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Method and apparatus for non-invasive ultrasonic fetal heart rate monitoring

  • US 20050251044A1
  • Filed: 05/04/2004
  • Published: 11/10/2005
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for monitoring fetal heart rate, comprising the following steps:

  • (a) attaching a first ultrasonic transducer array comprising micromachined ultrasonic transducers to a first area on the exterior of an abdomen of a pregnant woman;

    (b) controlling said first ultrasonic transducer array to transmit beams of pulsed ultrasonic wave energy into the abdomen that are steered at an angle that causes the beams to intersect a fetal heart inside the abdomen;

    (c) acquiring acoustic data by transducing ultrasound wave energy returned from the abdomen of the pregnant woman after each transmission in step (b), the acoustic data being acquired using short range gates; and

    (d) calculating a fetal heart rate based at least in part on the acoustic data acquired in step (c).

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