Researchers at the University of Bristol have developed the world’s first “real-time” fertility monitor to help women pinpoint when they are ovulating and thereby increase the chances of pregnancy.
OvuSense has a clinically proven accuracy rate of 99%. According to inventors Dr. Andy Butterworth and professor Toby Knowles, it is the first-ever device to accurately say in advance — 24 hours, specifically — when a woman is about to be most fertile, whereas other devices only identify when she already is.
The two scientists launched the University of Bristol spinout Fertility Focus to turn the technology into a product.
“We’re very proud to have played a part in the development of such an advanced and reliable product that really has produced a step-change in the accuracy with which women’s fertility can be monitored,” says Knowles. “That has already helped so many women to become pregnant.”
The sensor is used similarly to a tampon and is worn while the woman sleeps. Every five minutes, OvuSense measures core body temperature and uses an algorithm to provide an accurate reading of the woman’s cycle. That reading is then downloaded through the OveSense app in the morning, once the sensor has been removed.
“It’s really gratifying to see university research move from the lab and into a real-life application, especially given the positive impact it will have on such an important and distressing problem, changing women’s lives for the better,” says Sue Sundstrom, head of commercialization at the University of Bristol.
Source: Bristol Post
