A grain of rice enters the fallopian tubes and decides on life. Choice, a Dutch startup, designed it with Silmach, a French company from Besançon, and the result is a silicon micromotor measuring 1 x 10 millimeters and activated by a painless, hormone-free, and chemical-free probe. The result is a purely mechanical female contraceptive, a valve that opens and closes to prevent the egg and sperm from meeting.
Clinical trials will begin in 2026, and commercialization is scheduled for 2030, but the real point is another: such a small object controls something immense: a woman's decision, her body, her future. The technology promises freedom from the pill and the anxiety of oblivion, but every control also means giving up spontaneity, risk, imperfection. The valve is perfect, the body is not.
How a micromotor works in the fallopian tubes
The principle is architectural, not pharmacological. The electrostatic silicon micromotor activates tiny valves that are positioned in the fallopian tubes, the natural passageway through which the egg meets the sperm. When the valve is closed, the encounter does not occur and pregnancy is impossible. When it is open, fertility returns immediately. Pierre-François Louvigné, director of Silmach, explains that the motor does not require batteries or charging, it works by electrostatics and is inert, rustproof and maintenance-free.
The placement procedure is outpatient: the gynecologist inserts the device painlessly and without invasive surgery. Activation occurs via an external probe, theoretically only performed by a specialist, although the system could eventually evolve into remote control (will we be able to control a contraceptive with an app?). The heart of the system is extreme miniaturization, 0,1 millimeters thick, thinner than a human hair, smaller than a pencil tip.
A silicon-based female contraceptive that fights hormones
Modern contraception relies primarily on hormones that alter the female cycle, with side effects ranging from nausea to the risk of thrombosis, including mood swings and metabolic changes. The French National Health Authority has repeatedly emphasized the importance of free will, but also the need for less invasive methods.
This mechanical device from Choice and Silmach completely eliminates chemical interaction: The body is not altered, it is not modulated, it is not "corrected." The valves act as a physical gate, not a biochemical signal. This means zero known side effects, but it also means relying on a mechanism that could fail: a micromotor can jam, it can get stuck, it can open at the wrong time. Silmach guarantees that this will never happen, because silicon is stable and the electrostatic principle does not wear out. Yet, the history of medical technology teaches us that “never” is a dangerous word.
French micromechanics meets Dutch startup
Silmach specializes in silicone micromotors for implantable medical applications, a technological niche in which France has excelled for twenty years, with headquarters in Besançon and collaborations with the CEA-Leti in Grenoble. Choice is a Dutch startup founded with a specific goal: to redesign female contraception, starting with women themselves, not with pharmaceutical protocols. The partnership has produced a working prototype already tested in the lab, and the capital raised has allowed the process for clinical trials scheduled for 2026.
The silicon micromotor is the heart, but the real added value is the philosophy: a device that lasts a lifetime without being felt, without requiring attention, without memories, without appointments.
Peter van de Graaf, founder of Choice, says women are tired of methods that disrupt their bodies and want a gentle, effective, and respectful solution. The question is whether "gentle" and "mechanical" can really coexist.
When will it hit the market and how much will it cost?
Clinical trials are planned for 2026, but the road is obviously longerThe European regulation on implantable medical devices requires long-term safety studies, post-market monitoring and CE certification which could take until 2032. Pierre-François Louvigné is optimistic and talks about 2030, but admits that it will depend on the preliminary results.
The cost has not yet been made public, but silicone micromotors have low production costs once the industrial line is up and running, and Choice's business model aims for an affordable price, perhaps similar to that of an IUD (200-400 euros) but without replacement every 5-10 years.
The real economic benefit is in the long term: a one-time payment for a lifetime without any other methods. But the price isn't just monetary. It's the cost of relying on a piece of silicon for such a profoundly human and complex need.
The paradox of mechanical freedom
The perfect female contraceptive doesn't exist. Choice and Silmach know this. Their device is a technological compromise between freedom and control, between non-invasiveness and total reliability. The valve promises freedom from chemicals, but introduces a mechanical dependency: the body is no longer enough; a micromotor is needed. The freedom to forget about taking the pill becomes the freedom to not think about fertility, but this lack of thinking could also become a form of alienation.
Women no longer directly control their cycle; they delegate it to an object. A grain of rice that decides for them. Peter van de Graaf speaks of respect, but true respect would perhaps mean teaching people to understand their bodies rather than simply shutting them off with a valve. Technology is neutral. Its application is not.
The future of contraception is mechanical. That's for sure. But the future of women's freedom doesn't necessarily lie in the hands of a micromotor.
If you want to delve deeper into the discussion on contraception and technology, explore our analyses on medical devices of the future.
TL; DR Choice and Silmach have created a mechanical contraceptive the size of a grain of rice that is implanted in the fallopian tubes. The silicon micromotor opens and closes a valve without hormones or chemicals, lasts a lifetime, and is activated by a probe. Trials are underway in 2026, with commercialization scheduled for 2030. The device is reversible and promises freedom from the pill, but raises questions about delegation, control, and the nature of female freedom. The price is not yet known, but the model aims for accessibility. The valve is perfect, the body is complex.
Related questions:
- What are the risks of a mechanical device compared to a hormonal one?
- How does electrostatics work in a biological context?
- Is mechanical contraception really 100% reversible?
