Indian Council Of Medical Research develops affordable fertility testing kits for women

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has developed a simple and cost-effective fertility testing kit for women. The urine-based diagnostic kits for measuring of four key reproductive hormones or their principal metabolites, is jointly developed by Dr M I Khatkhatay and Dr Meena Desai of the National Institute of Research in Reproductive Health (NIRRH), an ICMR Institute based in Mumbai.


The complete set containing four measuring kits is a simple and cost effective technology based on enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay(the test mechanism is similar to the test for AIDS ).

How the kit works:

The metabolites in the urine viz. such as estrogen glucuronide, pregnanediol glucuronide, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone can be measured with the four kits.

‘The first of the four kits is used to monitor ovulation induction therapy and also for in vitro fertilization programme (fertilization takes place in a test tube instead of inside a woman) i.e. in procedures of producing a test-tube baby whereas the second kit is used for the estimation of the metabolite for detection of occurrence of ovulation.

The third kit is used to measure the evaluation of hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis – a function of the endocrine organ, of the size of a pea seed, situated deep in the brain that is responsible for the formation of the reproductive hormone.

The forth kit measures LH assay in conjunction with follies. LH or Luteinizing hormone, also known as lutropin, is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. In females, an acute rise of LH called the LH surge triggers ovulation.

Availability: The new kit will be mass produced and marketed by Hindustan Latex Life Care Ltd (HLL Life Care Ltd) and will be available in market within 36 months. --------

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