Passive fetal monitoring sensor
First Claim
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1. An ambulatory passive fetal monitoring sensor comprising:
- a substantially inelastic garment for wear by an expectant mother about the mother'"'"'s torso;
one or more sensor stations mounted on said inelastic garment, each of said sensor stations comprising;
a. a rigid metallic mounting plate having first and second substantially parallel surfaces;
b. a first piezoelectric polymer film sensing means for sensing internal pulses from the mother including a heartbeat of a fetus, a first surface of which is affixed to the first surface of said mounting plate and a second surface of which is adopted to be positioned flush upon the mother'"'"'s torso; and
c. a second piezoelectric polymer film sensing means for sensing rigid body motion of the mother, said second piezoelectric polymer film sensing means affixed to the second surface of said mounting plate.
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Abstract
The invention is an ambulatory, passive sensor for use in a fetal monitoring system. The invention incorporates piezoelectric polymer film combined with a metallic mounting plate fastened to a belt and electrically connected to a signal processing unit by means of a shielded cable. The purpose of the sensor is to receive pressure pulses emitted from a fetus inside an expectant mother and to provide means for filtering out pressure pulses arising from other sources, such as the maternal heart.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An ambulatory passive fetal monitoring sensor comprising:
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a substantially inelastic garment for wear by an expectant mother about the mother'"'"'s torso; one or more sensor stations mounted on said inelastic garment, each of said sensor stations comprising; a. a rigid metallic mounting plate having first and second substantially parallel surfaces; b. a first piezoelectric polymer film sensing means for sensing internal pulses from the mother including a heartbeat of a fetus, a first surface of which is affixed to the first surface of said mounting plate and a second surface of which is adopted to be positioned flush upon the mother'"'"'s torso; and c. a second piezoelectric polymer film sensing means for sensing rigid body motion of the mother, said second piezoelectric polymer film sensing means affixed to the second surface of said mounting plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An ambulatory passive fetal monitoring sensor comprising:
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a substantially inelastic garment for wear by an expectant mother about the mother'"'"'s torso; one or more sensor stations mounted on said inelastic garment, each of said sensor stations comprising; a. a rigid, metallic mounting plate having first and second substantially parallel surfaces; b. a first piezoelectric polymer film sensing means for sensing internal pulses from the mother including a heartbeat of a fetus, a first surface of which is affixed to the first surface of said mounting plate and a second surface of which is adopted to be positioned flush upon the mother'"'"'s torso; and c. a second piezoelectric polymer film sensing means for sensing rigid body motion of the mother, said second piezoelectric polymer film sensing means affixed to the second surface of said mounting plate; and a shielding electrode surrounding each of said sensor stations, said shielding electrode comprising an insulating film bonded to a metallic film, which is coated with an insulating layer separating the shielding electrode from the mother'"'"'s torso, whereby the mother is electrically insulated from sensor station and acoustic transmission from the mother and fetus to said first piezoelectric polymer film sensing means is not compromised. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification