METHODS OF PREDICTING AND MONITORING LABOR

• US 20140039340A1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• Original Assignee: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• Inventors: Young, Roger C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,326,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/546
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/391 of genito-urinary organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4356 Assessing uterine contractions A61B5/033 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention includes, in part, methods and apparatus for determining the status of labor in a pregnant subject. In some embodiments of the invention, organ-level uterine function is determined as a measure of the status of labor such as non-labor (e.g. false labor), latent phase labor, active phase labor, or post-delivery.

Claims

1. A method of determining labor status in a pregnant subject, the method comprising

(a) measuring uterine muscle contractions in three or more predetermined regions of the subject'"'"'s uterine wall,

(b) detecting a regional synchronization pattern of the uterine muscle contractions in the three or more regions, and

(c) assessing the regional synchronization pattern of the uterine muscle contractions as a determination of the subject'"'"'s labor status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization is temporal synchronization.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the regional synchronization pattern comprises comparing the regional synchronization pattern of the muscle contractions to a control regional synchronization pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises

measuring strength and frequency of the uterine muscle contractions in the at least three predetermined regions;

and assessing the regional synchronization pattern, strength, and frequency of the uterine contractions as a determination of the status of labor in the subject.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the regional synchronization pattern comprises determining a synchronization factor of the uterine muscle contractions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the uterine muscle contractions are measured using electromyography (EMG).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the uterine muscle contractions are measured using recording electrode pairs.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the recording electrode pairs are external recording electrode pairs positioned on the surface of the subject'"'"'s abdomen.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a recording electrode pair comprises a ground electrode and a recording electrode.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the electrodes pairs are positioned on the subject'"'"'s abdomen in a manner minimizing or eliminating overlap of a signal of a uterine muscle contraction measured by two or more of the positioned electrode pairs.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the labor status is absent, latent phase labor, active phase labor, delivery of the baby, or afterbirth-delivery.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the subject has been, is currently, or will be administered one or more labor-enhancing treatments.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising subtracting a signal recorded at a first electrode from the signal recorded at least one additional electrode to determine the physical site of origination of the signal in the uterine wall.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring of uterine muscle contractions comprises remote measuring.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the stage of labor in a subject determined to be in true labor.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the labor status to diagnose or help diagnose a medical condition in the subject.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the medical condition is false labor.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the medical condition is premature labor.

39. A method of selecting a treatment for a pregnant subject, the method comprising using a method of claim 1 to determine the labor status of the subject and selecting a treatment for the subject based at least in part on the determined labor status.

5. (canceled)

11-13. -13. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

19-22. -22. (canceled)

23. The method of claim, wherein the subject has been, is currently, or will be administered one or more labor-inhibiting treatments.

24-26. -26. (canceled)

28-29. -29. (canceled)

31-34. -34. (canceled)

38. (canceled)

40-51. -51. (canceled)