Methods and apparatus for objective fetal diagnosis

• US 20050124878A1
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ultramove Limited
• Original Assignee: Ultramove Limited
• Inventors: Sharony, Reuven
• Application Number:
  US10/482,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20050124878A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4884 inducing physiological or psychological stress, e.g. applications for stress testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0866 involving foetal diagnosis; pre-natal or peri-natal diagnosis of the baby
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network

Abstract

Fetal diagnostic apparatus (10) which comprises ultrasonic imaging apparatus (12) for producing ultrasonic images, (14) the images comprises a multiplicity of pixels (16); an ultrasonic transducer (18) that can be placed upon a patient, in data communication with the ultrasonic imaging apparatus (12); and a processor (22) in data communication with the ultrasonic imaging apparatus that measures changes in the pixels (16) with respect to time.

Claims

1. Fetal diagnostic apparatus comprising:

ultrasonic imaging apparatus for producing ultrasonic images, said images comprising a multiplicity of pixels;

an ultrasonic transducer that can be placed upon a patient, in data communication with said ultrasonic imaging apparatus; and

a processor in data communication with said ultrasonic imaging apparatus that measures changes in the pixels with respect to time.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a display in data communication with said processor that displays the changes in the pixels with respect to time.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said display comprises a visual display.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said display comprises an audible display.

5. A method for diagnosing a fetus inside a pregnant woman, comprising:

acquiring fetal ultrasonic images, said images comprising a multiplicity of pixels;

measuring changes in the pixels of a representative portion of said fetal ultrasonic images with respect to time, over a predetermined period of time, the changes in the pixels being associated with a pattern of fetal movements; and

monitoring changes in the pattern of the fetal movements with respect to time.

6. The method according to claim 5 and further comprising displaying the changes in the patterns of fetal movements with respect to time.

7. The method according to claim 5 and further comprising choosing a particular region of interest of the fetus, and tracking pixel changes only in said particular region of interest.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein an ultrasonic transducer is used to acquire the fetal ultrasonic images in a viewing window, and wherein the method comprises controlling movement of the viewing window such that said particular region of interest is generally continuously in the viewing window.

9. The method according to claim 5 and further comprising:

providing a normal distribution curve of changes associated with patterns of fetal movement of a large representative fetal population;

determining in which range of the normal distribution the measured changes of patterns of fetal movements lie; and

diagnosing said fetal movements based on the range of the normal distribution in which the measured changes of patterns of fetal movements lie.

10. The method according to claim 5 and further comprising administering about 0.6-1.2 mg of atropine to the pregnant woman, and monitoring fetal heartbeat rate thereafter.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein if the fetal heartbeat rate accelerates beyond a predetermined threshold, then the fetus is considered to have an increased risk of Down'"'"'s syndrome.

15. The method according to claim 6 and further comprising administering about 0.6-1.2 mg of atropine to the pregnant woman, and monitoring fetal heartbeat rate thereafter.

16. The method according to claim 7 and further comprising administering about 0.6-1.2 mg of atropine to the pregnant woman, and monitoring fetal heartbeat rate thereafter.

17. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising administering about 0.6-1.2 mg of atropine to the pregnant woman, and monitoring fetal heartbeat rate thereafter.

18. The method according to claim 9 and further comprising administering about 0.6-1.2 mg of atropine to the pregnant woman, and monitoring fetal heartbeat rate thereafter.

12. A method for diagnosing a fetus inside a pregnant woman, comprising:

administering about 0.6-1.2 mg of atropine to the pregnant woman; and

monitoring fetal heartbeat rate thereafter.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein if the fetal heartbeat rate accelerates beyond a predetermined threshold, then the fetus is considered to have an increased risk of Down'"'"'s syndrome.

14. A method for diagnosing a fetus inside a pregnant woman for a risk of having Down'"'"'s syndrome, comprising:

administering to the pregnant woman a cholinergic signaling inhibitor; and

monitoring fetal heartbeat rate thereafter;

whereby if the fetal heartbeat rate accelerates beyond a predetermined threshold, then the fetus is considered to have an increased risk of Down'"'"'s syndrome.