Real-Time Continuous Hormone Monitoring for Women's Health

Most women experience a hormone imbalance at some stage in their life, which can have serious consequences. Understanding sex hormones is crucial for fertility care, menopause care, and treating conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome. Traditionally, women take blood tests to monitor their hormones, providing only a snapshot of data. However, a U.K. start-up launched through the University of Southampton’s Future Worlds accelerator program aims to make this information available 24/7.

POM Health's Breakthrough in Fertility Care

Founded by optoelectronics researcher Stefan-Tudor Ilie and business graduate Mariajosé Argote, POM Health is developing a prototype for a real-time continuous hormone monitor. Fertility is their first target. Getting the timing right for egg retrieval and embryo implantation is "critical" for in vitro fertilization (IVF), says Argote. Women sometimes need to visit clinics daily to monitor their hormone levels, a burden their product aims to eliminate.

London-based senior gynaecologist Ed Coats, not involved in the start-up, emphasizes that an "accurate, reliable, and affordable home device" could be invaluable for fertility patients. This continuous monitor could help patients access clinics offering the best success rates and care if the price point is right.

The Impact of Continuous Monitoring

Continuous monitoring devices have been life-changing for some patients, such as those with Type 1 diabetes using Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs). CGMs, now standard treatment in the U.K., remove the need for multiple daily blood tests and provide extensive data for everyday treatment decisions.

Argote and Ilie aspire to offer women similar access to real-time hormone information. Initially, they plan to work closely with fertility doctors to ensure the data is used effectively. Coats stresses the importance of clinician guidance for accurate use, given the critical timing of hormone testing.

Technological Advancements

POM Health is building on existing technologies used to monitor health signals via interstitial fluid, combining this with integrated silicon photonic circuits. This technology, mostly used for high-speed data transmission or optical fibers, is being adapted for health monitoring.

Ilie has an impressive technical background, having worked at blue-chip companies before moving to CERN, which hosts the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. He earned a PhD in optical biosensors last year.

Future Applications

Beyond fertility, POM Health aims to assist women experiencing peri-menopause and menopause. The current focus is on oestradiol, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone, but they plan to eventually monitor other hormones like follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, cortisol, and thyroid hormone.

Support from Future Worlds Accelerator

POM Health presented their work at the investor-focused Future Worlds Demo Day in central London, alongside other tech entrepreneurs linked to the University of Southampton. The accelerator aims to equip academics with the business tools needed to turn their product ideas into reality. Since 2015, it has mentored students and helped them secure investment, with its most successful alumni netting some £40 million to launch their companies.

Future Worlds director Ben Clark highlights the quality of intellectual property and research in the U.K., advocating for a mindset of "why not" rather than "why" to foster innovation akin to the Silicon Valley tech scene.