We can improve the quality of life of the whole populations, says Ivana Márová

While discussions are going on about whether it is not a relic to illustrate the absorbency of menstrual pads with blue liquid, Ivana Márová and her team from the Faculty of Chemistry of the BUT have no problem not only to call things by their real names, but to build two research projects on them. In the labs, they are testing whether it is possible to add an indicator of an emerging disease, worsening diabetes or dehydration to incontinence devices. Everyone may need nappies or pads at some point in their lives, whether they are a toddler, an adult woman or a senior citizen. So why not add another useful function to these aids?

"It should be a warning monitoring system. For example, if a diabetic sees on the indicator that he or she is in the acidic pH range, he or she needs to make sure that he or she has a supply of medication. People can also use the pH change to monitor their drinking regime and replenish fluids in time," says Ivana Márová.

At the Faculty of Chemistry at the BUT, she heads the Department of Food Chemistry and Biotechnology and in recent months has been focusing on two research projects on hygiene aids together with the company Fide from Brtnice. In one of them, they are working together to design an indicator layer that could be added to existing pads and nappies and could warn the user, for example, of an emerging infection or dehydration by simply changing its colour.

"The majority of our population has had urinary tract infections at least once in their lives. Those who have been through it know how difficult and long it is to treat inflammation because bacteria in the urinary tract persist for a long time. Catching the disease as early as possible would be very useful for successful treatment," highlights the main purpose of the research biochemistry professor. She and her colleagues are trying to find sufficiently sensitive and ideally natural pH indicators which, by changing colour, will tell if something bad is happening in the human body.

In layman's terms, the surface of such a pad or nappy would act as a litmus test. "Normal urine pH ranges from 5.5 to 7. A more acidic pH is associated with dehydration, which is especially important to detect in older people. It can also detect certain metabolic problems such as diabetes or ketoacidosis coma. An alkaline pH, on the other hand, is indicative of bacterial infection," the scientist says, using examples.

Experts are not only looking for the best composition of pH indicators, but must choose those whose colour change is unambiguous and visible at a glance. In the best-case scenario, the colour of this special layer could not only indicate a health problem, but also reveal the likely causative agent, Ivana Márová hopes.

Another related research project could help improve comfort and quality of life, especially for seniors who must wear diapers. Today's sanitary products already have extremely absorbent substances in them and can thus ensure a dry feeling for a long time. However, along with the extension of usability and the increase in absorbency, the problem of decomposing urea turning into ammonia may arise. And the name suggests that odour may be a complication.

"However, if a layer that is in contact with the skin is well manufactured and at the same time natural substances that limit the decomposition of urea are added to the absorbent layer, the formation of ammonia is reduced, the odour is reduced and the usability of the device is prolonged. Overall, this will increase comfort for the elderly and their surroundings. This process is also applicable to other incontinence aids and baby diapers. We even have a working sample already," the project leader from the BUT summarises the interim efforts.

The two projects complement each other and Fide could market the technology as an extension of its range of products for all ages once the patent is registered.

"Considering that our republic has a population of ten and a half million, five and a half million of whom are women, and at some point in their lives menstruation affects every one of them, that's quite a sample. Statistics also show that about 3.2 million women come into contact with some kind of urogenital infection at least once in their lifetime. Life expectancy is increasing and the population is ageing, but at the same time more children are being born than ever before. Our tools can cover every period of human life and their development seems to me to be an interesting and much needed innovative work," concludes Ivana Márová.