Patent ID: 9057720
Filing Date: 2015-06-16
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of determining the gender of an unborn child comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a urine sample from a pregnant female during a period ranging from about 4 days before missed menstruation to about 40 weeks of pregnancy; (b) aging the urine sample at room temperature for at least about 2 days; (c) processing the urine sample by a method selected from the group consisting of: (i) treating the urine sample with a precipitant comprising a heavy metal element selected from the group consisting of barium, lead, molybdenum, tungsten, zinc and mercury; (ii) treating the urine sample with an adsorbant selected from the group consisting of calcium phosphate, alumina, talc, kaolin, florisil, calcium chloride, nylon, ion exchange resins, silica gel, charcoal, concanavaline A and its conjugates, calcium hydroxide, Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, lectin, a protein or glycoprotein hydrolyzing enzyme, an affinity ligand, a solid phase extractant, size exclusion sieves, and reverse phase chromatographic materials; (iii) treating the urine sample with a β-glucuronidase; and (iv) a combination of any of (i), (ii), and (iii); (d) contacting the processed urine sample with at least one redox indicator; and (e) detecting redox activity of the processed urine sample by a chromogenic assay selected from a PTA assay or FRAP assay.