Researchers to develop portable hormone monitoring device

Scientists from Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University are working on a new portable device that could help women track and monitor their health and hormones.

The gadget will be smaller than an iPhone and will keep track of the full picture of women’s health, from period symptoms to hormone fluctuations, mood and sleep.

The device is hoped to help women identify symptoms that could be signs of common health conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and alert them when they would need to see a doctor.

The researchers hope it will capture data on a variety of fertility-related hormones, like luteinising hormone, which stimulates ovulation, and others like thyroid-stimulating hormone.

The project, led by Dr Sadeque Reza Khan, a specialist in biomedical devices and sensing in Heriot-Watt’s Institute of Sensors, Signals and Systems, is funded by the Scottish Government.

Improving women’s healthcare

According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), the waiting list for gynaecology appointments, diagnosis and treatment has soared up to 60 per cent recently, affecting more than half a million female patients.

A study conducted by the RCOG in 2022 shows such delays can significantly affect women’s physical and mental health, as well as their quality of life.

“We’re working on building a device that will be about half the size of an iPhone and completely portable. Women will be able to take it everywhere,” explained Dr Khan.

“Women will be able to test both blood and urine, as well as record symptoms, which will provide the most accurate and real-time picture of their health. The device will transfer key data wirelessly to an app, and share it with a gynaecologist.

“At Heriot-Watt we are working on the hardware development and miniaturisation aspect of the device, which is critical as we envision a portable female health monitoring device which women can carry anywhere and reliably use without any hassle.”

Dr Khan is working with viO HealthTech, whose OvuSense device provides continuous general monitoring of the reproductive cycle, and Dr Ruchi Gupta from the University of Birmingham, an expert in developing biosensors.

Rob Milnes, CEO of viO HealthTech, said: “Our users tell us they want access to personalised health information and insights that can help them make informed decisions about their health not only when issues occur, but to avoid those issues in the first place.

“This project offers the exciting prospect of targeted diagnostics added to our existing monitoring system”

Dr Ruchi Gupta from the University of Birmingham, added: “We have been developing our leaky waveguide (LW) biosensor to measure different types of biomarkers; proteins, DNA, hormones, and even cells.

“Our LW biosensor will be at the heart of the gadget for women’s health monitoring. Our partnership with Dr Khan and viO HealthTech will be a key step in the translation of our LW biosensor from bench to bedside. ”

Concept to commercialisation

The team have already started working on the project and, once they have proof of concept, they want to start focusing on making the device commercially available.

“As well as making sure we meet all regulatory requirements, we need to ensure that women can afford the device,” said Khan.

“We’re focused on making sure we are using affordable, sustainable materials that will make this available to a greater number of women.”

Professor Steve McLaughlin, deputy principal of research and impact at Heriot-Watt University, said: “The development of this device demonstrates how our new centre of excellence will support the creation of ground-breaking technologies that have the potential to revolutionise patient care.

“Bringing together academics and industry experts, we want to accelerate the process of bringing these vital developments to market.

“We already have several research projects underway and the next 12 months are going to be a really exciting time as we showcase our developments on the global stage.”