Scientists at McMaster University have created a new menstrual care product that works alongside an existing menstrual cup, improving safety, usability, and environmental friendliness compared to current alternatives.
It is a component of McMaster's wider effort to develop wearable solutions that actively track women's health. The team has also released a perspective article in Nature Communications outlining how emerging technologies, such as this new cup, can be used to identify infections, monitor reproductive health, and enhance diagnostics.
Nature Communications
The novel addition, detailed in a study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, is a flushable tablet composed of highly absorbent seaweed‑derived material. It is engineered to capture menstrual blood and reduce leaks during removal—a frequent obstacle to broader cup usage. The tablet works in tandem with the existing Bfree Cup, which uses lubricant‑infused silicone that naturally deters viruses and bacteria and obviates the need for boiling between uses.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
"This project opened my eyes to how urgently innovation is needed in menstrual care," says Zeinab Hosseinidoust, an associate professor of biomedical and chemical engineering and co‑lead researcher on the team. "There's been little movement in the conversation around menstrual care. Some of that is due to stigma and some is lack of interest, but cups have the potential to make a serious difference in the lives of women around the world."
The research group also comprised graduate students Shaghayegh Moghimi and Lubna Najm, along with postdoctoral fellow Fereshteh Bayat, who played pivotal roles in developing and testing the product.
The product was developed in partnership with Leisa Hirtz, founder of Women's Global Health Innovations at McMaster's Innovation Park, who approached the researchers.
"Menstrual health is a critical issue for millions of girls and women, particularly those living in poverty in low‑ and middle‑income countries, where access to safe and dignified products remains a barrier to education, employment and social participation. This innovation builds on Bfree Cup's proven technology to support wider adoption and reduce period poverty. The current research also opens the door to advanced diagnostic capabilities that could transform how we monitor and manage women's reproductive health globally," Hirtz says.
Beyond convenience and safety, the technology offers the possibility to cut the environmental footprint of disposable menstrual products and expand access to menstrual care in low‑income settings. Each cup is engineered to last for several years, providing a cost‑effective and sustainable option for users who may lack reliable access to tampons or pads.
Although menstrual cups have been available for years, their adoption has remained limited because of usability challenges. The new cups tackle these issues and also pave the way for forthcoming health‑monitoring features.
The team envisions future iterations of the menstrual product equipped with sensors that detect early indicators of infections and blood‑borne illnesses—using menstrual blood as a rich source of biological data.
"This could be a new form of wearable technology that could be even more valuable than a smartwatch," says associate professor of mechanical and bioengineering Tohid Didar, who co‑led the research. "We have mainly been reactive in terms of women's health. With simple systems added to menstrual products to monitor for infections and conditions such as endometriosis and UTIs, we could identify these problems much sooner. There is a lot to explore in this area."
"Our review highlights how recent progress in biosensors, wearables, and AI can close critical gaps in women's health diagnostics, ranging from reproductive care to cancer and osteoporosis," says Wei Gao, professor of Engineering and Applied Science at Caltech and co‑author of the Nature Communications perspective.
Nature Communications