Bristol team developing 'smart' menstrual cup and app

The product aims to track the flow, volume, rate and regularity of periods and features a smart-sensor to connect to an app

A "smart" menstrual cup is being developed that aims to help empower women to get appropriate medical treatment and diagnosis.

The 'Emm' cup is being developed by a Bristol team and is a reusable cup made from medical-grade silicone.

Currently in the second phase of testing, it is set to be launched in 2023.

GP and menopause expert Dr Julia Balfour said the Emm cup could reduce the need for invasive medical testing.

The product aims to track the flow, volume, rate and regularity of menstruation and has sensors that connect with a smart phone app.

It has been designed to allow the user to track irregularities or changes in their cycle that could indicate a health issue, and its developers say it can also tell the user when the cup needs emptying.

Dr Balfour said certain female health conditions currently require invasive testing procedures and it would be "lovely to imagine a world where this is being done effortlessly by a menstrual cup".

Heavy bleeding

CEO and founder Jenny Button said she had seen an opportunity to create a product that allowed women to "non-invasively" track their reproductive health.

"I wanted better health outcomes for women with the gender health gap," she said.

She said menstrual blood was rich in "biomarkers", which can provide information about health.

However, she said many woman were unable to identify reproductive symptoms due to not having access to their own menstrual health data.

One of the most common reasons women visit their doctor is due to heavy bleeding, says Ms Button, adding that one in five women suffer from menorrhagia - a condition that causes heavy menstrual bleeding.

"No one has the information on their menstrual volume at present, so diagnosis requires invasive tests or individual subjective recall of product usage."

Ms Button also hopes to encourage more women to transition to menstrual cups, reducing the number of period products that go to landfill each year.