Apparatus and methods for the diagnosis of labor
First Claim
1. A monitoring system for use with a pregnant mammal, comprising:
- means for obtaining electrical signals from a plurality of superficial abdominal locations of a pregnant mammal, the electrical signals resulting from muscular activity- associated with labor;
means, responsive to the electrical signals obtained from the plurality of superficial abdominal locations, for determining a uterine muscle contraction vector, the uterine muscle contraction vector having a propagation rate component and a propagation direction component with respect to at least a first superficial abdominal location, a second superficial abdominal location, and a third superficial abdominal location; and
means for providing a visual representation of the determined uterine muscle contraction vector.
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Abstract
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for the electromyographic detection of electrical fields inherent in muscular activity, for the diagnosis of labor in a pregnant mammal. The apparatus includes a system (10) for determining a periodicity, and for measuring a magnitude and a direction of movement, of the electrical signal in an abdominal region, and for processing the signal to indicate normal and abnormal labor conditions, the onset of true labor, and the extent of cervical dilation. A Labor Onset processor (16e) determines the onset of true labor. A Vector Determination processor (16b) determines a uterine contraction vector having a propagation rate component and a direction component, relative to a plurality of measurement electrodes. The positions of the measurement electrodes are referenced to a coordinate system and are specified to the system through a data entry device (20). A display (18a, 18b) provides a visual or audible indication of labor diagnostic information, the diagnostic information being expressed in a number of formats. The invention also provides for remotely monitoring a pregnant mammal through the use of a communications link (32).
74 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A monitoring system for use with a pregnant mammal, comprising:
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means for obtaining electrical signals from a plurality of superficial abdominal locations of a pregnant mammal, the electrical signals resulting from muscular activity- associated with labor; means, responsive to the electrical signals obtained from the plurality of superficial abdominal locations, for determining a uterine muscle contraction vector, the uterine muscle contraction vector having a propagation rate component and a propagation direction component with respect to at least a first superficial abdominal location, a second superficial abdominal location, and a third superficial abdominal location; and means for providing a visual representation of the determined uterine muscle contraction vector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A monitoring system for use with a pregnant mammal, comprising:
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means for periodically obtaining electrical signals from a plurality of superficial abdominal regions of a pregnant mammal, the electrical signals resulting from muscular activity associated with labor; means, responsive, to the obtained electrical signals, for determining if a contraction of the uterine muscle is in progress; and means, responsive to said determining means determining that a contraction is not in progress, for processing the obtained electrical signals, and for outputting an indication of an extent of cervical dilation. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A monitoring system for use with a pregnant mammal, comprising:
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means for obtaining electrical signals from a plurality of superficial abdominal locations of a pregnant mammal, the electrical signals resulting from muscular activity associated with labor; first memory means coupled to an output of said obtaining means for storing a digital representation of said electrical signals; analyzing means having an input coupled to an output of said first memory means and responsive to the stored representation therein for determining from said stored representation at least one characteristic of the labor; and means, responsive to said analyzing means determining said at least one characteristic of the labor, for transmitting at least a portion of said stored digital representation to a second memory means for storage in said second memory means. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification