Modern technologies and ovulation: a real-time film and tests to determine the fertile period (2024)

Modern technologies are developing in all areas of our lives, and reproductive technologies are no exception. Today, ovulation can be determined in various ways – by symptoms, based on ultrasound, and by an increase in certain hormones. Each of these methods has its pros and cons. For example, determining ovulation by ultrasound is quite accurate, but you will need to visit a doctor every day, which is not convenient for everyone. Symptoms may not appear in everyone. But in the modern world, there is also an excellent way to determine ovulation – these are ovulation tests that can be done at home.

The issue of determining ovulation and how it occurs is very important in medicine, so technologies are constantly developing there. In this article, we will talk about two modern technologies – ovulation tests and the world’s first recording of ovulation in real-time.

Ovulation diagnostics become easier

Why do we need to know when we ovulate? It is actually very important to determine what the chances are of conceiving a child in a natural cycle. We need to answer the basic questions – is there ovulation at all and on what day does it occur. Knowing the day of ovulation with the help of an ovulation tracker is necessary to calculate the optimal moment for natural conception and in many types of infertility treatment.

It is possible to reliably determine the day of ovulation in a clinical setting. However, modern express diagnostic technologies allow you to get the necessary information before visiting a doctor at home. And, as indicated on the packaging of popular tests, with an accuracy of up to 99% and even higher. The principle of the ovulation test is the determination of luteinizing hormone in a woman’s urine. In every woman’s body, this hormone is present in small quantities. But only before ovulation and directly at the moment of ovulation, the level of LH increases several times. The hormone reaches its maximum 36 hours before ovulation. Unlike a pregnancy test, you can determine the approaching ovulation not by the level of LH concentration in your urine, but also in your saliva. An ovulation test will help you choose the most favorable time to conceive a child and plan your pregnancy.

The common approach to calculate ovulation date

The length of your full menstrual cycle minus 17 is the method for figuring out when to use an ovulation test. Your menstrual cycle, for instance, lasts 28 days, starting on the first day of your period in one month and ending on the first day of your period in another. Therefore, 11 is obtained by subtracting 17 from 28. This implies that on the eleventh day following the onset of your first bleeding, you can begin performing an ovulation test. Refraining from eating or drinking any liquids 4 hours before taking the test is advisable.

Scientists capture ovulation process in real-time for the first time

In recent years, researchers have performed a remarkable feat — for the first time ever, they have managed to document the mechanisms of ovulation on video. The observation was however done using mouse follicles. The study revealed three main ovulation processes:

• follicle expansion
• contraction
• subsequent rupture.

In the final phase, the egg gets into the fallopian tube. It expands because of the secretion of hyaluronic acid in its structure. The element of the follicle volume is added by hyaluronic acid while the contraction is facilitated by the smooth muscles. Thus, dozens of scientific works have revealed that the inhibition of these processes contributes to the suppression of ovulation. The second phase is characterized by the disintegration of the follicle, and the third phase by the release of the mature egg.

After ovulation, the follicle turns into a corpus luteum, which produces progesterone. It is this hormone that prepares the uterus for possible implantation of the embryo. If fertilization does not occur, the corpus luteum disappears after 14 days and a new menstrual cycle begins. It is important that the ovulation process is regulated by external stimuli, but occurs autonomously since all the necessary mechanisms are embedded in the follicle itself. The new technique allows us to study ovulation with high accuracy. What does this mean for us? It means that new prospects for research in the field of reproductive medicine and infertility treatment will soon be found.

Conclusion

Modern technologies are revolutionizing ovulation diagnostics, offering more accessible and accurate methods for identifying fertile periods. This progress not only aids family planning but also contributes significantly to reproductive medicine and infertility treatment.