Birth Control Monitoring Device with Urine Hormone Assay

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for a user-friendly, portable, and proactive device to monitor estrogen and progesterone hormone levels in urine to ensure the effectiveness of birth control methods, as current methods do not provide real-time feedback on hormone levels and are inconvenient for users.

Innovation Solution

A birth control monitoring device with a lightweight plastic casing, a semi-rigid test strip for urine absorption, and a result window that displays positive or negative hormone detection results within two minutes, using immobilized monoclonal antibodies to detect estrogen and progesterone in urine.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If pregnancy tests are used to check for birth control failure, then pregnancy detection is possible, but the detection is delayed until after conception occurs and medical facilities are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebirth control effectiveness verificationVSAvoidtime to detect birth control failure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The device performs preliminary detection of pregnancy hormones (hCG) before actual pregnancy establishment by detecting the hormone in urine samples. This allows users to identify potential birth control failures early, before conception is confirmed, enabling timely intervention without requiring medical facility visits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses urine as an intermediary medium to detect pregnancy hormones at home. Instead of requiring blood tests at medical facilities, the device captures pregnancy hormones present in urine, providing a convenient intermediate testing method that bridges the gap between medical tests and home use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If medical testing facilities are used for birth control verification, then accurate hormone level measurement is possible, but accessibility and convenience are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehormone level detection accuracyVSAvoidaccessibility of testing

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the hormone detection function from complex medical laboratory settings and implements it in a simplified home-testing device. By taking out only the essential detection capability and removing unnecessary medical infrastructure requirements, the device maintains measurement precision while dramatically improving accessibility and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The device uses disposable test strips with pre-loaded antibodies for hormone detection. These single-use components eliminate the need for expensive, complex reusable laboratory equipment while maintaining detection accuracy, making the testing accessible to ordinary consumers at home.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Reliability

If birth control pills are taken daily to maintain hormone levels, then pregnancy prevention effectiveness is improved, but user compliance cannot be monitored without additional testing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepregnancy prevention effectivenessVSAvoidhormone level consistency data

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The device provides immediate visual feedback through color-coded results (green for effective hormone levels, red for insufficient levels) that inform users whether their birth control regimen is working properly. This feedback loop enables users to adjust their behavior and maintain compliance without needing complex laboratory analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables users to identify potential issues with their birth control regimen promptly, reducing the risk of unintended pregnancies by providing immediate and convenient hormone level feedback.

Implementation Method 1

a test strip made of semi-rigid cotton or paper material (i.e., absorbent material) is attached at the second end of the casing, the test strip is configured for immersion in a urine stream for absorbing urine

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Implementation Method 2

An assay strip including estrogen detection and progesterone detection zone detects the birth control hormones in the absorbed urine sample

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAntigen-antibody reaction:

Data Source

PatentUS20250327797A1Birth Control Efficacy Monitoring Device

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 BRYANT ZILDJIAN

AI summary

A personal birth control monitoring device designed to evaluate the effectiveness of hormonal birth control methods in females is disclosed. The device is a compact and portable kit and features an ergonomic, lightweight plastic casing with a semi-rigid test strip made of cotton or paper for urine absorption. The strip is protected by a removable lid to ensure sterility. Further, the strip is integrated with a flow assay strip which is pre-treated with chemicals reactive to birth control hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone. The device includes a result window for immediate display of results, indicating the presence or absence of birth control hormones, thus reflecting the efficacy of the birth control pills taken by the user. The device provides a simple, quick, and user-friendly method for women to monitor the ongoing effectiveness of their hormonal birth control.