Assistant™ features two functional ends:

1.  A “Pessary Assist” or “U” side, which holds a folded ring pessary in preparation for placement.

2.  A “Pessary Hook” or “C” side, designed to help engage and retrieve a ring pessary—or the horn/stem of a Gellhorn pessary—from the vaginal canal.

The device is intended for use in home, clinic, or hospital settings by an individual user or clinician.

The Pessary Assistant™ supports users and clinicians in performing pessary placement and removal efficiently and confidently, as part of normal pessary care.