Method for identifying an ovulation phase within a menstrual cycle of a woman

• US 4,246,907 A
• Filed: 01/29/1979
• Issued: 01/27/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Russel F. Bullock
• Original Assignee: Russel F. Bullock
• Inventors: Bullock, Russel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Application Number:
  US06/007,383
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 128/738, 128/734
• 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 2562/0215 Silver or silver chloride containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0217 Electrolyte containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor

Abstract

At least the polarity of a potential difference between two spaced apart portions of the body of a woman is repeatedly measured on each day throughout at least a substantial portion of the days of a menstrual cycle of the woman. The days in which the measurements indicate at least two readings of oppposite polarity are identified as days immediately preceding the time of ovulation of the woman.

Claims

1. A process for monitoring the state of a menstrual cycle of a woman comprising the steps of:

measuring at least the polarity of a direct current potential between at least two spaced apart portions of the woman'"'"'s body, said spaced apart portions being located respectively on the right and left side of the woman'"'"'s body, the step of measuring including applying a pair of suitable electrodes to said portions of the woman'"'"'s body, observing a readout of said potential on a display and successively repeating said applying and observing steps at least three times;

repeating said measuring step every day throughout at least a substantial portion of the days of the woman'"'"'s menstrual cycle, and

identifying from said measurements a phase of ovulation within the woman'"'"'s menstrual cycle.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the observing step includes a step of waiting for a substantially stable value of the potential, said stable value being considered as the read-out.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the time period elapsed between an applying and an observing step and a subsequent applying and observing step is less than 5 minutes.

4. The process of claim 3 including the additional step of recording each observed value of the potential.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein the spaced apart portions of the woman'"'"'s body each comprise a portion of the outer skin surface of each hand of the woman.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the spaced apart portions each comprise one of the fingers of each hand of the woman.

7. A process for monitoring a menstrual cycle of a human female for identifying an ovulation phase within the cycle, the process comprising the steps of:

measuring with a suitable voltage meter at least the polarity of a true direct current potential between two spaced apart points of the outer surface of the female'"'"'s body, the spaced apart points being located respectively on the right and left hand side of the woman'"'"'s body, said measuring being performed on substantially every day throughout at least a substantial portion of the menstrual cycle and comprising the steps of repeatedly and within short time intervals observing at least the polarity reading of the voltage meter;

selecting each of those days of the menstrual cycle wherein the repeated polarity readings include at least two readings of opposite polarity, and

identifying the selected days of the menstrual cycle as days immediately preceding a probable time of ovulation.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the spaced apart portions of the female'"'"'s body comprise two hands of the female.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the spaced apart portions comprise a finger of each hand.

10. The process of claim 7 wherein the steps of repeatedly observing at least a polarity reading are completed in less than 30 minutes.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein the observing step is performed at least three times.

12. The process of claim 7 wherein the voltage meter also supplies a numerical value of the potential and said numerical value is observed.

13. The process of claim 7 wherein the measuring step further includes the steps of repeatedly and within short time intervals applying suitable electrodes to the spaced apart points and wherein each step of observing is performed after a step of applying.

14. The process of claim 13 wherein the voltage meter also supplies a numerical value of the potential, and wherein the measuring step further includes after each step of applying the electrodes a step of waiting until a numerical value of the potential is substantially stable, said substantially stable numerical value being observed in the observing step.

15. In a process for monitoring the menstrual cycle of a human female including the steps of applying a pair of suitable electrodes connected to a suitable voltage meter to two spaced apart portions of the body of the female, the two spaced apart portions being located respectively on the right and left side of the female'"'"'s body, measuring at least the polarity of a true direct current potential between the two portions, repeating the applying and measuring steps for at least a substantial portion of the days of the menstrual cycle of the female and identifying from the measurements a probable ovulation phase of the menstrual cycle, the improvement comprising:

successively performing the applying step and measuring steps several times on each day;

selecting those days wherein the measuring steps resulted in at least two readings having opposite polarity, and

designating in the identifying step said selected days as days immediately preceding a probable time of ovulation of the female.

16. The improvement of claim 15 wherein a time period elapsing between an applying and measuring step and a subsequent applying and measuring step is less than five minutes.

17. The improvement of claim 16 wherein the spaced apart portions of the body of the female comprise a finger of each hand.