METHOD OF SCREENING FOR OVULATORY DISORDERS

ALTHOUGH MANY TECHNIQUES ARE AVAILABLE FOR DETECTING THE OCCURRENCE OF OVULATION, A SIMPLE SCREENING TECHNIQUE THAT WOULD DETECT EITHER ANOVULATION OR OVULATION DISORDERS IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE. IT IS PROPOSED TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE USE OF "CUE" TECHNOLOGY*, NOW USED FOR PREDICTING AND CONFIRMING OVULATION, TO SCREENING FOR AND POSSIBLY IDENTIFYING SUCH DISORDERS AS ANOVULATION, POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN DISEASE, LUTEAL PHASE DEFECT, AND UNRUPTURED MATURE FOLLICLES. IT IS PROPOSED THAT SPECIFIC SALIVARY READING (SR) AND VAGINAL READING (VR) SIGNALS CAN BE RELATED TO PARTICULAR STEPS OF SELECTION, MATURATION AND OVUM RELEASE DURING THE OVULATORY PROCESS. SR AND VR DATA, BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE, ULTRASOUND SCANS, ASSAYS FOR ESTRADIOL, LUTEINIZING HORMONE, AND PROGESTERONE WILL BE EVALUATED FROM APPROXIMATELY 75 CYCLES OF SUBJECTS WITH OVULATION DISORDERS. THE METHOD IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE FOR EARLY SCREENING OF INFERTILITY PATIENTS AS WELL AS WOMEN AT RISK FOR REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES IN THE WORKPLACE OR THE ENVIRONMENT. *CUE(R) OVULATION PREDICTOR, DEVELOPED AND MANUFACTURED BY ZETEK, INC.