A RAPID, SIMPLE OVULATION TEST REQUIRING NO INSTRUMENTS

THERE IS A NEED FOR A SIMPLE TEST WHICH DETERMINES THE TIME OF A WOMAN'S OVULATION. THE PROJECT OBJECTIVE IS DEVELOPMENT OF A MARKETABLE TEST WHICH CAN DETECT THE HORMONAL CHANGES OCCURRING JUST PRIOR TO OVULATION. SPECIFICALLY, THE TEST WOULD DETECT EITHER ESTRONE-3-GLUCURONIDE OR LUTEINIZING HORMONE IN URINE. CTC HAS DEVELOPED A SIMPLE IMMUNOASSAY TECHNOLOGY WHICH MAY BE PERFORMED IN THE HOME, FIELD, OR PHYSICIAN'S OFFICE. THE METHOD, TERMED THE VISUAL IMMUNOASSAY (VIA), USES WELL-DEFINED IMMUNOASSAY PRINCIPLES OF SOLID-PHASE TESTS COUPLED WITH THE PHYSICAL DETECTION PRINCIPLES OF NEPHELOMETRIC ASSAY. ANTIGEN-MEDIATED BINDING OF IMMUNOREACTIVE LATEX PARTICLES TO A DIPSTICK YIELDS A SENSITIVE SOLID-PHASE NEPHELOMETRIC TEST. THIS RAPID TEST PROCEDURE REQUIRES NO LABORATORY EQUIPMENT OR INSTRUMENTS AND IS VISUALLY READ. IN ADDITION,