Wireless pregnancy monitor
First Claim
1. An apparatus for automatically detecting a pregnancy status of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a patch of material having a proximal side configured for adhering to human skin and a distal side opposite to the proximal side;
a uterine contraction monitor coupled to the patch of material and configured for sensing uterine contractions when the proximal side is adhered to skin of a patient;
a fetal heart rate (FHR) sensor coupled to the patch of material and configured for detecting a FHR signal when the proximal side is adhered to skin of the patient; and
an electronic circuit coupled to the patch of material, the uterine contraction monitor, and the FHR sensor, the electronic circuit comprising a processor, wherein the apparatus is configured to;
detect contractions from a signal received from the uterine contraction monitor;
analyze a strength, a duration, and a frequency of the contractions;
detect an FHR from the FHR signal received from the FHR sensor;
determine whether there is an early deceleration, a late deceleration, an acceleration, a variable deceleration, or a change in the FHR signal;
correlate, based on time, the signal from the uterine contraction monitor to the FHR signal from the FHR sensor; and
automatically output to the patient an indication of a pregnancy status and one or more of fetal movement, normal fetal status, and fetal distress based on said correlation.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A apparatus for automatically detecting a pregnancy status of a patient include a patch for adhering to human skin, a uterine contraction sensor, such as electromyography (EMG), coupled to the patch with at least two electrodes, and an inertial sensor for sensing fetal movement, or Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) sensor, such as Fetal EKG or a Doppler Ultrasound. An electronic circuit is coupled to the patch, the EMG sensor and the inertial sensor, and/or FHR sensor. The circuit provides an output based on a uterine contraction signal from the EMG sensor (or Doppler ultrasound) correlated in time to a fetal movement, and/or fetal heart rate. The apparatus may include a thermometer to aid in automatically providing an indication of a pregnancy complication or ovulation status of the patient, based on the output.
42 Citations
59 Claims
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1. An apparatus for automatically detecting a pregnancy status of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a patch of material having a proximal side configured for adhering to human skin and a distal side opposite to the proximal side; a uterine contraction monitor coupled to the patch of material and configured for sensing uterine contractions when the proximal side is adhered to skin of a patient; a fetal heart rate (FHR) sensor coupled to the patch of material and configured for detecting a FHR signal when the proximal side is adhered to skin of the patient; and an electronic circuit coupled to the patch of material, the uterine contraction monitor, and the FHR sensor, the electronic circuit comprising a processor, wherein the apparatus is configured to; detect contractions from a signal received from the uterine contraction monitor; analyze a strength, a duration, and a frequency of the contractions; detect an FHR from the FHR signal received from the FHR sensor; determine whether there is an early deceleration, a late deceleration, an acceleration, a variable deceleration, or a change in the FHR signal; correlate, based on time, the signal from the uterine contraction monitor to the FHR signal from the FHR sensor; and automatically output to the patient an indication of a pregnancy status and one or more of fetal movement, normal fetal status, and fetal distress based on said correlation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 58)
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15. A method for automatically detecting a pregnancy status of a patient, the method comprising:
coupling an apparatus to an abdomen of a patient, the apparatus comprising a patch of material, a uterine contraction monitor coupled to the patch of material, a fetal heart rate (FHR) sensor coupled to the patch of material, and an electronic circuit coupled to the patch of material, wherein the apparatus further comprises a processor, and wherein the apparatus is configured to; detect contractions from a signal received from the uterine contraction monitor; analyze a strength, a duration, and a frequency of the contractions; detect an FHR from an FHR signal received from the FHR sensor; determine whether there is an early deceleration, a late deceleration, an acceleration, a variable deceleration, or a change in the FHR signal; correlate, based on time, the signal from the uterine contraction monitor to the FHR signal from the FHR sensor; and automatically output to the patient an indication of a pregnancy status and one or more of fetal movement, normal fetal status, and fetal distress based on said correlation. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 59)
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33. An apparatus for automatically detecting a pregnancy status of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a patch of material having a proximal side configured for adhering to human skin and a distal side opposite to the proximal side; an electromyography (EMG) sensor coupled to the patch of material, the EMG sensor comprising at least two electrodes disposed toward the proximal side of the patch of material and configured for sensing uterine contractions when the proximal side is adhered to skin of a patient; a fetal heart rate (FHR) sensor coupled to the patch of material and configured for detecting an FHR signal when the proximal side is adhered to skin of the patient; and an electronic circuit coupled to the patch of material, the EMG sensor, and the FHR sensor, the electronic circuit comprising a processor, wherein the apparatus is configured to; detect contractions from a signal received from the EMG sensor; analyze a strength, a duration, and a frequency of the contractions; detect an FHR from the FHR signal received from the FHR sensor; determine whether there is an early deceleration, a late deceleration, an acceleration, a variable deceleration, or a change in the FHR signal; correlate, based on time, the signal from the EMG sensor to the FHR signal from the FHR sensor; and automatically output to the patient an indication of a pregnancy status and one or more of fetal movement, normal fetal status, and fetal distress based on said correlation. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for automatically detecting a pregnancy status of a patient, the method comprising:
coupling, to an abdomen of a patient, an apparatus comprising a patch of material, an electromyography (EMG) sensor, a fetal heart rate (FHR) sensor, and an electronic circuit coupled to the patch of material and comprising a processor, wherein the apparatus is configured to; detect contractions from an EMG signal received from the EMG sensor; analyze a strength, a duration, and a frequency of the contractions; detect an FHR from an FHR signal received from the FHR sensor; determine whether there is an early deceleration, a late deceleration, an acceleration, a variable deceleration, or a change in the FHR signal; correlate, based on time, the EMG signal from the EMG sensor to the FHR signal from the FHR sensor; and automatically output to the patient an indication of a pregnancy status and one or more of fetal movement, normal fetal status, and fetal distress based on said correlation. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. An apparatus for automatically detecting a pregnancy status of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a patch of material having a proximal side configured for adhering to human skin and a distal side opposite to the proximal side; a Doppler ultrasound sensor coupled to the patch of material, configured for sensing a fetal heart rate (FHR) and uterine contractions when the proximal side is adhered to skin of a patient; and an electronic circuit coupled to the patch of material and the Doppler ultrasound sensor, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a processor configured to; detect contractions from a contraction signal received from the Doppler ultrasound sensor, analyze a strength, a duration, and a frequency of the contractions, detect the FHR from an FHR signal received from the Doppler ultrasound sensor, determine whether there is an early deceleration, a late deceleration, an acceleration, a variable deceleration, or a change in the FHR signal, correlate, based on time, the contraction signal to the FHR signal from the FHR sensor Doppler ultrasound sensor, and automatically output to the patient an indication of a pregnancy status and one or more of fetal movement, normal fetal status, and fetal distress based on said correlation. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54)
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55. An apparatus for automatically detecting a pregnancy status of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a patch of material having a proximal side configured for adhering to human skin and a distal side opposite to the proximal side; a wearable biosensor coupled to the patch of material, configured for sensing uterine contractions and fetal heart rate (FHR) when the proximal side is adhered to skin of a patient; and an electronic circuit coupled to the patch of material and the wearable biosensor, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a processor configured to; detect contractions from a contraction signal received from the wearable biosensor, analyze a strength, a duration, and a frequency of the contractions, detect the FHR from an FHR signal received from the wearable biosensor, determine whether there is an early deceleration, a late deceleration, an acceleration, a variable deceleration, or a change in the FHR signal, correlate, based on time, the contraction signal to the FHR signal from the wearable biosensor, and automatically output to the patient an indication of a pregnancy status and one or more of fetal movement, normal fetal status, and fetal distress based on said correlation. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
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Specification