Meet Kemisola Bolarinwa, a Nigerian female Engineer who designed the bra to detect breast cancer.

What is  Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a disease in which abnormal breast cells grow out of control and form tumors. If left unchecked, the tumors can spread throughout the body and become fatal. In 2022, there were 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer and 670,000 deaths globally. Breast cancer occurs in every country of the world in women at any age after puberty but with increasing rates in later life.

Who is Kemisola Bolarinwa?

Kemisola  Bolarinwa is a passionate Robotics and Embedded System Engineer with 11 years of experience, exceptional tech skills, and strong problem-solving abilities. She is an Inventor, Innovator, and an entrepreneur. She is the founder and chief executive officer of Nextwear Technologies, the first wearable technology startup in Nigeria designing and developing technology worn close to the body to solve health-related challenges. She is also the president of the Women in ICT Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing technology education, leadership, and businesses for women and young girls to resolve problems of the under-representation of women in leadership, policy-making, and math-intensive fields of science and technology. Kemisola Bolarinwa is a strong advocate of STEM Education mainly for the girl child.

The Smart Bra and its usage:

Kemisola invented a smart bra that can detect early-stage breast cancer before symptoms develop. The smart bra is unique in its wide accessibility to those in rural or low-income communities who cannot access health facilities for conventional tests. It was developed using ultrasound technology, and the chargeable, battery-operated device comes with mobile and web applications that can display where a tumor is on the breasts without producing any radiation waves. The device is worn on the breasts for a maximum of 30 minutes to determine whether the tumor scanned is harmless or malignant, and the online platform has an interface for the result to be transmitted to a doctor. Women of different age groups, including teenagers, can use the innovative device safely from the comfort of their home to examine their breasts regularly.

Mission for Women in Technology

Kemisola’s innovation extends beyond technology; it embodies her commitment to addressing pressing healthcare issues and empowering women in the tech industry. Through her leadership in Nextwear Technologies and the Women in ICT Foundation, she champions initiatives that promote STEM education, encourage female participation in technology, and leverage innovation for societal impact.

The Smart Bra Solution

The smart bra represents a breakthrough in preventive healthcare, inspired by Kemisola’s personal experience with the devastating consequences of late-stage breast cancer detection. By combining cutting-edge technology with a user-friendly design, Kemisola has created a solution that not only detects cancer early but also addresses barriers to access in underserved communities. The smart bra’s ability to provide accurate, non-invasive screenings from the comfort of home has the potential to revolutionize breast cancer detection and save countless lives worldwide.