Developing multifunctional gels for absorption of blood and detection of pathogenic bacteria inside menstrual cups

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Each year, over 45 billion single-use women's hygiene products are disposed, presenting a considerable burden for our environment. Menstrual cups represent a more environmentally friendly alternative that have recently increased in popularity and adoption, reducing landfill waste, and providing the added feature of being essentially odorless. However, widespread uptake of menstrual cups has been somewhat limited by user concerns with the process of emptying the cup, with reports noting that this process is messy and limits the disposal in public restrooms. This project proposes to develop a solution to increase ease-of-use for menstrual cups through the development of a biodegradable non-toxic dried gel to absorb the menstrual fluid inside the cup. Simultaneously, we propose the development of a secondary gel that will be capable of reporting certain health conditions that develop from a bacterial imbalance in the vagina. Using biologically based materials, these gel inserts will be completely biodegradable and can be disposed of through typical municipal waste systems. Furthermore, the gel for bacteria detection will provide users with a tool to monitor their own health, ideally leading to a decrease in potentially risky heath conditions. By developing this multifunctional platform, we open the door to new routes of monitoring women's health by examining menstrual blood.For this project, we will be partnering with Women's Global Health Innovations (WGHI), creators of the Bfree Cup, a menstrual cup that is designed using strategies found in nature to have a repellent surface that prevents bacterial buildup. Using their established manufacturing capabilities and existing place in the market, we plan to create a product that will quickly be ready to enter the market, ideally converting existing tampon users to menstrual cup use and ultimately reducing waste created by menstrual period management.