Wearable technology effectively predicts ovulation in women undergoing IUI treatment

Abstract

Background: Cycle monitoring clinical visits currently involve frequent inconvenient and uncomfortable blood draws to monitor hormone profiles to predict ovulation. Wearable technology has been developed to knit sensors into fabric that offers an accurate, non-invasive alternative method of monitoring personal physiology to predict timing of ovulation. This study tracked menstrual cycle phases by monitoring body temperature and heart rate with textile-based wearable sensors. The wearables' ability to continuously and non-invasively monitor physiological changes was compared to conventional blood and ultrasound cycle monitoring practices.

Methods: Twenty-two patients have enrolled; 2 patients have withdrawn and 9 have completed monitoring to date. Menstruation and luteinizing hormone (LH) results were tracked via personal spreadsheets. Skiin monitoring platform with textile-based sensors in clothing continuously measured ECG and activity, and estimated body temperature (BT) without direct skin contact. BT and heart rate (HR) were calculated from recorded temperature and ECG data between 1 AM and 5 AM, averaged over 5-minute periods. BT and HR trends for follicular, fertile, and luteal phases were plotted to visualize physiological changes throughout the cycle.

Results: Generated plots compared with conventional hormone results showed distinct patterns in BT and HR during menstrual cycle phases. In the follicular phase, BT ranges between 36.1°C to 36.7°C and reaches its lowest point before ovulation which offers a clear prediction of ovulation. After ovulation, BT rises by 0.28°C to 0.6°C and remains elevated through the luteal phase, returning to lower levels just before menstrual bleeding. HR is higher during the fertile phase compared to the follicular phase, peaking in the luteal phase.

Conclusions: Results from this study confirms that wearable technology can reliably predict ovulation. Furthermore, it highlights the Skiin platform's potential for personalized menstrual health tracking. Unlike conventional wearables, Skiin provides continuous real-time monitoring of physiological markers such as ECG, activity, and BT directly integrated into garments. This 24/7 monitoring offers a comprehensive view of the wearer's health, aiding in detecting subtle changes across menstrual cycle phases. The smart textile innovation can reliably detect ovulation phases, serving as a tool for predicting fertile windows and supporting family planning. This non- invasive user-friendly solution provides an alternative to regular blood draws for hormone analysis which is often cited as a deterrent to women seeking infertility treatment.