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http://dx.doi.org/10.15324/kjcls.2018.50.4.382

Development History of Pregnancy Test Technology  

Kwon, Young-Il (Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Shinhan University)
Publication Information
Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science / v.50, no.4, 2018 , pp. 382-390 More about this Journal
Abstract
The history of the pregnancy test started in ancient Egypt with a germination test using wheat and barley. Since then, unscientific methods have been used from the days of Hippocrates and Galen to the Middle Ages when uroscopy was used, even until the early 1800s. On the other hand, since the mid-1800s, scientific methods and evidence have begun to emerge, which led to scientific research on the physiological characteristics of pregnancy. The first attempt to utilize these scientific findings was initiated with the bioassay by Aschheim and Zondek using rats and mice in 1927, and then developed into experiments using rabbits and frogs. The immunoassay method, which started in the 1960s, contributed greatly to the generalization of the pregnancy tests while improving the problems of the bioassay. In 1976, a pregnancy test kit was introduced that can be used at home, contributing to the popularization of pregnancy tests. Since the 1980s, technological advances in diagnostic tests have also been applied to pregnancy tests to further improve the reliability of the diagnosis of pregnancy. In the 2000s, the accuracy and ease of use of the pregnancy test kits for home use have improved drastically. This study examined the history and scientific development of the pregnancy test.
Keywords
Bioassay; History; Immunoassay; Pregnancy test; Reliability;
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