Pregnancy and sex identification test based on saliva or other bodily fluids

Abstract

A method of testing an animal for pregnancy or identifying the sex of the animal comprising the steps of first, providing a first vessel containing a liquid and having a removable surface wherein said removable surface is at least partially coated with an antibody and then introducing a bodily fluid from the female animal into said first vessel so that said bodily fluid contacts the liquid and then manipulating the first vessel so that the liquid contacts the antibody. Then, a second vessel containing a reporter hormone solution is provided and the removable surface from the first vessel is displaced to the second vessel and manipulating the second vessel so that the reporter hormone solution contacts the removable surface. Then, a third vessel containing an indicating solution which has an appearance which is related to the amount of the reporter hormone contacted is provided, and the removable surface is displaced from the second vessel to the third vessel. The third vessel is manipulated so that the indicating solution contacts the removable surface. Then, a determination is made regarding the pregnancy or sex based on the appearance of the indicating solution.

1 . A method for testing a mammal for pregnancy comprising the steps of:
 (a) introducing a saliva sample from a mammal to be tested into a first liquid   medium to provide a first liquid mixture;   (b) contacting said first liquid mixture with a solid surface, wherein the solid   surface has antibodies against at least one pregnancy-indicating hormone attached thereto;   (c) contact said solid surface with a reporter hormone solution;   (d) contacting said solid surface with an indicator solution; and   (e) determining the stage of pregnancy of the mammal based on the appearance of either the solid surface or the indicating solution.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mammal is a horse. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said antibodies are antibodies against progesterone. 
     
     
         4 . A method of testing an animal for pregnancy or identifying the sex of the animal comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a first liquid medium, a reporter hormone solution, a solid surface supporting an antibody and then adding to said first liquid medium either before or after adding the reporter hormone, a bodily fluid from said female mammal, wherein the animal is a member of a species of animal and   for said species of animal there is a known concentration of an indicating hormone present in the bodily fluid at a complete gestation or between male   and female animals, and the amount of antibody on the solid surface approximately corresponds to said hormone present at a pregnancy of full term for said species;   (b) after the addition of both the reporter hormone and the bodily fluid to the first liquid medium, contacting said first liquid medium, bodily fluid and reporter hormone solution with the solid surface supporting the antibody;   (c) contacting the solid surface supporting the antibody with an indicating solution; and   (d) then making a determination regarding the pregnancy or sex of the animal based on the appearance of either the solid surface supporting the antibody or the indicating solution.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the indicating hormone is selected from the group consisting of progesterone and estrogen or other similar hormones indicative of pregnancy or sex. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein in step (a) the indicating hormone reacts with at least some of the antibody on the removable surface. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein in step (b) the reporter hormone fills any antibody with which the indicating hormone does not fill. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the reporter hormone is selected from the group consisting of any compound that, when reacted with the indicating hormone, changes color. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein on the completion of step (b) the occurrence of reporter hormone on the solid surface will be relatively greater when the occurrence of indicating hormone in the bodily fluid will be relatively greater. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein in step (c) the appearance which is related to the amount of the reporter hormone contacted is a color which becomes more intense depending on the amount of reporter hormone which is contacted. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the animal is a female mammal in the case of the pregnancy test or is a monomorphic animal in the use of the sex identification test. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the bodily fluid is added to the first liquid medium before the addition of the reporter hormone. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the bodily fluid is added to the first liquid medium after the addition of the reporter hormone. 
     
     
         14 . A method of testing an animal for pregnancy or identifying the sex of the animal comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a first vessel containing a liquid and having a removable surface wherein said removable surface is at least partially coated with an antibody   and then introducing a bodily fluid from the female animal into said first vessel so that said bodily fluid contacts the liquid and then manipulating the   first vessel so that the liquid contacts the antibody;   (b) providing a second vessel containing a reporter hormone solution and displacing the removable surface from the first vessel to the second vessel and manipulating the second vessel so that the reporter hormone solution contacts   the removable surface;   (c) providing a third vessel containing an indicating solution which either causes a change of appearance in the removable surface or which undergoes   change of appearance itself related to the amount of reporter hormone on the removable surface and displacing the removable surface from the second   vessel to the third vessel and manipulating the third vessel so that the indicating solution contacts the removable surface; and   (d) then making a determination regarding the pregnancy of the animal based on the appearance of either the removable surface or the indicating solution.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein after step (b) and before step (c) there is performed an additional step (e) of providing a fourth vessel containing a wash solution and displacing the removable surface from the second vessel to the fourth vessel and then manipulating the fourth vessel to contact the removable surface with the wash solution. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein in step (d) a visual comparison means is provided for assistance in determining the appearance of the removable surface. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein in step (d) a visual comparison means is provided for assistance in determining the appearance of the indicating solution. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein in step (a) the liquid in the first vessel is a buffer liquid. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the buffer liquid is selected from the group consisting of any buffer in which the antibody, hormone and solid phase are stable. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first vessel is a vial. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the vial has a cap having an inner surface and the removable surface is said inner surface on said cap. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the bodily fluid is introduced into the first vessel on a swab. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the bodily fluid is selected from the group consisting of blood, plasma, urine, milk and saliva. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the bodily fluid is saliva. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first vessel is manipulated by inverting said first vessel. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein in step (a) there is an indicating hormone present in the bodily fluid which is related to pregnancy, and the amount of antibody on the removable surface is related to the indicating hormone which would be present at complete gestation. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the indicating hormone is selected from the group consisting of progesterone and estrogen or other hormones indicative of pregnancy or sex. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein in step (a) the indicating hormone reacts with at least some of the antibody on the removable surface. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein in step (b) the reporter hormone fills any antibody with which the indicating hormone does not fill. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the reporter hormone is selected from the group consisting of any compound that, when reacted with the indicating hormone, changes color. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second vessel is a vial. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein on the completion of step (b) the occurrence of reporter hormone on the removable surface will be relatively greater when the occurrence of indicating hormone in the bodily fluid will be relatively greater. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein in step (c) the appearance which is related to the amount of the reporter hormone contacted is a color which becomes more intense depending on the amount of reporter hormone which is contacted. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein unwanted materials are contained in the bodily fluid and the reporter solution and the wash solution removes such unwanted materials. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein in step (e) the visual comparison means is a control strip having a color displayed in a plurality of intensities. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the animal is a female mammal in the case of the pregnancy test, or the animal is a sexually monomorphic animal in the case of the sex identification test. 
     
     
         37 . A method of testing an animal for pregnancy or sex identification comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a first vial containing a buffer liquid and having a removable cap having an inner surface which is at least partially overlaid with a solid phase antibody coating, and then introducing a bodily fluid from the female animal into said first vial so that said bodily fluid contacts said buffer liquid and then manipulating the first vial so that the buffer liquid contacts the solid phase antibody coating on the inner surface of the cap;   (b) then providing a second vial containing a reporter hormone, and removing the cap from the first vial to said second vial, and then manipulating the second vial so that the reporter hormone solution contacts   the solid phase antibody coating on the inner surface of the cap; and then   (c) then providing a third vial which has an indicating solution which has an   appearance which is related to the amount of reporter hormone contacted, and removing the cap from the second vial to said third vial, and manipulating the third vial so that the indicating solution contacts the solid phase antibody coating on the inner surface of the cap; and   (d) then making a determination regarding the pregnancy or sex of the animal based on the appearance of the indicating solution.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein after step (b) and before step (c) there is performed an additional step (e) of providing a fourth vial containing a wash solution and removing the cap from the second vial to the fourth vial and manipulating the fourth vial to contact the solid phase antibody coating on the inner surface of the cap with the wash solution. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein in step (d) a visual comparison means is provided for assistance in determining the appearance of the indicating solution. 
     
     
         40 . A kit for use in testing an animal for pregnancy or sex identification comprising:
 a first vessel containing a liquid buffer and having an opening and a removable cap adapted to close said opening, and said cap having an inner surface which is at least partially overlaid with a solid phase antibody coating;   a second vessel containing a reporter hormone solution and having an opening which is adapted to being closed by the removable cap; and   a third vessel containing an indicating solution and having an opening which   is adapted to being closed by the removable cap.   
     
     
         41 . The kit of  claim 40 , wherein there is a means for introducing a bodily fluid into the first vessel. 
     
     
         42 . The kit of  claim 41 , wherein the means for introducing the bodily fluid into the first vessel is a swab.