Fertility - ovulation - NFP - FAM - women's health
THE BIOMETER TECHNOLOGY, NFP, INFERTILITY AND OTHER WOMEN'S HEALTH ISSUES
Vaclav Kirsner, Ph.D.
E-mail (experimentally written this way in an attempt to fool the bots of the spammers): vaclavkirsner_at _yahoo_dot_com
The fundamental innovation in the BioMeter(TM) technology is the capability to anticipate and then independently detect ovulation.
The BioMeter determines the brief window of fertility - by monitoring first the maturation of the so-called dominant follicle and then detecting the ovarian switch between estrogen and progesterone production that occurs at ovulation.
This is achieved by electronic sensing of the cervix uteri (the "neck of the womb"). This organ naturally monitors the reproductive system's periodic preparation for ovulation and the brief period of fertility.
The detection of fertility where it actually occurs is a fundamental innovation because the menstrual cycle is the result of complex integration of many inputs, hormonal as well as neurological.
This complex integration is the reason why menstrual periods vary from one menstrual cycle to the next.
It is also the reason why such a tissue-biosensor smart-technology tool is needed - both to aid conception and to avoid it.
The tool is needed for the natural family planning (NFP) and fertility awareness (FAM) methods of birth control to be effective for the general population rather than only for those specially trained (mostly Catholic women and college-educated women).
This wide and easy applicability of NFP and FAM will be achieved with the smart model of the BioMeter, designed to translate the measurement data into a simple indication of fertility status.
The indication of fertility status in natural language is designed to make any special training unnecessary and the method readily accessible to the population at large.
Positive societal and mental health effects may be expected to ensue from the adoption of this scientific family planning/fertility awareness. This projection is based on recent studies of NFP and public health issues.
The customer base for the women's health line of the BioMeter consumer products is comprised of several categories:
* birth control,
* aiding conception, and
* non-reproductive diagnostic uses (cervical cancer screen, HRT management, PMS/PMDD management).
While the markets are worldwide, the U.S. market characteristics are as follows.
The largest market for the technology is presumed to be the birth control market, which in the U.S. means approximately 60 million reproductive-age women. Of these, 35 million already practice some form of birth control, and another 5 million are at risk of unintended pregnancy. It is important to note that the contraceptive pill is most popular only in the youngest group, peaking with 38% at ages 20 to 24, while only 5% of the more than 30 million women in their thirties and forties use chemical contraception.
About 20 million of American women are in their thirties, and many have postponed pregnancy until late in life. The medically recognized consequence is that the need for reversible birth control (as opposed to surgical sterilization) is growing among women over 30 years of age. (Contraceptive sterilization has been the leading method for US women in the last two decades or so, with 24% of birth-control users in the late 1980s.)
These mature women will be the most important user group of the Company's BioMeter technology. They will use the BioMeter as a friendly companion and healthcare tool. They will use it as an aid for difficult conception and/or as a birth control aid, as well as for the non-reproductive diagnostic purposes indicated below.
The following statistics provide a frame of reference for the conception-aid use of the BioMeter. Women in their early 20s - the peak of a woman's fertility - have been found to take on average eight months to conceive, and as many as 14% took more than a year to become pregnant, a recent study revealed.
There are two distinct categories of women experiencing difficulties with conceiving a baby:
* Clinical infertility is defined as the failure to conceive after 12 months of trying, and
* sub-fertility is defined as involving less than a year of trying.
In the self-help category of the sub-fertile women, up to 15 million Americans annually need timing help in their effort to conceive a baby. The BioMeter technology promises to help more effectively than existing commercial products.
In the clinically infertile category, out of a total of 10 million infertile couples in the U.S., currently about 5 million actively seek the very costly clinical ART treatments. These ART procedures also require the kind of information the BioSense technology provides. The other 5 million clinically infertile women, who cannot afford the extremely expensive ART, naturally become part of the self-help market segment for the BioMeter, and are highly motivated customers.
In the category of non-reproductive diagnostic uses, to be effective, women's medical treatments require correct timing.
The premenstrual syndrome afflicts an estimated 45 million American women, of which about 5 million women seek clinical help with the severe (PMDD) form of the syndrome.
Then, there is the potential for use of the BioMeter by those approaching menopause, with the associated problems such as osteoporosis and hot flashes.
This growing group of aging baby-boomers needs help with the timing of hormone uptake in personalized hormone replacement therapy, to reduce the side effects and the cost of medication.
This application comprises over 20 million potential American customers.
Breast self-examination for cancer prevention is another useful application because it should be performed at the time of ovulation.
Further, there are prospectively two disparate areas of application that may both help to lower the costs and to increase the quality of medical care.
One is the reliable projection of the expected date of delivery, based on the BioMeter data on the menstrual history of the expectant mother.
The other is the expected capability to detect early stages of cervical cancer, and the diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease. This expectation is based on the mode of operation of the BioMeter.
We have a patent pending that covers personal screening for cervical cancer (in vivo), which enables the early detection of cervical cancer or of pre-cancerous state.
Most importantly, the technology provides the diagnosis in a manner that does not cause the discomfort and the anxiety associated with the Pap smear screen of the prior art.
Finally, developments in the animal use of the technology for birth alarm may also lead to fundamental improvements in human obstetric care.
See the links below for further information.
Free Webpages at Webspawner.com
Free Webpages at Webspawner.com
Click here for details of the technology and of the project
Click here for a glossary primer to better understand the project
Click here for a sample of Catholic email about our technology
Send E-Mail to: vaclavkirsner_at_yahoo_dot_com
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