Vaginal probe

• US 20050256423A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vaclav Kirsner
• Original Assignee: Vaclav Kirsner
• Inventors: Kirsner, Vaclav
• Granted Patent: US 7,771,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/551
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0012 Ovulation-period determination for animals A61D17/002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0016 based on measurement of electric currents, e.g. conductivity tests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter

Abstract

A method for tissue bioassay comprising the steps of placing in the vagina of a female mammal an elongated probe having at least two electrodes positioned close to an insertion end of the probe, none of the electrodes extending around the entire periphery of said probe and at least one of then being metallic, applying across the electrodes an alternating voltage of relatively low peak-to-peak amplitude, measuring across the electrodes a value representative of the phase of the reproductive cycle of the female or the hormonal status of the fornix epitheliurn, and comparing that value with at least one reference value. A probe for practicing this method also is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for tissue bioassay comprising the following steps:

placing in the vagina of the female an elongated probe having at least two electrodes positioned close to an insertion end of said probe, none of which electrodes extends around the entire periphery of said probe and at least one of which electrodes is a metallic electrode,

applying across said electrodes an alternating voltage of relatively low peak-to-peak amplitude,

measuring across said electrodes the value of at least one physical parameter chosen from the group consisting of the phase of the reproductive cycle of the female and the hormonal status of the fornix epithelium, and

comparing said value with at least one reference value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the peak-to-peak amplitude of said voltage is in the range of from about 10 millivolts to about 900 millivolts.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said probe is positioned so that at least one of said electrodes contacts an anatomical feature of the female chosen from the group consisting of the cervix and the fornix epitheliuin.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said physical parameter is chosen from the group consisting of admittance, current and phase difference.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said electrodes is positioned at said insertion end of said probe.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the distance between said insertion end of said probe and the proximal end of at least one of said electrodes does not exceed about 100% to about 150% of the length of the cervical protrusion into the fornix region.

7. A method for measuring a physiological indicator of interest in a biological system comprising the following steps:

placing in the system a probe having at least two electrodes positioned close to an insertion end of said probe, at least one of which electrodes is a metallic electrode,

applying across said electrodes an alternating voltage of relatively low peak-to-peak amplitude,

measuring across said electrodes the value of physiological indicator of interest, and

comparing said value with at least one reference value.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the peak-to-peak amplitude of said voltage is in the range of from about 10 millivolts to about 900 millivolts.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said physical parameter is chosen from the group consisting of admittance, current and phase difference.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one of said electrodes is positioned at said insertion end of said probe.

11. A probe for performing tissue bioassay in a female mammal, said probe comprising:

an elongated body of nonconducting material,

at least two electrodes affixed close to an insertion end of said body, none of which electrodes extends around the entire periphery of said probe and at least one of which electrodes is a metallic electrode,

means for imposing an alternating signal of relatively small peak-to-peak amplitude across said electrodes, said signal being chosen from the group consisting of voltage and current, and

means for measuring across said electrodes the value of at least one physical parameter representative of a paramater chosen from the group consisting of the phase of the reproductive cycle of the female and the hormonal status of the fornix epithelium.

12. The probe of claim 11 wherein said signal is voltage and the peak-to-peak amplitude of said voltage is in the range of from about 10 millivolts to about 900 millivolts.

13. The probe of claim 11 wherein said electrodes are positioned at said insertion end of said probe.

14. The probe of claim 11 wherein the distance between said insertion end of said probe and the proximal end of at least one of said electrodes does not exceed about 100% to 150% of the length of the cervical protrusion into the fornix region.

15. The probe of claim 11 wherein said elongated body has two flats at the electrodebearing end of said body and each of said flats bears an electrode.

16-20. -20. (canceled)