Ovutime, Inc.

Other

Boston Rheology, Inc.

The Academy of Applied Sciences, Inc.

Harold J Kosasky

Samuel R Schuster

Louis Kopito

Paul D Murray

Alfredo O Kenig

Elias G Noukas

The rheological apparatus contains a first mating surface and a second mating surface. A housing moveably orients the first mating surface to the second mating surface. A biasing member contained within the housing is connected to the first mating surface. The biasing member biases the first mating surface to move away from the second mating surface. A handle is connected to the second mating surface. The handle allows manual manipulation of the second mating surface. An extensional measurement device integral with the housing is positioned to measure a distance between the first mating surface and the second mating surface.

System and method for measuring extensional rheology of bodily fluids

A sample surface component for an instrument the measures viscosity and viscoelasticity. The instrument has a cam, a follower arm, a flat spring, a plate fixture, and a removable plate assembly. The cam is a rotating circular disk with a spiral slot. A cam follower on the follower arm resides in the spiral slot so that the follower arm pivots about its fixed end as the cam rotates. The spring is attached to and collinear with the fixed end of the follower arm so that the spring pivots in the opposite direction as the follower arm. The sample surface component include a removable plate assembly with a lower plate and an upper plate with mating sample surfaces on which test fluid is placed. The lower plate fits into a lower jaw of the plate fixture that is attached to the instrument base. The upper plate fits into an upper jaw of the plate fixture attached to the free end of the spring. A fluid is placed on the lower sample surface. The cam rotates, pushing the follower arm up, causing the spring to pivot down, and pressing the sample surfaces together. The cam is reversed, causing the spring to impart a separation force to the plates. The time it takes for the plates to separate is measured and converted to a viscosity value.

Sample surface component for an instrument that measures viscosity and viscoelasticity

An instrument for measuring saliva viscoelasticity to determine a woman's fertile period comprised of a sheath, a cap, and an escapement. The includes a barrel with a pair of elongated slots, a piston within the barrel with protrusion that extend into and beyond the slots, and a sleeve over the barrel with a pair of spiral groove into which the protrusions fit. As the sleeve rotates about the barrel, the grooves spiral up or down, causing the piston to move axially within the barrel. A central cavity within the barrel includes a constricted throat near the top end. The escapement is a U-shaped strip of plastic that fits into the cavity and attaches at its cross portion to the piston. The ends of the escapement arms have mating surfaces that are roughened so that the saliva sample will fracture before it separates from the surfaces. As the escapement is pulled into the cavity, the throat operates to press the mating surfaces together. After the throat is passed, the escapement cross portion acts as a spring to pull the mating surfaces apart against the viscoelasticity of the saliva. The amount of time it takes for the saliva to fracture under pressure from the spring is measured, adjusted based on the temperature of the saliva, and used to indicate whether the user is in her fertile period or not.

Instrument for measuring saliva viscoelasticity to determine female

An instrument for measuring saliva viscoelasticity to determine a woman's fertile period comprised of a sheath, a cap, and an escapement. The instrument includes a barrel with a pair of elongated slots, a piston within the barrel with protrusion that extend into and beyond the slots, and a sleeve over the barrel with a pair of spiral groove into which the protrusions fit. As the sleeve rotates about the barrel, the grooves spiral up or down, causing the piston to move axially within the barrel. A central cavity within the barrel includes a constricted throat near the top end. The escapement is a U-shaped strip of plastic that fits into the cavity and attaches at its cross portion to the piston. The ends of the escapement arms have mating surfaces that are roughened so that the saliva sample will fracture before it separates from the surfaces. As the escapement is pulled into the cavity, the throat operates to press the mating surfaces together. After the throat is passed, the escapement cross portion acts as a spring to pull the mating surfaces apart against the viscoelasticity of the saliva. The amount of time it takes for the saliva to fracture under pressure from the spring is measured and used to indicate whether the user is in her fertile period or not.

A pair of components for an instrument for determining the female fertile period by measuring the viscoelasticity of saliva that includes a pair of strata composed of a rigid material, preferably glass or a polymer, and a surface on each strata, where the surface has a random distribution of peaks and valleys, the average depth from the peaks to the valleys is in the range of from about 10 picometers to about 100 micrometers, and the total area of the valley walls below one half of the average depth is from 35% to 65% of the total area of the surface. Preferably, the average depth of the valleys is in the range of 50 micrometers to 80 micrometers and the total area of the valleys below one half of the average depth is between 45% and 55% of the total area of the surface.

Product for use in the measurement of viscoelasticity as a function of

A device for determining the timing of female ovulation by measuring the viscoelasticity of saliva, the device comprising: (a) an elongated sheath with a length along an axis and an opening at one end; (b) a reciprocable escapement with a pair of elongated arms, at least one of the arms being approximately parallel to the axis, the arms having inner extremities within the sheath remote from the opening and outer extremities in the vicinity of the opening; (c) the outer extremities having mating surfaces; (d) the escapement including a spring bias urging the separation of the mating surfaces from each other; (e) the arms being mounted for relative movement of the mating surfaces among first relational positions at which the mating surfaces are separated, second relational positions at which the mating surfaces are in contact, and third relational positions at which the mating surfaces are free to separate under the spring bias; (f) a control operatively connected to the escapement for placing the mating surfaces into the first relational positions, the second relational positions, and the third relational positions; (g) at least one of the mating surfaces being free to collect the saliva when they are in the first relational positions; (h) the mating surfaces compressing the saliva therebetween when they are in the second relational positions; (i) and a timer for measuring the time elapsed for separation of the surfaces when they are in the third relational positions.

Viscoelastic measurements of sublingual saliva thinning minimums are employed reliably to determine the approach of ovulation in females and other related hormonal and rheological functions.

Process and apparatus for determining female ovulation time by

A cervical mucus extractor embodying a semi-flexible hemispherical cup carried at the end of a tube for insertion into the vagina to position the cup over the cervix, with a plunger extending coaxially within the tube and terminating in a tip that, by operation of the plunger, is inserted through the cup into contact with cervical mucus, the same being removable therefrom to extract the desired sample of such mucus, as for testing.

Instrument and process for sampling cervical mucus and the like

The present invention features essentially only two relatively movable components, of which an outer sheath provides a forwardly curved path, a flexible mouth and a forwardly extending reference foot, and an inner flexible shaft has a forward element, which serves to open the mouth and to collect a mucus specimen when the flexible shaft moves forwardly and which serves to protect the mucus specimen and to close the mouth when the flexible shaft moves rearwardly. A probe is provided for inserting a test element into the vaginal cavity while shielding it from intermediate vaginal contact, for positioning the test element precisely in contact with the cervical os in order to collect a specimen of cervical material therefrom, and for retrieving the test element and the specimen from the vaginal cavity while shielding them from intermediate vaginal contact.

Probe for obtaining cervical mucus

Testing of rheological properties of a fluid is performed between a pair of members having cooperating faces, each characterized by minute, randomly interspersed land portions and cavity portions. The land portions of each face are planar and are disposed geometrically in a common plane. The cavity portions are irregular and are disposed in a network subordinate to the common plane. Testing involves the steps of placing a sample of the fluid between the cooperating faces, pressing the cooperating faces into flush contact with each other, and pulling the cooperating faces from each other. The force required for rupture of the fluid within itself, without first breaking its contact with the cooperating faces, is a function of the shear stress, yield point and other rheological properties of the fluid.

Devices and processes for determining properties of viscous fluids

A probe is provided for inserting a test element into the vaginal cavity while shielding it from intermediate vaginal contact, for positioning the test element precisely in contact with the cervical os in order to collect a specimen of cervical material therefrom, and for retrieving the test element and the specimen from the vaginal cavity while shielding them from intermediate vaginal contact. Processes are provided for retrieving specimens in the form of tissue or mucus.

Probe for obtaining cervical mucus and process thereof

A probe, for obtaining a sample of an oftentimes minute in vivo quantity of cervical mucus, comprises a syringe-like structure characterized by an apertured specimen cavity of variable size that is defined by an outer barrel and an inner plunger of particular configurations capable of producing relative peristaltic motion. The forward end of the barrel, which is rigid, has a forward opening which communicates with a relatively deep internal concave surface. The forward end of the plunger, which is elastomeric, has a relatively shallow external convex surface that deforms as the plunger reciprocates. As the plunger moves forwardly, the external increments of its convex surface are deformed in such a way as to completely fill the specimen cavity and to ensure that even minute amounts of cervical mucus inducted into the specimen cavity through the forward opening can be ejected completely from the specimen cavity through the forward opening when desired.

Probe for obtaining sample of cervical mucus

A device for determining the rheological properties of a liquid comprises an inner bearing member having a horizontally disposed outer cylindrical surface and an outer bearing member having a horizontally disposed inner cylindrical surface, each cylindrical surface constituting a bearing surface of predetermined grit. A liquid sample is introduced between the inner and outer cylindrical surfaces, which are disposed eccentrically relative to one another. Relative mechanical movement of the members, which is related to both shear and displacement of the liquid disposed between them, provides an indication of the rheological properties of the liquid.

Eccentric viscometer for testing biological and other fluids

A device for determining the rheological properties of a fluid comprises a pair of cooperating members, the working face of each member defining parallel discrete ridges or flutes, the outermost portions of which define ridge lines, the ridges of one member being crossed with respect to the ridges of the other member. A fluid sample is applied to the working face of one member and the working faces are pressed together so that the ridge lines of one member intersect the ridge lines of the other member at a matrix of points and so that volume increments of the fluid sample are defined. The contact surface area of the fluid sample with the substrate is substantially greater than the surface area of the general interface between the working faces. The force required to separate the fluid at the general interface defines the rheological properties of the fluid with improved accuracy.

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Chestnut Hill, MA, United States of America

Harold J Kosasky