ETH Zurich’s MenstruAI Is Turning Menstrual Blood Into a Revolutionary Health Tool.jpg)
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Zurich, May 28 — A breakthrough from ETH Zurich is challenging long-standing gaps in women’s healthcare by converting an often-overlooked biological resource — menstrual blood — into a powerful diagnostic ally. The innovation, called MenstruAI, could reshape early disease detection and health monitoring for millions of women around the world.
Developed by a multidisciplinary team of scientists and designers, MenstruAI integrates a non-electronic sensor into a sanitary pad, allowing users to analyze key health biomarkers by simply taking a photo with a smartphone.
“To date, menstrual blood has been regarded as waste. We are showing that it is a valuable source of information,” said Lucas Dosnon, lead author of the ETH Zurich study.
How MenstruAI Works: A High-Tech Test as Simple as a COVID Strip
At the core of MenstruAI is a paper-based test strip, conceptually similar to rapid COVID-19 tests. The difference? It’s designed to analyze menstrual blood rather than saliva or nasal fluid.
The strip, housed in a small silicone chamber embedded inside the pad, contains reagents that react to specific proteins found in menstrual blood. As the blood interacts with the strip, it triggers a color change — the deeper the color, the higher the concentration of the biomarker.
The user then snaps a photo of the pad using the MenstruAI app, which is powered by machine learning. The app analyzes subtle shifts in color intensity to determine the presence and concentration of specific proteins, offering insights into the user’s health.
Biomarkers with Diagnostic Potential
Menstrual blood contains hundreds of proteins, many of which closely mirror those found in venous blood. MenstruAI focuses on tracking several clinically relevant biomarkers, including:
- C-reactive protein (CRP): A key indicator of inflammation.
- Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): Often elevated in various cancers.
- CA-125: Linked to ovarian cancer and endometriosis.
Although the tool does not offer a medical diagnosis, it serves as an early-warning system, helping users recognize potential health issues early and seek further medical consultation.
Breaking Barriers in Women’s Health
The project’s success goes beyond technology. It is also about addressing systemic biases in medicine.
“There’s been a systemic lack of interest in women’s health,” Dosnon said. “We wanted to change that by designing a tool that is medically valuable and socially acceptable.”
To ensure MenstruAI is user-friendly, the ETH team partnered with the Zurich University of the Arts to develop an intuitive, stigma-free design. The goal is to normalize menstrual blood as a legitimate source of health data and create a product that women feel comfortable using.
“Courageous projects are called for to break down existing patterns of behavior to ensure that women’s health finally takes the place it deserves,” Dosnon added.
Field Trials and Future Impact
After a successful feasibility study, the ETH Zurich team is now preparing for a larger-scale field trial involving over 100 participants. This real-world testing phase will measure how biomarker concentrations vary throughout the menstrual cycle and between individuals to fine-tune the tool’s clinical relevance.
“Right from the outset, the aim was to develop a solution that can also be used in regions with poor healthcare provision,” said Prof. Inge Herrmann, one of the project’s senior scientists. “This has the potential to enable population-based screening in a cost-effective way.”
A Game-Changer for Global Health Equity
One of MenstruAI’s most promising features is its accessibility. It requires no electricity, no invasive procedures, and no complex equipment — just a pad, a smartphone, and an app. This makes it an ideal solution for rural or low-income communities where access to diagnostic healthcare is limited.
Moreover, by enabling routine tracking of biomarker levels, the technology empowers women to monitor trends in their health over time — from chronic inflammation to potential signs of cancer.
“When we talk about healthcare, we can’t simply phase out half of humanity,” Herrmann emphasized.
Why It Matters
MenstruAI isn’t just another wearable tech; it’s a revolutionary diagnostic platform wrapped in a product women already use. If widely adopted, it could:
- Help detect diseases earlier.
- Bridge gaps in global healthcare access.
- Break stigmas surrounding menstruation.
- Push for deeper investment in gender-specific medical research.
As this promising project heads into broader clinical testing, its message is loud and clear: women’s health deserves attention, innovation, and action — starting with the blood we’ve ignored for too long.
The study has been published in Advanced Science.
