referring to the drawings and particularly to fig1 through 8 , one form of the apparatus of the present invention for determining the period of maximum fertility in women is there shown and generally identified by the numeral 20 . the apparatus comprises a hand - held housing 22 having a body portion 22a and a base portion 22b ( fig2 ). as best seen by referring to fig8 body portion 22a includes a generally cylindrically shaped wall 24 which defines an interior chamber 26 having a top opening 26a . disposed proximate the top of chamber 26 is magnification means for viewing the interior of chamber 26 . in the present form of the invention , the magnification means comprises a support assembly 28 including an externally threaded , annular member 30 having a viewing aperture 32 which is sealed by a substantially transparent ocular eyepiece 34 . disposed within member 30 is a lens assembly comprising a ring shaped member 35 within which a pair of convex lenses 36a and 36b are mounted in a manner best seen in fig8 . the lenses preferably provide 40 ×± 2 × magnification when stacked and have a spherical accuracy of ± 2 %. removably receivable within top opening 26a is an internally threaded , generally ring - shaped member 38 which is adapted to threadably receive annular member 30 for movement of the lens assembly toward and away from a substantially transparent specimen slide or glass plate 40 which is connected to member 38 . plate 40 is provided with a substantially flat , smooth , saliva - receiving surface 40a . it is to be understood that , while lenses 36a and 36b are shown as plano - convex lenses mounted with their convex surfaces in contact , various types of lenses in various configurations well known to those skilled in the art could be used in the present application . similarly various types of ocular eyepieces and various kinds of specimen slides could be used . disposed internally of chamber 26 is illumination means for illuminating the interior of chamber 26 . the illumination means here comprises a light source 46 such as a light emitting diode lamp which is disposed within chamber 26 , a source of electrical energy , shown here as a pair of 1 . 5 volt lithium batteries 48a and 48b , and connector means for interconnecting lamp 46 with the electrical energy source or batteries 48a and 48b . in the form of the invention shown in fig1 through 8 , the connector means comprises a readily , commercially available micro switch 50 having an operating plunger 52 extending from the base of the switch and through an opening provided in a base wall 25 of base portion 22b in the manner shown in fig3 and 8 . micro switch 50 is of a character well known to those skilled in the art such as is frequently used in computer circuits . suitable switches are available from souces such as dow radio of pasadena , calif . an electrical connector or wire 54 connects a switch 50 with one terminal of lamp 46 via a ten ohm resister &# 34 ; r &# 34 ;, while the other terminal 56 thereof is connected directly to the batteries . with this construction , depression of plunger 52 of switch 50 will connect lamp 46 with the electrical energy source thereby luminating lamp 46 and lighting the chamber 26 . as shown in fig8 body portion 22a is threadably interconnected with base 22b so as to permit access to switch 50 and to permit replacement of batteries 48a and 48b as may be required . when the device is not in operation , a generally cylindrically shaped cap member 60 having a top wall 60a can be emplaced over body portion 22a in the manner shown in fig1 . cover 60 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs 60b which frictionally engage enlarged diameter portion 23 of body portion 22a ( see fig4 ). turning next to fig9 through 11 , an alternate form of the apparatus of the present invention is there shown . this apparatus is similar in most respects to that previously described and like numerals are used to describe like components . this latest form of the invention comprises a hand - held housing 122 having a body portion 122a and a base portion 122b ( fig9 ). body portion 122a includes a generally cylindrically shaped wall 124 which defines an interior chamber 126 having a top opening 126a . disposed proximate the top of chamber 126 is magnification means for viewing the interior of chamber 126 . this magnification means is identical in construction and operation to that described in connection with the embodiment shown in fig1 through 8 . therefore , the details of its construction will not be repeated . mounted internally of chamber 126 is illumination means for illuminating the interior of chamber 126 . the illumination means here comprises a lamp 46 which is disposed within chamber 126 , a source of electrical energy , shown here as a pair of dry - cell batteries 48a and 48b , and connector means for interconnecting lamp 46 with the electrical energy source of batteries 48a and 48b . in the form of the invention shown in fig9 , and 11 , the connector means comprises a spring type switch 150 having an operating plunger 152 extending from the base of the switch and through an opening provided in a base wall 125 of base portion 122b in the manner shown in fig9 and 10 . switch 150 is of a construction best seen in fig1 and comprises , in addition to plunger 152 , an electrically conductive spring member 155 having first and second legs 155a and 155b which are connected by a sloping segment 155c . switch 150 also includes a generally &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped contact 157 which forms a part of a connector lead 159 leading to lamp 46 . a 10 ohm resister &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; is preferably disposed intermediate contact 157 and lamp 46 . connector wire 159 , its &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped contact 157 , and resister &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; comprise one lead to lamp 46 while the other lead , or wire 161 , is connected directly to the batteries in the manner shown in fig8 . with this construction , depression of plunger 152 of the switch will cause leg 155b to engage contact with 157 against the biasing of leg 155c whereby lamp 46 will be connected to the electrical energy source via segment 155c and leg 155a thereby luminating lamp 46 and lighting the chamber 126 . as shown in fig9 body portion 122a , rather than being threadably interconnected with base 122b as in the first embodiment , is integrally formed therewith . with this construction , access to switch 150 and to batteries 48a and 48b is achieved by removing base plate 125 from base 122b and , via top opening 126a , pushing the components downwardly within chamber 126a . as before , when the device is not in operation , a generally cylindrically shaped cap member 60 having a top wall 60a can be emplaced over body portion 22a in the manner shown in fig1 . considering now the method of the invention for determining the period of maximum fertility in women using the apparatus as described in the preceding paragraphs , the first step in the method involves the removal from top opening of the hand - held housing of the assembly comprising annular rings 28 and 38 within which the magnifying lenses are housed . upon removal of this assemblage from the hand - held housing , the smooth surface 40a of the specimen slide 40 is exposed to view . this enables the deposition on the slide of a saliva specimen &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; from the woman being tested . after the saliva specimen has been allowed to dry to form a crystalline structure on the slide , the assemblage is reinserted into top opening of the hand - held housing . with the magnifying assemblage thus in place , an upward pressure exerted on the actuating plunger of either switch 50 or 150 will close the contact between the batteries and the lamp thereby energizing the lamp and illuminating the interior of chamber 26 . with chamber 26 illuminated , the user can view the specimen by looking through the eyepiece 34 . by rotating annular member 28 relative to member 38 , the magnifying means can be focused on the saliva specimen to clearly reveal the characteristics of the crystalline structure formed on the undersurface 40a of slide 40 . if the user is unable to discern a specific crystalline pattern , then it will be necessary to remove the magnifying means assembly from the hand - held housing , carefully clean the specimen slide , and redeposit a fresh salvia specimen on the slide . if this deposition step is accomplished properly , after the saliva has dried , a clear crystalline pattern can be discerned by proper focusing of the magnifying means in the manner described . once the pattern as been observed , the user then compares the pattern being viewed with standard patterns of the character depicted in fig1 , 13 , and 14 . during non - fertile days , the crystalline pattern should be random and comprise unconnected dots of the character shown in fig1 . however , if the pattern viewed on the specimen lens more closely resembles the pattern shown in fig1 , this would indicate that the woman is in a transition period , that is , in a period of less than maximum fertility , but in a period of time wherein conception may still be possible . if a fern structure of the character illustrated in fig1 is viewed by the user by observing the specimen via the magnifying means , the user can conclude that the woman is in a period of maximum fertility . in this regard , studies have shown that fern structures of the character shown in fig1 appear approximately three to four days before ovulation begins and end two to three days after it stops . it is apparent that the user , by using the apparatus of the invention and by following the method described , can be accurately informed of her degree of fertility and can determine the optimum period at which she can conceive or , in the alternative , if she does not wish to conceive , the period of time during which she must be extra cautious , namely the period of maximum fertility as shown in fig1 and the transitional period shown in fig1 . after each use , the magnification assembly should be removed from the housing and carefully cleaned . after the magnifying assemblage is reinserted into the housing , cover 60 should be emplaced over the housing and the apparatus stored in a relatively temperature - constant , dust - free area . having now described the invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes , those skilled in this art will have no difficulty in making changes and modifications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions . such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention , as set forth in the following claims .
a compact , self - contained , easy - to - use and readily portable apparatus which can be carried in a woman &# 39 ; s purse or pocket for determining the period of maximum fertility . the apparatus includes a hollow housing that sealably contains a small magnifying system , a saliva specimen slide and an internal switch operated illuminating system for illuminating the saliva slide . the small magnifying system is used to closely view patters formed on the specimen slide by the saliva after it has dried and crystallized on the slide . the patterns are then compared with standard comparison patterns to determine the woman &# 39 ; s present ability to conceive .