Uterine contraction detector and frequency trender

• US 6,440,089 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Information Technologies Incorporated (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Information Technologies Incorporated (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shine, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WINGOOD, PAMELA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/590,036
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 600/551, 600/588, 600/516, 600/304, 600/591
• US Class Current: 600/591
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/033 Uterine pressure

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting uterine contractions, determining the frequency of uterine contractions, trending the frequency data, and generating a real time graphical representation of the determined frequency. The invention employs commonly known methods of uterine activity detection. The uterine activity data is analyzed to determine the occurrence and frequency of contractions. The determined frequency of multiple time periods is displayed on a maternal/fetal monitor in real time over the course of labor.

Claims

1. A monitoring device comprising:

a sensor for acquiring uterine activity data; and

an analysis module for determining the frequency of uterine contractions from the detected uterine activity data and for generating a time-frequency representation of the frequency of the uterine contractions.

2. The device in claim 1 wherein the sensor for acquiring uterine activity data is a tocodynamometer.

3. The device in claim 1 wherein the sensor for acquiring uterine activity data is a intrauterine pressure catheter.

4. The device in claim 1 wherein the uterine activity data is represented by a waveform and the analysis module identifies uterine contractions using a waveform pattern recognition method that calculates the change in incremental slope over time of the waveform of the detected uterine activity.

5. The device in claim 4 wherein each contraction identified is counted and the count is converted to a frequency.

6. The device in claim 1 wherein the uterine activity data is represented by a waveform and wherein the analysis module identifies uterine contractions using a waveform pattern recognition method that calculates the change over time in the incremental area under or over the waveform of the detected uterine activity.

7. The device in claim 6 wherein each contraction identified is counted and the count is converted to a frequency.

8. The device in claim 1 wherein the analysis module generates the time-frequency representation in real time over the course of labor.

9. The device in claim 1 wherein the analysis module generates the time-frequency representation in the form of a histogram.

10. The device in claim 1 wherein the analysis module determines the frequency of uterine contractions for variable time periods.

11. The device in claim 1 wherein the analysis module determines the frequency of uterine contractions for 10 minute time periods.

12. The device in claim 11 wherein the analysis module determines 10 time periods for a total of 100 minutes of frequency data.

13. A method of detecting and displaying uterine activity data, the method comprising the acts of:

acquiring uterine activity data;

determining the frequency of uterine contractions from the detected uterine activity data over a selected period of time; and

generating a time-frequency representation of the frequency of the uterine contractions.

14. The method in claim 13 and further comprising the act of detecting uterine activity using a tocodynamometer.

15. The method in claim 13 and further comprising the act of detecting uterine activity using an intrauterine pressure catheter.

16. The method in claim 13 wherein the uterine activity data is represented by a waveform and wherein the uterine contractions are identified using a waveform pattern recognition method that calculates the change in incremental slope over time of the waveform.

17. The method in claim 16 and further comprising the acts of counting the uterine contractions and converting the count to a frequency.

18. The method in claim 13 wherein the uterine activity data is represented by a waveform and wherein the uterine contractions are identified using a waveform pattern recognition method that calculates the change over time in the incremental area under or over the waveform.

19. The method in claim 18 and further comprising the acts of counting the uterine contractions and converting the count to a frequency.

20. The method in claim 13 wherein the time-frequency representation is generated in real time over the course of labor.

21. The method in claim 13 wherein the time-frequency representation is in the form of a histogram.

22. The method in claim 13 wherein the given period of time for which the frequency of uterine contractions is variable.

23. The method in claim 13 wherein the frequency of uterine contractions is determined for 10 minute time periods.

24. The method in claim 23 wherein 10 time periods are displayed for a total of 100 minutes of frequency data.

25. A monitoring device comprising:

a uterine activity detector;

a uterine contraction detection algorithm for determining the frequency of the detected uterine contractions over a selected period of time; and

a display device for providing a user readable representation of the frequency of detected uterine contractions.

26. The device in claim 25 wherein the uterine activity detector is a tocodynamometer.

27. The device in claim 25 wherein the uterine activity detector is an intrauterine pressure catheter.

28. The device in claim 25 wherein the uterine activity data is represented by a waveform and the uterine contractions are identified using waveform pattern recognition software that calculates the change in incremental slope over time of the waveform of the detected uterine activity.

29. The device in claim 28 wherein each identified contraction is counted and the count is converted to a frequency.

30. The device in claim 25 wherein the uterine activity data is represented by a waveform and the uterine contractions are identified using waveform pattern recognition software that calculates the change over time in the incremental area under or over the waveform of the detected uterine activity.

31. The device in claim 30 wherein each identified contraction is counted and the count is converted to a frequency.

32. The device in claim 25 wherein the time-frequency representation is displayed in real time over the course of labor.

33. The device in claim 25 wherein the time-frequency representation is in the form of a histogram.

34. The device in claim 25 wherein the frequency of uterine contractions can be determined for variable time periods.

35. The device claim 25 wherein the frequency of uterine contractions is determined for 10 minute time periods.

36. The device in claim 35 wherein 10 time periods are displayed for a total of 100 minutes of frequency data.

37. A uterine activity frequency trending software system comprising:

a software-based data input module for receiving input data of uterine activity; and

a software algorithm for determining the frequency of uterine contractions from the uterine activity data over a selected period of time and for generating output data of a time-frequency representation of the uterine contractions.

38. The system in claim 37 wherein the input module receives input data from a tocodynanometer.

39. The system in claim 37 wherein the input module receives input data from a intrauterine pressure catheter.

40. The system in claim 37 wherein the uterine activity data is represented by a waveform and the software algorithm identifies the uterine contractions by calculating the change in incremental slope over time of the waveform of the detected uterine activity.

41. The system in claim 40 wherein each identified contraction is counted and wherein the count is converted to a frequency.

42. The system in claim 37 wherein the uterine activity data is represented by a waveform and the software algorithm identifies uterine contractions by calculating the change over time in the incremental area under or over the waveform of the detected uterine activity.

43. The system in claim 42 wherein each identified contraction is counted and wherein the count is converted to a frequency.

44. The system in claim 37 wherein the software algorithm generates output data of the time-frequency representation in real time over the course of labor.

45. The system in claim 37 wherein the software algorithm generates output data of the time-frequency representation in the form of a histogram.

46. The system in claim 37 wherein the software algorithm determines the frequency of uterine contractions for variable time periods.

47. The system in claim 37 wherein the software algorithm determines the frequency of uterine contractions for 10 minute time periods.

48. The system in claim 47 wherein the software algorithm determines the frequency of uterine contractions for 10 time periods for a total of 100 minutes of frequency data.