Rewriting the Role of a Sanitary Pad

In May 2025, a research team at ETH Zurich presented something unexpected. They had turned an everyday menstrual pad into a working diagnostic device. It didn’t beep or blink. It didn’t require electricity. It simply read the menstrual blood it absorbed and translated that into biomarker data.

No lab. No needles. Just a used pad and a smartphone.

While many medical innovations require hardware or hospital infrastructure, this one fits into something already part of most women’s routines. The idea was simple: let the body speak, and let technology listen—quietly, without intrusion.

How the Technology Works

The system, called MenstruAI, is not a commercial product. It’s a research prototype created by ETH Zurich, led by Lucas Dosnon and Professor Inge Herrmann. The device uses a paper-based biosensor built into the pad, similar to a lateral flow test. As the blood passes over it, the strip detects specific proteins. If the biomarkers are present, the strip changes colour.

A smartphone camera scans the colour pattern. The app interprets the result. The team tested for three markers:

• C-reactive protein (CRP), a general inflammation marker
• Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is associated with cancer
• CA-125, linked to ovarian cancer and endometriosis

These markers weren’t chosen at random. CRP is elevated in a wide range of chronic diseases. CEA has long been monitored in cancer patients. CA-125 remains a common, though imperfect, early clue in reproductive disorders. The research aimed not to diagnose but to screen—to signal when something might be wrong.

The prototype, as of January 2026, has not received CE marking or FDA clearance.

Why Menstrual Blood is an Overlooked Diagnostic Medium

Menstrual blood contains cellular material, proteins, and hormonal data comparable to venous blood. Yet most diagnostic systems don’t consider it. Instead, menstrual blood is treated as waste.

This has started to shift.

Qvin, a US-based health company, was the first to receive FDA clearance for a menstrual blood collection pad. Its Q-Pad was cleared in January 2024 specifically for HbA1c testing, a key metric in diabetes monitoring. While Qvin’s broader research also explores cholesterol and hormones like TSH and AMH, these are not yet FDA-cleared.

The Q-Pad collects the sample and requires it to be mailed to a lab. It functions as a passive collection tool, turning an ordinary pad into a sample gateway.

At CES 2026, Vivoo showcased the FlowPad device, which is particularly helpful in hormone monitoring: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH). FlowPad lets you check your measurements in real time and is actually not reliant on the lab process or lab analysis. It is based on applying several microfluidic channels within a small biochip that communicates with the FlowPad app on your smartphone.

These projects, though early-stage, show a pattern. The diagnostic value of menstrual blood is moving from lab benches into consumer products.

From Passive Products to Diagnostic Platforms

The sanitary pad has traditionally been a passive product. It absorbs; it is discarded. Now, it can signal biological states. This changes how brands position menstrual care.

For companies entering this space, the product becomes a platform.

Vivoo’s FlowPad is packaged with educational material and app integration. Qvin’s Q-Pad links each cycle to a timeline of health data. ETH Zurich’s MenstruAI prototype includes machine-learning image analysis for consistent reading of test strips.

For consumers, this means your monthly product might tell you more than just when your period started. It might give you early clues about inflammation, cancer risk, or hormonal imbalance—data that can be logged and shown to a physician.

Global Context and Consumer Impact

Globally, over 1.8 billion people menstruate. A 2022 report from Grand View Research valued the global femtech market at USD 51.2 billion, projected to grow significantly by 2030. By early 2026, some estimates place the market closer to USD 60 billion.

Endometriosis affects an estimated 10% of reproductive-age women worldwide, according to the WHO. Many are diagnosed years after symptoms begin. In such cases, monthly self-screening—while not diagnostic—could become a powerful prompt for medical consultation.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Access, cost, cultural norms, and regulatory frameworks vary. But the interest is global. Products that can gather health data during daily use, without medical overhead, fit into ongoing trends in remote care.

Design, Data, and Trust

For brands, the challenge lies in integration without intrusion. A sanitary pad must still feel, look, and function like a pad. The ETH Zurich team used soft silicone housing inside the pad to guide blood flow without altering texture. In lab settings, participants reported no discomfort.

But the bigger challenge is trust. Health data is sensitive. Apps must clearly disclose what is collected, who stores it, and how long it remains accessible. Opt-in and opt-out must be meaningful.

Commercial success will depend not just on technology, but on whether users feel they’re in control of their own health information.

Future Possibilities and Limitations

Smart pads will not replace diagnostic clinics. They won’t offer definitive answers. What they can offer is timely awareness. For many conditions, early signs are subtle. A raised CRP or abnormal CA-125 level might not confirm disease, but it might point someone toward medical advice sooner.

These systems will also require validation across diverse populations. Biomarker expression varies. Cultural differences in period care may affect adoption. Education and clarity will be critical.

But the concept is clear. You already track your sleep, your steps, and your heart rate. Now, a monthly pad may give you a snapshot of your biological signals—without changing your routine.

Final Word

These projects raise a simple but powerful question: what if we stopped discarding menstrual blood and started decoding it?

The answer may reshape how we understand everyday health. Not through revolutionary tools, but through rethinking the products already in our hands.