Claims
- 1. A method of monitoring the ovulation cycle of a female mammal to provide contraceptive advice during a current ovulation cycle, said method involving regular measurement of basal body temperature throughout said current cycle and occasional sampling of the urine to measure the concentration of at least one component of the urine of significance in said cycle, said measurement being conducted at predetermined stages in said current cycle to check that the concentration of said component is consistent with a concentration predicted on the basis of measurements made during at least one previous cycle and thus confirm that said current cycle, as a whole, is consistent with a prediction on the basis of said one previous cycle.
- 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said measured basal body temperature is recorded on a micro-processor programmed to predict the process of said current cycle in terms of expected basal temperature and also in terms of an expected level of said urine component, and to provide an indication to the user of the current stage in said current cycle.
- 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said micro-processor is programmed to provide said user with an indication that said level of said urinary component should be measured.
- 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the levels of a plurality of urinary components are measured at different stages in the cycle.
- 5. A method according to claim 1 wherein E3G is said urine component and the level of E3G in the urine is measured.
- 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein P3G is measured.
- 7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said level of urinary E3G is measured on at least one day during the interval from day 5 to day 7 of said current cycle and again on at least one day during the interval from day 10 to day 15 of said current cycle.
- 8. A method according to claim 1 or 6, wherein the level of urinary P3G is measured on at least one day during the interval from day 17 to day 21 of the predicted cycle.
- 9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the level of urinary LH is measured.
- 10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said level of urinary LH is measured on at least one day during the interval from day 13 to day 16 of said current cycle.
- 11. A method according to claim 1, for use with a human.
- 12. A method according to claim 1, wherein basal body temperature is recorded daily.
- 13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the level of the urine component being measured is measured on at least 2 successive, days in said current cycle to determine whether said level is constant, increasing or declining.
- 14. A device for monitoring the ovulation cycle of a female mammal to provide contraceptive advice during a current ovulation cycle, comprising means for measuring basal body temperature, means for recording said measured basal body temperature throughout said current cycle, means for predicting said current cycle on the basis of said measured basal body temperature, means for predicting, on the basis of measurements made during at least one previous cycle, the concentration of at least one component in the urine at a predetermined stage in said current cycle, means for recording a measured actual level of said urine component when said predetermined stage is reached, and means, associated with said recording means, for indicating to a user of said device the current stage of said current cycle so as to determine if said current stage is consistent with a prediction based on measurements made during a previous cycle.
- 15. A device according to claim 14, wherein said device incorporates means to indicate to said user that said level of said urinary component should be measured and recorded.
- 16. A device according to claim 14, programmable to modify its prediction of said current cycle or a future cycle in consequence of actual measurements recorded during one or more previous cycles.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
8903626 |
Feb 1989 |
GBX |
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a 35 U.S.C. application based on PCT/GB90/00255, filed on Feb. 16, 1990.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
102e Date |
371c Date |
PCT/GB90/00255 |
2/16/1990 |
|
|
12/17/1990 |
12/17/1990 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO90/09148 |
8/23/1990 |
|
|
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0225054 |
Jun 1987 |
EPX |
8806863 |
Sep 1988 |
WOX |