Patent ID: 8911988

Claim:
A disposable menstrual fluid fractionation apparatus comprising: a porous matrix including an upstream surface with a first plurality of pores and a downstream surface with a second plurality of pores, the first and the second plurality of pores being permeable to a liquid component of a flow of menstrual fluid and the second plurality of pores being impermeable to a mammalian erythrocyte, and the average diameter of the second plurality of pores being less than the average diameter of the first plurality of pores, the first plurality of pores having an average diameter in the range of 5 μm to 50 μm and the second plurality of pores having an average diameter in the range of 0.001 μm to 5 μm; a receptacle coupled to the downstream surface of the porous matrix, the receptacle configured to receive a portion of the liquid component after passage of the flow of menstrual fluid through the porous matrix; a first detection reagent coupled to the porous matrix or the receptacle, the first detection reagent configured to interact with one or more second detection reagents of an analyte sensor to detect a target analyte in the liquid component; and a positioning element coupled to the porous matrix, the positioning element configured to retain the porous matrix in proximity to a flow of menstrual fluid, wherein the disposable menstrual fluid fractionation apparatus is configured to be coupled to a feminine hygiene product.