METHOD OF MEASURING FETAL HEAD ORIENTATION, POSITION, AND VELOCITY AND PROVIDING FEEDBACK TO MOTHER AND DOCTOR

• US 20100185122A1
• Filed: 01/16/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cortus Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: OB Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Fausett, Merlin Bardett, Hander, Edwin William, Hander, Jonathan William
• Granted Patent: US 8,292,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/588
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/02 Foetus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0406 specially shaped apparatus housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4362 Assessing foetal parameters

Abstract

A method is described to provide real-time fetal position, movement velocity, and head orientation feedback to professional medical staff and delivering mothers. Using this feedback, the mother can be apprised of how effective her pushing is moving the baby through the birth canal. Medical staff can use this feedback to assess fetal head orientation and determine location of the baby in the birth canal. The feedback device consists of metrology devices mounted on a fetal scalp electrode, a data acquisition method, software to interpret the metrology signals, and feedback hardware for doctors and the mother.

Claims

1. A device for measuring fetal head orientation in real-time.

2. The device in claim 1 consists of an accelerometer affixed to the fetal scalp that reports head orientation in 2 or 3 axes.

3. A method of providing feedback using the device of claim 1 that shows a visual representation of baby head orientation in 2 or 3 axes.

4. A device for measuring fetal station and velocity of decent within the birth canal in real-time.

5. The device in claim 4 can be a linear position potentiometer, a string potentiometer or a ribbon potentiometer that measures the linear movement of the device affixed to the fetal head with respect to a fixed point outside of the birth canal.

6. The device in claim 4 can be a photo interrupter or an optical barcode reader that measures the linear movement of the device affixed to the fetal head with respect to a fixed point outside of the birth canal.

7. The device in claim 4 can be a magnet strip reader that measures the linear movement of the device affixed to the fetal head with respect to a fixed point outside of the birth canal.

8. The device in claim 4 can be an ultrasonic position sensor that measures the linear movement of the device affixed to the fetal head with respect to a fixed point outside of the birth canal.

9. A method of providing feedback using the device of claim 4.

10. The feedback to the mother in claim 9 can provide a tactile signal through vibration or pressure.

11. The feedback to the mother in claim 9 can provide a visual signal manifested as changes in shape, color, intensity, persistence, size and/or object movement.

12. The feedback to the mother in claim 9 can provide an auditory signal manifest as changes in volume, intensity, tone, beat, content and can be a tone, voice, and/or musical.