Home ovulation test kit and method

A test assembly for viewing and making a colorimetric determination comprising:

• an upper chamber;
• a lower chamber in fluid communication with said upper chamber, said lower chamber having a predetermined cross-sectional length and cross-sectional width;
• transparent window means in said lower chamber for unaided viewing of any contents thereof;
• a screen member disposed between said upper chamber and said lower chamber;
• a fluid-absorbable chewable plug member removably positioned within said upper chamber, said plug member absorbing such fluid as is to be colorimetrically evaluated;
• means for compression of said plug member after absorbing fluid and when positioned in said upper chamber to express said fluid from said plug member through said screen member into said lower chamber;
• and
• a reagent disposed in said lower chamber capable of producing a colored reaction product after admixture with the fluid expressed from said plug member, said colored reaction product being viewed unaided through said window means of said lower chamber when making a colorimetric determination.

A method for viewing and making a colorimetric determination comprising the steps of:

• introducing fluid into a fluid-absorbable plug such that said fluid is releasably absorbed by said plug;
• inserting said fluid-absorbed plug into a test assembly comprising:
• an upper chamber,
• a lower chamber in fluid communication with said upper chamber, said lower chamber having a predetermined cross-sectional length and cross-sectional width,
• window means in said lower chamber for unaided viewing of any contents thereof,
• a screen member positioned between said upper chamber and said lower chamber,
• means for compression of said fluid-absorbed plug member within said upper chamber to express said fluid from said plug member through said screen into said lower chamber, and
• a reagent disposed in said lower chamber capable of producing a colored reaction product after admixture with any of said fluid expressed from said plug member, said colored reaction product being viewed unaided through said window means of said lower chamber when making a colorimetric determination;
• compressing said plug member against said screen member;
• expressing the fluid from said plug member through said screen member into said lower chamber;
• allowing said reagent in said lower chamber to react with said fluid to produce colored reaction product of a specific intensity;
• and
• viewing the intensity of said colored reaction product through said window means of said lower chamber.

A method for determining the date of a woman's ovulation by viewing and making a colorimetric determination over successive test days, said method comprising the steps of:

• determining a first test day occurring one week after onset of the woman's menstruation;
• then
• colorimetrically evaluating the glucose in the saliva of the woman said first test day and repeatedly on each of the successive test days thereafter by
• (a) chewing a saliva-absorbing plug by the woman on each of said test days such that the woman's saliva is releasably absorbed by said plug;
• (b) inserting said saliva absorbed plug of each test day into an individual test assembly in an array of test assemblies, each test assembly of said array comprising:
• an upper chamber;
• a lower chamber in fluid communication with said upper chamber, said lower chamber having a predetermined cross-sectional length and cross-sectional width,
• window means in said lower chamber for unaided viewing of any contents thereof,
• a screen member positioned between said upper chamber and said lower chamber,
• means for compression of said saliva absorbed plug within said upper chamber to express said saliva from said plug member through said screen member into said lower chamber,
• a reagent disposed in said lower chamber capable of reacting with glucose in said saliva, said reagent having a concentration greater than the amount needed to react with all of said glucose to produce a colored reaction product whose intensity is proportional to the concentration of glucose in said saliva, the intensity of said colored reaction product being viewed unaided through said window means of said lower chamber when making a colorimetric determination,
• (c) compressing said saliva absorbed plug of each test day against said screen member;
• (d) expressing the saliva from said plug of each test day through said screen member into said lower chamber;
• and
• (e) allowing said reagent in said lower chamber to react with said saliva of each test day to produce a colored reaction product of a specific intensity;
• then
• retaining said colored reaction product of each test assembly in said array for each of said test days;
• viewing the intensity of each colored reaction product through said window means of said lower chamber in each test assembly in said array for each of said test days;
• and
• comparing the color intensity of each colored reaction product in each test assembly in said array to determine which of said test days yielded the greatest concentration of glucose in the saliva and was the day of ovulation for the woman.

A testing kit for viewing and making a colorimetric determination of the day of ovulation in a woman who has menstruated, said testing kit comprising:

• a base;
• a plurality of test assemblies each for use on successive test days starting one week after the onset of menstruation, said test assemblies positioned on said base, each test assembly including:
• an upper chamber;
• a lower chamber in fluid communication with said upper chamber, said lower chamber of a predetermined cross-sectional length and cross-sectional width;
• transparent window means in said lower chamber for unaided viewing of any contents thereof through said cross-sectional length;
• a screen member disposed between said upper chamber and said lower chamber;
• a saliva-absorbable chewable plug member removably positioned within said upper chamber, said plug member to be chewed by said woman;
• means for compression of said plug member after absorbing saliva and when positioned within said upper chamber to express said saliva from said plug member through said screen member into said lower chamber;
• and
• a reagent disposed in said lower chamber capable of producing a colored reaction product after admixture with the saliva expressed from said plug member, said colored reaction product being viewed unaided through said window means of said lower chamber when making a colorimetric determination, the amount of said reagent being in excess over the amount of glucose in said saliva to produce a colored reaction product wherein the intensity of the color produced is proportional to the concentration of glucose in the saliva,
• said plurality of test assemblies providing a viewable range of colored reaction products of specific intensities by which to determine the day of ovulation.