CA1299473C - Process and apparatus for determining female ovulation time by measurement of saliva viscoelasticity - Google Patents
Process and apparatus for determining female ovulation time by measurement of saliva viscoelasticityInfo
- Publication number
- CA1299473C CA1299473C CA000536950A CA536950A CA1299473C CA 1299473 C CA1299473 C CA 1299473C CA 000536950 A CA000536950 A CA 000536950A CA 536950 A CA536950 A CA 536950A CA 1299473 C CA1299473 C CA 1299473C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- saliva
- ovulation
- viscoelasticity
- sample
- force
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B10/00—Other methods or instruments for diagnosis, e.g. instruments for taking a cell sample, for biopsy, for vaccination diagnosis; Sex determination; Ovulation-period determination; Throat striking implements
- A61B10/0012—Ovulation-period determination
- A61B2010/0022—Ovulation-period determination based on measurement of viscosity or visco-elasticity
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Viscoelastic measurements of saliva thinning minimums are employed reliably to determine the approach of ovula-tion in females and other related hormonal and rheological functions.
Viscoelastic measurements of saliva thinning minimums are employed reliably to determine the approach of ovula-tion in females and other related hormonal and rheological functions.
Description
~L2~ 73 PRO('ESS AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING
FE~ALE OVULATION TIME BY ~E.~SURE~ENT
OF S~LIVA VISCOELASTICITY
The present invention relates to the determination of the ti~e or ovulation through the monitoring of the visco-elasticity or tackiness of the female saliva; being also useful for determination of hormonal and related functions associated with ovulation, and conversely with similarly determining the non-ovulation effectiveness of oral contraceptives and the like.
It has earlier been known that the cervical mucus of a female has a minimum thinness or highest fluidity just before ovulation and closely coincid~nt with the surge in estradiol and in the luteinizing hormone (L~) peak -- a phenomenon that led to my previous activities in the development of techniques for monitoring the visco-elasticity and other properties of cervical mucus as a predictor of time of ovulation, and the improvement in rheometer or viscometer apparatus for measuring such ~.
~L~g~473 viscoelastic proper~ies ( L. E. Kopito and ~.J. Kosasky, "The tackiness rheometer determination of the viscoelasti-city of cervical mucus', Human Ovulation, edited by E.S.E. Hafez, Elsevier, North-Holland Biomedical Press, 1979, commencing with p. 351, on; and U.S. Letters Patent~
No. 4,002,056). Though the viscoelasticity of the cervi-cal mucus has several small dips in its characteristic curve of viscosity versus time preceding, during and following ovulation (a four-day period), there is a dis-tinct identifiable minimum coincident with the peaking of estradiol, representing the thinning of bodily secre-tions. Instruments designed to measure this effect are described in, ~or example, U.S. Letters Patent Nos. 4,002,056 and 4,072,045.
While this is a most desirable technique for monitor-ing ovulation times and related hormonal and rheologic property functions, it requires the insertion of cer~ical mucus sampling applicators into the vagina, which is an impediment to universal usage, has feat~res of discomfort, demands sanitation, and requires proper positioning at the central portion of the cervix. The non-observable ~,, ~LX~9~L~3 aspiration or e~traceion of the hoped-for cervical mucus, moreover, can resule in the wichdrawal of undesired vagi-nal fluids that can upset reliable measuremenes. Addi tionally, the mucus is of relatively high viscosity (5000-50,000 centipoise), requiring one-use sampling sur-faces in viscometers used to measure the viscoelasticity of the mucus.
Saliva and other body fluids have been known to undergo chemical changes during the menstrual cycle (for e~ample, G. Oseer, et al, "Cyclic variation of sialic acid content in saliva", Am. J. Obstet Gynercol, Vol. 114, ~o.
FE~ALE OVULATION TIME BY ~E.~SURE~ENT
OF S~LIVA VISCOELASTICITY
The present invention relates to the determination of the ti~e or ovulation through the monitoring of the visco-elasticity or tackiness of the female saliva; being also useful for determination of hormonal and related functions associated with ovulation, and conversely with similarly determining the non-ovulation effectiveness of oral contraceptives and the like.
It has earlier been known that the cervical mucus of a female has a minimum thinness or highest fluidity just before ovulation and closely coincid~nt with the surge in estradiol and in the luteinizing hormone (L~) peak -- a phenomenon that led to my previous activities in the development of techniques for monitoring the visco-elasticity and other properties of cervical mucus as a predictor of time of ovulation, and the improvement in rheometer or viscometer apparatus for measuring such ~.
~L~g~473 viscoelastic proper~ies ( L. E. Kopito and ~.J. Kosasky, "The tackiness rheometer determination of the viscoelasti-city of cervical mucus', Human Ovulation, edited by E.S.E. Hafez, Elsevier, North-Holland Biomedical Press, 1979, commencing with p. 351, on; and U.S. Letters Patent~
No. 4,002,056). Though the viscoelasticity of the cervi-cal mucus has several small dips in its characteristic curve of viscosity versus time preceding, during and following ovulation (a four-day period), there is a dis-tinct identifiable minimum coincident with the peaking of estradiol, representing the thinning of bodily secre-tions. Instruments designed to measure this effect are described in, ~or example, U.S. Letters Patent Nos. 4,002,056 and 4,072,045.
While this is a most desirable technique for monitor-ing ovulation times and related hormonal and rheologic property functions, it requires the insertion of cer~ical mucus sampling applicators into the vagina, which is an impediment to universal usage, has feat~res of discomfort, demands sanitation, and requires proper positioning at the central portion of the cervix. The non-observable ~,, ~LX~9~L~3 aspiration or e~traceion of the hoped-for cervical mucus, moreover, can resule in the wichdrawal of undesired vagi-nal fluids that can upset reliable measuremenes. Addi tionally, the mucus is of relatively high viscosity (5000-50,000 centipoise), requiring one-use sampling sur-faces in viscometers used to measure the viscoelasticity of the mucus.
Saliva and other body fluids have been known to undergo chemical changes during the menstrual cycle (for e~ample, G. Oseer, et al, "Cyclic variation of sialic acid content in saliva", Am. J. Obstet Gynercol, Vol. 114, ~o.
2, p. 190, Sept. 15, 1972, and I. Shannon, "Composition and Secreta of Saliva", 1974. Until the discovery under-lying the present invention, however, the unique repro-ducable and single minimum viscosity dip characteristic of saliva during the ovulation cycle was apparently not detected -- the saliva cycle, indeed, being res~ricted to about two days as compared with four days for cervical mucus, and having a viscosity range but 1/lO to 1/100 of that of cervical mucus, and thus understandably difficult to detect, particularly with cervical mucus instrumencs.
I have now discovered, indeed, that particularly sub-lingual saliva (which has been noted to have less water than saliva from other parts of the mouth, and about 5~%
mucus, as contrasted with over 70-90% water in submandibu-lar saliva) produces a unique and reliably measurable minimum dip in viscoelasticity or tackiness that is coin-cident with the ovulation cycle and its surge of estra-diol, and also tracks the minimum dip in cervical mucus viscoelasticity, though it is much narrower (48 hrs. vs. 4 days) and far below the viscosity levels of such mucus, as before stated. The use of saliva, furthermore, totally obviates the difficulties and disadvantages associated with the extraction of cervical mucus fro~ the vagina, and thus promises to be widely and universally acceptable as an ovulation monitor, and most simply useable by even the less educated, as well.
An object of che present invenCion, accordingly, ls to provide a new and improved process for determining the time of ovulacion and relaced hormone functions of a female that, though based on female fluid viscosity 94~3 measurements, is not subiect to the before-de5cribed and other limitations of cervical mucus viscoelasticity measurements, nor the more undesirable blood hormone measurements or other chemical measurements, but employs a simpler and distinctLy unique minimum saliva tackiness phenomenon as a much improved alternative.
A further object is to provide a novel apparatus for the same.
Other and further objects will be explained herein-after and are more particularly delineated in the appended claims.
In summary, from one of its important viewpoints, the invention embraces a process for determining the time of ovulàtion of a female, that comprises, extracting a sample of saliva from the mouth of the female; compressing the sample between opposing surfaces sufficiently finely roughened to cause adherence of the saliva to the same;
applying a predetermined relative pulling or shearing force between said surfaces correspondingly to stretch the saliva, as a measure of its degree of viscoelasticity under such predetermined force; comparing the measured degree of viscoelasticity with a predetermined unique monthly minimum dip of viscoelasticity in the saliva of the female; and indicating near and substantial coinci-dence of the measured degree of viscoelasticity with said minimum dip to indentify that the time of mid-cycle of ovulation is about to occur. Preferred details and best mode embodiments are later discussed.
The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 of which is a graph (vis-cosity plotted in units of centipoise along the ordinate, being plotted logarithmically for cervical mucus and linearly for saliva, and as a function of time in days plotted along the abscissa) showing the phenomenon of coincidence of a unique sublingual saliva viscosity minimum with proximal ovulation, employed in the process of the invention, and compared with a similar phenomenon with cervical mucus, but occurring over a much narrower time span and over a small fraction of the viscosity range involved with cervical mucus;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged graph of the saliva character-istic of Fig. l;
Fig. 3A is a longitudinal section of a simple ovula-tion monitor insCrument for using the technique of the invention; and ~299~73 Fig. 3B is a similar fragmentary vi~w o~ a modifica-tion.
Referring to Fig. 1, underlying the invention, as before stated, is the discovery that quaneitatively, reliably and reproducably, the viscoelasticity of par-ticularly sublingual saliva goes through a unique minimum S (bottom graph) at the mid-cycle, coincident with the peaking surge in estradiol E, and somewhat paralleling the cervical mucus dip C, (upper plot) though with the saliva being relatively watery (30 to 1500 centipoise) as com-pared with the 5000-50,000 centipoise viscosity range of cervical mucus.
The coincidence with the peak of luteinizing hormone "L~ Peak' and the following progesterone post-ovulation development P is also shown ln ~ig. 1 (plotted along the right-hand ordinate in units of ng/ml).
As shown in Fig. 1 and as previously delineated, the cervical mucus viscoelastic chàracteristic curve dip and rise extends over a period of about 4 days, with the actual ovulation occurring within a day and a half of the minimum dip C. The sublingual saliva characteristic falls much more steeply and extends over a period of about 48 ~2~9~73 .
hours, with ovulacion occurring within 24 hours of the minimum S. The measurements of the cervical mucus were taken with the rheometer equipment described in my said Human Ovulation article; and the saliva measurements were made with a modified rotary type eccentric glass cylinder rheometer having randomly roughened opposing surfaces (of the order of 10-20 thousandths of an inch) and with saliva samples of about 0.25 mm in thickness.
In the normal ovulating woman, typical cervical mucus confirmatory patterns C have been observed, with visco-elasticity beginning to decrease, Fig. 1, three days before the LH peak to minimal values C. Within one to twodays after the LH peak, the viscosity has risen to the pre-ovulatory levels, but then may dip again, as shown to the right, but not as low as the minimum C. The decreas-ing viscoelasticity in saliva, as before stated, has been found to have a shorter or narrower time span and usually without subsequent dips (or earlier dips) as may occur with cervical mucus. The minimum thinness at S represents the time of maximum sperm penetration, so that advent of the commencement of the saliva viscoelasticity dip, sig-nals the approach of an appropriate time for conception.
~2~L~73 This coincidence with mid-cycle, moreover, has been con-firmed with blood tests, the levels of which are calibra-ted along the right-hand ordinate (pcg/ml), Figs. 1 and 2.
The viscoelasticity of the saliva thus correlates with the hormonal relationship of the menstrual cycle, with midcycle and the LH peak, and then rises to the pre-ovulatory levels.
Sublingual saliva was e~amined 1295 times in 73 patients through 206 cycles~ 831 samples of cervical mucus and sublingual saliva were each obtained daily fro~
25 women in 112 cycles, who were taking oral progesto-gens. In 60~ of the subjects, simultaneous blood hor-mone assays were also perfor~ed. The results showedthat the viscoelasticicy of sublingual saliva parallels that of cervical mucus, in all cases; with the highest fluidity occurring at midcycle at the time of the estradiol surge.
In the ovulating woman, typical confirmatory patterns are seen in all of the measurements.
A very simple instrument for universal and inexpen-sive use, including adaptability for throw away after a use iE desired, is shown in Fig. 3A upon a somewhae enlarged scale -- ~he instrument being construct.able ir~
dimensions commensurate with a narrow syringe. The plun-ger 2, such as a glass piston, or other sample carrier, is provid.ed with a saliva sample surface 2', roughened as before discussed finely enough to cause adhering of th~
saliva when the plunger 2 is removed and placed under the tongue to extract a sample (much as in using oral ther~o-meters). The plunger is then inserted, as shown, within a recessed or re-entrant coaxial cylindrical tube 4, the outer walls of which are fitted within an outer coaxial cylinder 6 and with either a fractional fit or a detent or the like holding the tube 4 in elevated position, as shown, in the outer cylinder 6. ~t the bottom of the recess of cylinder is an opposing roughened surface 4' similar to the surface 2' and between which and the sur-face 2' the saliva sample is compressed when the plunger 2 is inserted down into the recess of the cylinder 4.
Fastened to the bottom of the cylinder 4 is a predeter-mined weight W (shown embedded in the cylinder base) adjusted to be sufficient to cause the cylinder 4 to separate from the plunger 2 and to drop, under the influence of gravity, to the botto~ of the outer cylinder 6 in the event that the viscoelasticity of the saliva sam-ple is not sufficien~ to hold the cylinder 4 elevated, and to preven~ fracCure under the pulling or stretching force of ~he weight (as when the viscoelasticty dips toward S of Fig. 1). The weight may be of the order of 5 grams, calibrated by the physician.
The striking of the bottom of the cylinder 4 against an electrical contact or switch 8 at the base of the outer cylinder 6 may complete a circuit containing a miniature battery and control the activatation of an indicator lamp L carried by the cylinder 6. If the light goes on, this is an indication to the woman of the near or substantial coincidence of the thusly measured degree of saliva vis-cosity with the time of the dipping characteristic; and she can take advantage of the up-coming ovulation for fer-tilization or the converse.
Alternatively, a less expensive pivotable spring-retained needle indicator ~ may be provided, as shown in Fig. 3B, as may other indicating devices be employed as well.
For non-ovulating cycles, as in the case of women taking birth control pills, the salivary viscoelasticity ~Z~ 3 does not show this characteristlc ovulatory deep dip S, but rather remains elevated throughout the cycle.
The invention thus enables an immediate and reliable assessment of the ovulatory and concomitant hormonal status of the patient as determined in her saliva, without the necessity for vaginal intrusion or blood sampling.
Further modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, including the use of other types of rheometers, and such are considered to fall within the spirit and scope or the invention as defined in the appended claims.
I have now discovered, indeed, that particularly sub-lingual saliva (which has been noted to have less water than saliva from other parts of the mouth, and about 5~%
mucus, as contrasted with over 70-90% water in submandibu-lar saliva) produces a unique and reliably measurable minimum dip in viscoelasticity or tackiness that is coin-cident with the ovulation cycle and its surge of estra-diol, and also tracks the minimum dip in cervical mucus viscoelasticity, though it is much narrower (48 hrs. vs. 4 days) and far below the viscosity levels of such mucus, as before stated. The use of saliva, furthermore, totally obviates the difficulties and disadvantages associated with the extraction of cervical mucus fro~ the vagina, and thus promises to be widely and universally acceptable as an ovulation monitor, and most simply useable by even the less educated, as well.
An object of che present invenCion, accordingly, ls to provide a new and improved process for determining the time of ovulacion and relaced hormone functions of a female that, though based on female fluid viscosity 94~3 measurements, is not subiect to the before-de5cribed and other limitations of cervical mucus viscoelasticity measurements, nor the more undesirable blood hormone measurements or other chemical measurements, but employs a simpler and distinctLy unique minimum saliva tackiness phenomenon as a much improved alternative.
A further object is to provide a novel apparatus for the same.
Other and further objects will be explained herein-after and are more particularly delineated in the appended claims.
In summary, from one of its important viewpoints, the invention embraces a process for determining the time of ovulàtion of a female, that comprises, extracting a sample of saliva from the mouth of the female; compressing the sample between opposing surfaces sufficiently finely roughened to cause adherence of the saliva to the same;
applying a predetermined relative pulling or shearing force between said surfaces correspondingly to stretch the saliva, as a measure of its degree of viscoelasticity under such predetermined force; comparing the measured degree of viscoelasticity with a predetermined unique monthly minimum dip of viscoelasticity in the saliva of the female; and indicating near and substantial coinci-dence of the measured degree of viscoelasticity with said minimum dip to indentify that the time of mid-cycle of ovulation is about to occur. Preferred details and best mode embodiments are later discussed.
The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 of which is a graph (vis-cosity plotted in units of centipoise along the ordinate, being plotted logarithmically for cervical mucus and linearly for saliva, and as a function of time in days plotted along the abscissa) showing the phenomenon of coincidence of a unique sublingual saliva viscosity minimum with proximal ovulation, employed in the process of the invention, and compared with a similar phenomenon with cervical mucus, but occurring over a much narrower time span and over a small fraction of the viscosity range involved with cervical mucus;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged graph of the saliva character-istic of Fig. l;
Fig. 3A is a longitudinal section of a simple ovula-tion monitor insCrument for using the technique of the invention; and ~299~73 Fig. 3B is a similar fragmentary vi~w o~ a modifica-tion.
Referring to Fig. 1, underlying the invention, as before stated, is the discovery that quaneitatively, reliably and reproducably, the viscoelasticity of par-ticularly sublingual saliva goes through a unique minimum S (bottom graph) at the mid-cycle, coincident with the peaking surge in estradiol E, and somewhat paralleling the cervical mucus dip C, (upper plot) though with the saliva being relatively watery (30 to 1500 centipoise) as com-pared with the 5000-50,000 centipoise viscosity range of cervical mucus.
The coincidence with the peak of luteinizing hormone "L~ Peak' and the following progesterone post-ovulation development P is also shown ln ~ig. 1 (plotted along the right-hand ordinate in units of ng/ml).
As shown in Fig. 1 and as previously delineated, the cervical mucus viscoelastic chàracteristic curve dip and rise extends over a period of about 4 days, with the actual ovulation occurring within a day and a half of the minimum dip C. The sublingual saliva characteristic falls much more steeply and extends over a period of about 48 ~2~9~73 .
hours, with ovulacion occurring within 24 hours of the minimum S. The measurements of the cervical mucus were taken with the rheometer equipment described in my said Human Ovulation article; and the saliva measurements were made with a modified rotary type eccentric glass cylinder rheometer having randomly roughened opposing surfaces (of the order of 10-20 thousandths of an inch) and with saliva samples of about 0.25 mm in thickness.
In the normal ovulating woman, typical cervical mucus confirmatory patterns C have been observed, with visco-elasticity beginning to decrease, Fig. 1, three days before the LH peak to minimal values C. Within one to twodays after the LH peak, the viscosity has risen to the pre-ovulatory levels, but then may dip again, as shown to the right, but not as low as the minimum C. The decreas-ing viscoelasticity in saliva, as before stated, has been found to have a shorter or narrower time span and usually without subsequent dips (or earlier dips) as may occur with cervical mucus. The minimum thinness at S represents the time of maximum sperm penetration, so that advent of the commencement of the saliva viscoelasticity dip, sig-nals the approach of an appropriate time for conception.
~2~L~73 This coincidence with mid-cycle, moreover, has been con-firmed with blood tests, the levels of which are calibra-ted along the right-hand ordinate (pcg/ml), Figs. 1 and 2.
The viscoelasticity of the saliva thus correlates with the hormonal relationship of the menstrual cycle, with midcycle and the LH peak, and then rises to the pre-ovulatory levels.
Sublingual saliva was e~amined 1295 times in 73 patients through 206 cycles~ 831 samples of cervical mucus and sublingual saliva were each obtained daily fro~
25 women in 112 cycles, who were taking oral progesto-gens. In 60~ of the subjects, simultaneous blood hor-mone assays were also perfor~ed. The results showedthat the viscoelasticicy of sublingual saliva parallels that of cervical mucus, in all cases; with the highest fluidity occurring at midcycle at the time of the estradiol surge.
In the ovulating woman, typical confirmatory patterns are seen in all of the measurements.
A very simple instrument for universal and inexpen-sive use, including adaptability for throw away after a use iE desired, is shown in Fig. 3A upon a somewhae enlarged scale -- ~he instrument being construct.able ir~
dimensions commensurate with a narrow syringe. The plun-ger 2, such as a glass piston, or other sample carrier, is provid.ed with a saliva sample surface 2', roughened as before discussed finely enough to cause adhering of th~
saliva when the plunger 2 is removed and placed under the tongue to extract a sample (much as in using oral ther~o-meters). The plunger is then inserted, as shown, within a recessed or re-entrant coaxial cylindrical tube 4, the outer walls of which are fitted within an outer coaxial cylinder 6 and with either a fractional fit or a detent or the like holding the tube 4 in elevated position, as shown, in the outer cylinder 6. ~t the bottom of the recess of cylinder is an opposing roughened surface 4' similar to the surface 2' and between which and the sur-face 2' the saliva sample is compressed when the plunger 2 is inserted down into the recess of the cylinder 4.
Fastened to the bottom of the cylinder 4 is a predeter-mined weight W (shown embedded in the cylinder base) adjusted to be sufficient to cause the cylinder 4 to separate from the plunger 2 and to drop, under the influence of gravity, to the botto~ of the outer cylinder 6 in the event that the viscoelasticity of the saliva sam-ple is not sufficien~ to hold the cylinder 4 elevated, and to preven~ fracCure under the pulling or stretching force of ~he weight (as when the viscoelasticty dips toward S of Fig. 1). The weight may be of the order of 5 grams, calibrated by the physician.
The striking of the bottom of the cylinder 4 against an electrical contact or switch 8 at the base of the outer cylinder 6 may complete a circuit containing a miniature battery and control the activatation of an indicator lamp L carried by the cylinder 6. If the light goes on, this is an indication to the woman of the near or substantial coincidence of the thusly measured degree of saliva vis-cosity with the time of the dipping characteristic; and she can take advantage of the up-coming ovulation for fer-tilization or the converse.
Alternatively, a less expensive pivotable spring-retained needle indicator ~ may be provided, as shown in Fig. 3B, as may other indicating devices be employed as well.
For non-ovulating cycles, as in the case of women taking birth control pills, the salivary viscoelasticity ~Z~ 3 does not show this characteristlc ovulatory deep dip S, but rather remains elevated throughout the cycle.
The invention thus enables an immediate and reliable assessment of the ovulatory and concomitant hormonal status of the patient as determined in her saliva, without the necessity for vaginal intrusion or blood sampling.
Further modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, including the use of other types of rheometers, and such are considered to fall within the spirit and scope or the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims (10)
1. A process for determining the time of ovulation of a female, that comprises, extracting a sample of saliva from the mouth of the female; com-pressing the sample between opposing surfaces sufficiently finely roughened to cause adherence of the saliva to the same; applying a predeter-mined relative pulling or shearing force between said surfaces correspondingly to stretch the saliva, as a measure of the degree of visco-elasticity of the saliva under such predeter-mined force; comparing the measured degree of viscoelasticity with a predetermined unique monthly minimum dip of viscoelasticity in the saliva of the female; and indicating near and substantial coincidence of the measured degree of viscoelasticity with said minimum dip to identify that the time of mid-cycle of ovulation is about to occur.
2. A process as claimed in claim 1 and in which said saliva sample is extracted sublingually.
3. A process as claimed in claim 1 and in which the saliva of the female is calibrated to determine said minimum dip of viscoelasticity and said predetermined force is adjusted to cause frac-ture of the sample when the viscoelasticity decreases in said dip.
4. A process as claimed in claim 1 and in which the said sample is of the order of 0.25mm in thick-ness.
5. A process as claimed in claim 3 and in which said force is adjusted to provide up to 48 hours of indication of fertility purposes.
6. Ovulation indicating apparatus having, in combin-ation, a carrier provided with a finely roughen-ed end surface insertable in the mouth to coat the surface with an adhering saliva sample;
means for receiving the carrier and having an opposing roughened bottom surface against which the sample carried by the carrier end surface is compressed; means for applying a pulling or stretching force between the surfaces, the force being adjusted to cause fracture of the saliva sample and separation of the carrier and the receiving means when the viscoelasticity of the saliva dips prior to ovulation; and means con-trolled by said separation for indicating such fracture to enable intercourse abstinence or activity.
means for receiving the carrier and having an opposing roughened bottom surface against which the sample carried by the carrier end surface is compressed; means for applying a pulling or stretching force between the surfaces, the force being adjusted to cause fracture of the saliva sample and separation of the carrier and the receiving means when the viscoelasticity of the saliva dips prior to ovulation; and means con-trolled by said separation for indicating such fracture to enable intercourse abstinence or activity.
7. An ovulation indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 6 and in which said carrier comprises a plunger and said receiving means comprises a re-entrant tube into which the plunger is inser-ted.
8. An ovulation indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 7 and in which said force-applying means comprises a calibrated weight carried by the tube.
9. An ovulation indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 8 and in which the tube is disposed within a coaxial cylinder provided with indica-tor means operable upon the separation of the plunger and tube.
10. An ovulation indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 9 and in which means is disposed near the bottom of the cylinder for activating the indicator means upon the dropping of the tube within the cylinder.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000536950A CA1299473C (en) | 1987-05-12 | 1987-05-12 | Process and apparatus for determining female ovulation time by measurement of saliva viscoelasticity |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000536950A CA1299473C (en) | 1987-05-12 | 1987-05-12 | Process and apparatus for determining female ovulation time by measurement of saliva viscoelasticity |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1299473C true CA1299473C (en) | 1992-04-28 |
Family
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000536950A Expired - Lifetime CA1299473C (en) | 1987-05-12 | 1987-05-12 | Process and apparatus for determining female ovulation time by measurement of saliva viscoelasticity |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1299473C (en) |
-
1987
- 1987-05-12 CA CA000536950A patent/CA1299473C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
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