FERTILE PERIOD PREDICTION WITH A TRIF BIOSENSOR

ALTHOUGH SEVERAL OTC OVULATION TESTS EXIST, NON ARE SUITABLE FOR CONTRACEPTION APPLICATIONS BECAUSE THEY DETECT LUTEINIZING HORMONE (LH) WHICH EXHIBITS A PEAK PRECEDING OVULATION BY ONLY 16-36 HOURS. THIS RESEARCH WILL DEVELOP A FERTILE PERIOD PREDICTION SYSTEM BASED UPON THE PRESENCE OF AN INCREASE IN URINARY ESTRONE-3-GLUCURONIDE (E1-G) 5 DAYS PRIOR TO OVULATION AND AN INCREASE IN PREGNANEDIOL GLUCURONIDE (PD-G) FOLLOWING OVULATION. THE MEAN VALUE OF E1-G RISES BY A FACTOR OF THREE TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE LH PEAK, BUT ITS MROE GRADUAL RISE REQUIRES A MORE QUANTITATIVE DETECTION DEVICE THAN THE ON OR OFF COLOR OTC LH TESTS. THIS OBSTACLE WILL BE OVERCOME BY EMPLOYING A NOVEL, COMPETITIVE, IMMUNOASSAY-BASED, TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTANCE FLUORESCENCE (TIRF) BIOSENSOR CONSISTING OF QUARTZ FIBER PROBES WHICH WILL MEASURE E1-G, AND PD-G AND AN ADDITIONAL FIBER WHICH WILL ENABLE CORRECTIONOF URINE VOLUME. THE DEVICE WILL DISPLAY A RED LIGHT DURING THE FERTILE PERIOD.