Fetal monitoring transducer aligning device

• US 7,854,237 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nancy Beck Irland
• Original Assignee: Nancy Beck Irland
• Inventors: Irland, Nancy Beck
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivell; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRICE, CRAIG JAMES
• Application Number:
  US11/770,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 137/223, 137/225, 137/228, 600/490, 600/492, 600/498, 600/499, 600/202, 600/338, 600/313, 600/344, 600/376, 600/472
• US Class Current: 137/223
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/02 Measuring pulse or heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0866 involving foetal diagnosis; pre-natal or peri-natal diagnosis of the baby
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4227 characterised by straps, belts, cuffs or braces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3584 Inflatable article [e.g., tire filling chuck and/or stem]

Abstract

To better position an ultrasonic transducer typically used in non-invasive fetal monitoring during labor, the present invention consists of a transducer-aligning device having a plurality of selectively fillable chambers, each chamber having a resiliently deformable side-wall. A fluid, such as air, can be selectively pumped or released into any combination of the chambers. When coupled to an ultrasonic transducer, the selective use of air pressure in the bladder more precisely aligns and positions the fetal monitor transducer to improve imaging. In a second embodiment, the present invention includes a solid wedge-shaped protrusion extending below the bottom surface of the housing and adapted to rotate about 360-degrees to enable a care-giver to selectively position the wedge and thus align the associated transducer for optimal readings of fetal heart rate.

Claims

1. An aligning device adapted to be placed on top of a fetal monitoring transducer, the device comprising:

a housing body encapsulating at least one hollow chamber, the hollow chamber comprising at least one resiliently deformable wall; and

a valve means for creating a selectively operable fluid conduit passing through the housing body to the hollow chamber, and wherein the housing body comprises;

five hollow chambers comprising a first central chamber, and four radially disposed chambers, each of the five hollow chambers being in fluid isolation from the other hollow chambers, each chamber having a corresponding resiliently deformable wall;

the valve means further comprises five individual valves, each valve being associated with a specific hollow chamber of the five hollow chambers to enable individual fluid control of each chamber whereby the associated resiliently deformable wall may be selectively inflated or deflated by a pumping means coupled via the associated valve.

2. The aligning device of claim 1 further comprising:

a pump means selectively coupled to the valve means, the pump means adapted to selectively inflate or deflate the resiliently deformable wall.

3. The aligning device of claim 1 wherein the valve means further comprises:

said valves being disposed on the housing body and are recessed below a top surface of the housing body whereby the valve does not protrude above the top surface.

4. The aligning device of claim 1 further comprising:

a pair of arms protruding from the housing body, a first arm disposed opposite from the second arm with the housing body disposed intermediate to the each arm;

the first arm comprising a first plurality of slots adapted to receive a coupling means and the second arm comprising a second plurality of slots adapted to receive a second coupling means.

5. The aligning device of claim 2 wherein the pumping means comprises a hand-operable bulb pump having a relief valve and tubing, the tubing including comprising a connector adapted to releaseably couple to the valve means.

6. A fetal monitor-transducer aligning device comprising:

a housing body encapsulating a plurality of hollow chambers, each chamber comprising at least one corresponding resiliently deformable associated wall and wherein each one of the plurality of hollow chambers is in fluid isolation from all of the other chambers;

a plurality of valve means wherein each individual valve means creates a selectively operable fluid conduit passing through the housing body to the associated hollow chamber; and

a pump means selectively coupled to the valve means, the pump means adapted to selectively inflate or deflate the resiliently deformable wall, and wherein the housing body comprises;

five hollow chambers comprising a first central chamber, and four radially disposed chambers, each of the five hollow chambers being in fluid isolation from the other hollow chambers, each chamber having a corresponding resiliently deformable wall; and

the valve means further comprises five individual valves, each valve being associated with a specific hollow chamber of the five hollow chambers to enable individual fluid control of each chamber whereby the associated resiliently deformable wall may be selectively inflated or deflated by the pumping means coupled via the associated valve.

7. The aligning device of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of valve means further comprises:

a recessed valve disposed on the housing body below a top surface of the housing body whereby the valve does not protrude above the top surface.

8. The aligning device of claim 6 wherein the housing body comprises:

five hollow chambers comprising a first central chamber, and four radially disposed chambers, each of the five hollow chambers being in fluid isolation from the other hollow chambers, each chamber having a corresponding resiliently deformable wall; and

the valve means further comprises five individual valves, each valve being associated with a specific hollow chamber of the five hollow chambers to enable individual fluid control of each chamber whereby the associated resiliently deformable wall may be selectively inflated or deflated by a pumping means coupled via the associated valve.

9. The aligning device of claim 6 further comprising:

at least one arm protruding from the housing body, the arm comprising a plurality of slots adapted to receive a coupling means.

10. The aligning device of claim 6 wherein the pumping means comprises a hand-operable bulb pump having a relief valve and tubing, the tubing including comprising a connector adapted to releaseably couple to the valve means.

11. The aligning device of claim 6 wherein the housing further comprises:

a circumferential slot on an underside portion of the housing adapted to guide a selectively rotatable protruding wedge portion having an inclined surface that extends beyond a bottom plane of the housing body.