A NEW LUTEINIZING HORMONE TEST FOR OVULATION DETECTION

AN INNOVATIVE METHOD TO DETERMINE OVULATION TIME WILL BE DEVELOPED TO MEET THE DEMANDS FOR SUCH A TEST IN THE INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN VITRO FERTILIZATION AND ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION TECHNIQUES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF INFERTILITY. THIS TEST SHOULD BE SIMPLE, SENSITIVE, RAPID, RELIABLE AND CONVERTIBLE INTO A HOME TEST KIT. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT OURNEW METHOD WILL SATISFY EACH ONE OF THESE CRITERIA. BECAUSEOUR TEST IS A COLORIMETRIC IMMUNOCHEMICAL METHOD, IT SHOULD BE MORE CONVENIENT, MORE CONSISTENT AND LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THE CURRENTLY POPULAR RADIOIMMUNOSSSAY OR ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY. IN ORDER TO MONITOR URINARY LUTEINIZING HORMONE (LH), THE PROPOSED NEW METHOD WILL HAVE A SENSITIVITY DOWN TO THE FMOLE LEVEL. DURING PHASE I, WE WILL EVALUATE SENSITIVITY, ACCURACY, AND REPRODUCIBILITY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE AND TO SIMPLIFY VARIOUS TECHNIQUES DURING PHASE II. OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO MARKET TWO VERSIONS OF THIS NEW OVULATION TEST: ONE WHICH CAN UTILIZE DIFFERENT ANALYTICAL EQUIPMENT FOR PRECISE QUANTITATION OF LH IN HOSPITALS AND LARGE CLINICS, AND ANOTHER DIPSTICK VERSION, WHICH WILL PROVIDE RAPID, SEMIQUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS AVAILABLE FOR DOCTORS' OFFICES ANDHOME USE.