‘Smart IUD’ could herald accurate monitoring for fertility and endometriosis, say creators

Oxfordshire-based Verso Biosence’s wireless interuterine device is designed to monitor oxygen and temperature levels for periods of several days, thanks to its system of sensors.

CEO Kate Rowley said: “Our goal is to shine a light inside the uterine environment and gather the data needed to truly understand how it functions.

“Once we can see what’s happening in real time, we can start developing far more personalised and effective treatments.” 

Fertility treatment is likely to be an early application, particularly IVF treatment failures. Analysis of biomarkers including temperature and oxygen levels could allow data analysis to determine the best conditions to ensure successful embryo implantation, says the firm. 

Uterine therapies have frequently relied upon limited evidence or indirect measurements because of the technological challenges of obtaining real-time data.

“Medicine has made extraordinary advances in many fields but the uterus is still something of a black box,” admitted Rowley. 

Verso Biosense’s technology allows it to collect data continuously from internal sensors before transmission for analysis.  

Eventually this could enable the accumulation of large datasets from which analysis might reveal patterns across menstrual cycles and other physiological health indicators.  

Rowley said. “To really understand reproductive health, we need longitudinal data - potentially monitoring biomarkers over months or years. That’s a huge engineering challenge when the device itself is extremely small.”

“If we can build detailed datasets about how the uterus behaves, we can start answering fundamental questions about fertility, reproductive disorders and even perimenopause and menopause.”

The hope is that associated monitoring technologies might support research into endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and uterine cancers, and enable more patient-centred and bespoke treatments.

Pic: Verso Biosense