15 Years of OvulaRing: Innovation in Cycle Diagnostics

From a research impulse to an evidence-based, patient-centred solution – for every stage of life.

For 15 years, VivoSensMedical – the company behind OvulaRing – has stood for scientifically sound innovation in cycle diagnostics, marking an important milestone for evidence-based women’s health. It all began with a vision: to make the female cycle visible in all its complexity, continuously and objectively – as a foundation for truly individual diagnostics instead of “one size fits all”. Today, we combine a unique data base with medical expertise and the trust of our community – and continue to develop OvulaRing consistently.

Why cycle diagnostics had to be rethought

The female cycle is as individual as the woman herself – and that is exactly why standardised treatment and diagnostic approaches often reach their limits. For a long time, cycle assessment was frequently based on simplified models and the “one size fits all” principle: with general assumptions, fixed time windows and little room for the natural variability of cycle length, ovulation timing or hormonal patterns.

A second major challenge was added: many methods provided only point-in-time snapshots – for example, a single measurement per day or subjective observations. This inevitably left room for interpretation and made it difficult to reliably identify disruptive factors and truly understand the cycle. Especially in sensitive situations such as unexplained infertility or cycle disorders, this uncertainty can be stressful.

What was needed was a complete, objective and cycle-specific data foundation – so that diagnostic and treatment decisions are not based on assumptions, but on reliable, continuously collected information.

The vision of Prof. Dr. Henry Alexander

It all started with an idea from reproductive medicine: Prof. Dr. Henry Alexander wanted to capture the female cycle not just at specific points in time, but around the clock – through continuous measurement of core body temperature. Especially in the context of unfulfilled desire for a child, it can be crucial to understand the cycle reliably and objectively: When does ovulation actually occur? How stable is the second phase of the cycle? And which patterns repeat across several cycles? This ambition laid the foundation for OvulaRing – with the goal of making diagnostics and decisions more personalised and less dependent on “guesswork”.

To this day, Prof. Dr. Henry Alexander continues to shape this development in several roles: he is the inventor of OvulaRing, the scientific initiator who still drives research in this field, and also a partner/shareholder in the company behind the technology. This links OvulaRing’s original medical vision directly with ongoing development in practice.

Short timeline: Prof. Dr. Henry Alexander

• 1973: PhD
• 1983: Habilitation
• from 1984: Move to Leipzig University Women’s Hospital; establishment/leadership of a working group for reproductive medicine and gynaecological endocrinology
• 1985: Supported the first IVF births (“test-tube babies”) in Saxony

From research to product: what OvulaRing is

What started as a scientific vision ultimately became a practical solution for everyday life: OvulaRing is a temperature sensor worn vaginally – easy to use, similar to a tampon. Unlike traditional methods, it doesn’t measure just single values, but records core body temperature continuously over 24 hours.

This matters because it makes cycle diagnostics much more reliable: there is no need for a daily measuring routine immediately after waking, no “perfect conditions” and no manual documentation. At the same time, the risk of measurement errors or distorted single values – which can occur with manual measuring – is reduced. Instead of snapshots, a continuous temperature curve is created, enabling a more precise, cycle-specific evaluation – as an objective basis for medical assessment and personal decisions.

If you’d like to dive deeper, you can find the technical and usage details here: How OvulaRing works.

The most common misconception – and the clear difference from a basal thermometer

One of the most common misconceptions: “OvulaRing is just temperature – like a basal thermometer.” It does use temperature too, but the type and number of measurements are fundamentally different – and so is the informative value! While basal body temperature is based on individual snapshots, OvulaRing provides a continuous, more objective data foundation.

Basal thermometer

• measures a single value per day (snapshot)
• is prone to disruptive factors such as restless sleep, measuring late, illness, alcohol or stress
• requires strict measuring discipline (immediately after waking, always the same routine)

OvulaRing

• measures core body temperature continuously over 24 hours
• reduces the risk of distortions from single measurements
• records automatically – without a daily measuring routine or manual documentation

The benefit: Instead of interpretable single points, a continuous temperature curve is created, making the cycle easier to understand. This can help you better understand your own cycle and provide a more objective basis for conversations with medical professionals.

Milestones: 15 years of VivoSensMedical / OvulaRing

Over the past 15 years, a technology has grown from a scientific idea that now gives many women and couples more clarity about their cycle. Here are some key milestones of our journey:

28/02/2011 – Founded in Leipzig
VivoSensMedical was founded as a spin-off from Leipzig University – with the clear goal of turning research into a market-ready medical device.

27–28/10/2012 – Market launch of “OvulaSens”
The first public launch took place on the last weekend of October as part of Designers’ Open 2012 in Leipzig.

Regulatory studies – the path to medical use
In the years that followed, regulatory studies were carried out to create the basis for safe and reliable use in a medical context.

Certifications – quality you can rely on
Both our company and the medical device are certified – an important step that stands for audited processes, high quality standards and regulatory safety.

New product generation – with Bluetooth
With a new generation of the measurement system, OvulaRing becomes even more suitable for everyday use: thanks to modern connectivity and more comfortable handling.

Awards – German Health Award
Being recognised with a health award is a special sign for us that our work is being noticed and appreciated. Results of the Deutscher Gesundheits-Award 2024, category “cycle tracker/computer”

Scientific publications – thinking evidence-based
Research remains our foundation. You can find an overview of studies and publications here: OvulaRing study overview

OvulaRing today: medical cycle diagnostics for every stage of life

For many, the journey begins with a very personal question: When is the right time – and why hasn’t it worked (yet)? Especially when trying to conceive, uncertainty can be stressful. OvulaRing helps you understand your own cycle better – with a complete recording of core body temperature and a cycle-specific evaluation that can bring more clarity about the course of the cycle, ovulation and recurring patterns. This creates a more objective basis – for you, for your path as a couple and for conversations with medical professionals.

Because when trying to conceive, it’s not just a single cycle that matters. Often it’s about recognising connections over several months, putting changes into context and turning “I think…” into “I know…”. OvulaRing can help provide that orientation – without a daily measuring routine, without manual logging, and with the ambition to make cycle diagnostics as individual as every woman.

And beyond that, OvulaRing can support you with:

• Natural contraception: get to know your cycle better and classify it more confidently
• Early perimenopause: observe and understand changes in the cycle more objectively
• Cycle disorders: recognise recurring irregularities and document them better for medical consultations
• Cycle-based training: align training, recovery and performance phases more consciously with your cycle

Evidence & research: what “evidence-based” means for us in practice

For us, “evidence-based” means more than a buzzword: OvulaRing isn’t just developed – it is scientifically accompanied, tested and continuously improved. The basis for this is clinical and validation studies intended to show how reliably continuous core body temperature measurement can be used in a medical context.

Since the company was founded in 2011, we have been developing the technology step by step – based on research, practical experience and feedback from users and medical professionals. Our aim is always the same: a solution that makes medical sense and is still suitable for everyday life. This includes a patient-centred design, easy handling and an evaluation that looks at the cycle individually – instead of relying on rigid standard assumptions.

Here you can find our Studies & Publications:

For professionals:
In-depth information and a possible treatment pathway for unfulfilled desire for a child can be found here: Treatment pathway for unfulfilled desire for a child

OvulaRing at a glance

Over 40 years of medical research
The idea behind OvulaRing is based on decades of work in reproductive medicine.

24/7 tracking with 288 measuring points per day
That’s one measurement every 5 minutes – for a continuous temperature curve.
Learn more: How OvulaRing works

approx. 70,000 recorded cycles
As of 27/02/2026 – our database is therefore among the largest collections of continuously measured core body temperature curves in our field of application.

Trustpilot: 4.4 stars
Based on 191 reviews

15 years of OvulaRing!

OvulaRing anniversary special: we’re celebrating 15 years of OvulaRing and giving you 15% off all packages! Only until Sunday, 1 March 2026.

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