Patent ID: 7534393

Claim:
An apparatus for determining and presenting an indication of an individual subject's reproductive state during a menstrual cycle comprising: (a) first measuring means for measuring the level of estrone-3-glucuronide in a urine sample obtained from the subject; (b) second measuring means for measuring the level of luteinizing hormone in the urine sample; (c) user-observable indicators of a fertile and an infertile state; (d) storage means for storage of data; (e) timing input means for accepting a timing input from the subject; and (f) a processing unit configured to (a) accept the timing input from the timing input means, the timing input being indicative of the start of the subject's menstrual cycle, (b) accept inputs from the first and second measuring means during at least one menstrual cycle of the individual, each input being indicative of a measurement of a level of estrone-3-glucuronide or luteinizing hormone, and (c) control activation of the fertile and infertile state indicators, the activation of the fertile state indicator based solely upon inputs of the levels of estrone-3-glucuronide or luteinizing hormone and the timing input, wherein the infertile state indicator is activated upon the initiation of a measurement cycle commencing at the end of a menstrual period of the individual; the fertile state indicator is activated and the infertile state indicator deactivated when (1) a pronounced increase in estrone-3-glucuronide is detected as compared to an early cycle value for estrone-3-glucuronide for the same individual; (2) a surge in luteinizing hormone is detected, or (3) a sufficient time has passed from measurement cycle initiation such that the individual is determined to be within three days of her expected day of luteinizing hormone surge, based on a stored average for previous cycles; and the infertile state indicator is reactivated and the fertile state indicator is deactivated when four days has passed since the detection of a peak in luteinizing hormone, based on inputs of the levels of lutenizing hormone and the timing input, without consideration of basal body temperature.