METHOD OF MONITORING A FETAL HEART RATE

• US 20100168596A1
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Wohlschlager, Markus, Geywitz, Hansjoerg, Jaeschke, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,610,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/511
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02411 of foetuses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/033 Uterine pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0535 Impedance plethysmography for measuring blood flow A61B5/0295
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/02 Measuring pulse or heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0866 involving foetal diagnosis; pre-natal or peri-natal diagnosis of the baby
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5276 due to motion

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of monitoring a fetal heart rate, the method comprising: providing a first measurement head (104) and a second measurement head (106) and a sensor (200), the sensor (200) being comprised in the first measurement head (104) or the second measurement head (106), the sensor (200) being adapted to sense the maternal heart rate, the first measurement head (104) being adapted to sense maternal-fetal related medical data and the second measurement head (106) being adapted to sense the fetal heart rate, measuring the maternal heart rate by acquiring maternal heart rate data using the sensor (200), measuring the fetal heart rate by acquiring fetal heart rate data using the second measurement head (106), acquiring the maternal-fetal related medical data, detecting maternal-fetal heart rate coincidences by analyzing the maternal heart rate data and the fetal heart rate data.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a fetal heart rate, the method comprising:

providing a first measurement head and a second measurement head and a sensor the sensor being comprised in the first measurement head or the second measurement head, the sensor being adapted to sense the maternal heart rate, the first measurement head being adapted to sense maternal-fetal related medical data and the second measurement head being adapted to sense the fetal heart rate,

measuring the maternal heart rate by acquiring maternal heart rate data using the sensor,

measuring the fetal heart rate by acquiring fetal heart rate data using the second measurement head,

acquiring the maternal-fetal related medical data,

detecting maternal-fetal heart beat coincidences using the maternal heart rate data and the fetal heart rate data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising artifact detection and correction of the maternal heart rate data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the correction comprises motion artifact correction.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting of the maternal heart rate data, the fetal heart rate data and the maternal-fetal related medical data to a display unit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transmission is performed with means of a wireless and/or a wired connection.

19. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

6. A measurement head comprising:

means for acquiring maternal-fetal related medical data,

a sensor adapted for acquiring maternal heart rate data,

means for transmitting the acquired maternal-fetal related medical data and the acquired maternal heart rate data to a data processing unit.

8. The measurement head of claim 6, further comprising means for artifact detection and correction of the maternal heart rate data.

9. The measurement head of claim 8, wherein the means for artifact detection and correction of the maternal heart rate data are adapted for analyzing the maternal-fetal related medical data.

10. The measurement head of claim 6, wherein the data processing unit is a display unit.

11. The measurement head of claim 6, wherein the sensor comprises a plethysmography electrode, wherein the plethysmography electrode is a bio-impedance electrode, wherein said electrode is adapted for capacitive and/or galvanic tissue-electrode coupling.

12. The measurement head of claim 11, wherein the sensor is adapted for impedance measurements at various measurement frequencies.

13. The measurement head of claim 11, further comprising phase sensitive detection means.

14. The measurement head of claim 6, wherein the second measurement head comprises an ultrasound sensor or a direct electrocardiogram sensor or an abdominal electrocardiogramm sensor or an acoustic sensor.

15. The measurement head of claim 6, wherein the first measurement head is a tocodynamometer or a signal processing unit of an intra uterine pressure sensor.

16. The measurement head of claim 11, wherein the sensor is an optical based electrode.

17. The measurement head of claim 16, wherein the measurement head is adapted to be placed on the skin surface.

18. The measurement head of claim 17, wherein the measurement head comprises an interface layer to be applied to the skin surface, the interface layer being permeable to light being used for operation of the optical based electrode.

7. A measurement head comprising:

means for sensing fetal heart rate data,

a sensor adapted for acquiring maternal heart rate data,

means for transmitting the acquired fetal heart rate data and the acquired maternal heart rate data to a data processing unit.