Table 3 Major discoveries in hCG assays or pregnancy tests 1930-1995 [1–35, 61]

1930

First pregnancy test, the Zondek-Aschein Pregnancy Test

Zondek B, Aschein S [55]

1960

First immunological pregnancy test, an antibody agglutination test

Wide L, Gemzell CA [56]

1967

First hCG radioimmunoassay

Aono T, Goldstein DP, Taymor ML, Dolch K [57]

1972

Discovery of hCGß radioimmunoassay, assay only detects hCG

Vaitukaitis JL, Braunstein GD, Ross GF [58]

1984

First hCG radio-immunometric assay

Armstrong EG, Ehrlich PH, Birken S, Schlatterer JP, Siris E, Hembree WE, Canfield RE [59]

1995

Automated hCG chemiluminescent-immunometric assay

Vankrieken L, Hertogh RE [60]