Menstruai is the first prototype in the world of intelligent absorbent designed for detect biomarkers present in menstrual blood. Behind the project, the joint work of the Polytechnic of Zurich and several Swiss universities.
The principle is simple: through a chemical reaction similar to that of rapid tests for Covid, the device shows color changes which report the presence of specific proteins related to inflammation or tumors.
How Menstruai works: technology and simplicity
The absorbent includes one reagent strip able to identify three key biomarkers: the C-Reactive Protein (inflammation indicator), the CEA (present in various tumors) and the CA-125often high in cases of endometriosis And ovarian cancer.
No electronics or laboratory need: just wear the absorbent, take a photo with the smartphone and analyze the image via one dedicated app. Alternatively, the result can also be interpreted to the naked eye.
Ongoing clinical tests: it aims to go beyond the taboo
Menstrua’s big news is in enhance A biological fluid often ignored by medicine: menstrual blood. So far considered waste material, today it is recognized as a useful resource for the non -invasive prevention. The team’s goal is to offer one economic toolsimple to use also in areas with limited access to health.
The project is in clinical experimentation phasewith the aim of verifying the accuracy of the results compared to laboratory tests. One of the most delicate aspects is the variability of menstrual blood which changes from person to person and along the cycle. For this reason, researchers are collecting large -scale data to calibrate the device with greater precision.
In addition to the technical challenge, Menstruai wants to unhinge the cultural prejudice which still surrounds menstruation. It is not just a technological invention, but a concrete attempt to make female health finally visibleaccessible and worthy of scientific attention.
