A menstrual cup that can be inserted like a tampon uses sensors and a mobile app to measure changes in the wearer’s health such as iron deficiency and signs of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Gals Bio’s Tulipon device lets women monitor and screen their health from home based on available biomarkers. The Israeli company has started a crowd-funding campaign for Tulipon on Indiegogo (igg.me/at/tulipon).

The company says it is redefining menstrual care by offering a fusion of tampon convenience, menstrual cup eco-friendliness and usage duration, and AI-powered health monitoring and screening capabilities done from the comfort of home with the accuracy of a lab.

The Tulipon has already undergone clinical testing, having been tried by hundreds of women across thousands of units and multiple cycles, resulting in a 90% satisfaction rate.

“Tulipon is an exciting new innovation in female hygiene products that have seen too little innovation,” said Ida Tin, chairperson of Clu, after trying the Tulipon. “I’m excited to try this new product that solves some of my frustrations with tampons. I can now sleep a whole night through without worrying that the Tulipon has been in for too long. It’s a bold, visionary and well-engineered product that I think many will welcome.”

In a recent survey conducted by Gals Bio among 2000 women, 40% indicated they were not happy at all with their current menstrual products, and 61% said that they occasionally buy different brands than they are accustomed too, and half testified that they tried a menstrual cup, but it didn’t work for them.

The Tulipon’s two-part system includes a water-soluble applicator for clean, easy, precise insertion and sustainability, and the recyclable collection cup that can be comfortably worn for up to 12 hours during any activity day and night. With a capacity of 45ml – equivalent to three or four large tampons – it caters to heavy bleeders, physically active and environmentally aware menstruators.

The first two available health indicators are pH level and monthly bleeding amount. Both are early biomarkers for various changes to women’s health, such as pre-menopause, iron deficiency (the latter) and pathogens including STDs.

Bleeding volume and vaginal pH provide a very early indication of health status as they change over time. While the former is an early indicator of iron deficiency, the onset of fibroids, polyps or pre-menopause, the latter indicates changes in the vaginal flora, indicating various pathogens, including STDs.

Once inside the body, it opens to function like a menstrual cup, collecting the secreted fluids. It can be used safely for up to 12 hours during any activity, including exercise and sleep.

“We are thrilled to introduce the Tulipon, a product born from years of research and development in women’s health,” said Hilla Shaviv, the inventor of the Tulipon and CEO of Gals Bio. “It offers a comprehensive solution for menstrual care while empowering users to monitor their health effortlessly from home.”

One of the features of the Tulipon is its proprietary liquid lock mechanism. This holds menstrual fluid securely inside the Tulipon, even after it is removed, solving a problem with menstrual cups that makes them challenging to use in general, and specifically in public restrooms. To remove it, the user pulls a string that closes the liquid-locking valve and the Tulipon structure, allowing for easy removal from the body.

“Tulipon is the unique approach to women’s menstrual health,” said Amos Ber, chief medical officer at Gals Bio. “It will finally give an answer to women experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding. In the future, it will enable women even better health monitoring by leveraging this monthly information and creating a new and meaningful approach to women’s health.”

Brittany Barreto, president of Femhealth Insights, added: “The Tulipon is set to revolutionise how we menstruate. I have personally worn a Tulipon and found it incredibly easy to use and totally unnoticeable throughout my day. It’s exciting to see expert engineering and product design come to the menstrual health space.”

The Indiegogo campaign has a goal of raising $1m to finalise mass production and introduce additional features.

Gals Bio, founded in 2016 by Hilla Shaviv, is a femtech start-up focused on leveraging menstrual fluid as a diagnostic sample, tested for various biomarkers. The Tulipon (www.tulipon.com) addresses many problems in the market from usability and durability to heavy bleeding, all with an additional layer of health tracking and eco-friendliness.