Methods of predicting and monitoring labor

• US 9,326,722 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henson, Devin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parker, Audrey J
• Application Number:
  US14/006,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20140039340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 600/546, 600/588, 600/591
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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:

receiving, at an electromyography (EMG) recorder, a plurality of signals, each of the plurality of signals comprising an EMG signal generated by different regions of a subject'"'"'s uterine wall and measured with a respective one of a plurality of electrode pairs, each of the electrode pairs positioned on the subject'"'"'s abdomen in a manner minimizing or eliminating overlap of the signal of the plurality of signals measured by two or more of the positioned electrode pairs;

detecting three or more uterine muscle contractions, each of the three or more detected uterine muscle contractions associated with a respective one of the plurality of signals;

calculating a synchronization factor of the three or more uterine muscle contractions based on a ratio of a summed duration of each of the three or more detected uterine muscle contractions to a total time spanned by the three or more detected uterine muscle contractions; and

identifying, responsive to the synchronization factor crossing a predetermined threshold, a labor status of the subject.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the synchronization factor of the three or more uterine muscle contractions to a control regional synchronization pattern.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

measuring a strength and a frequency of the three or more uterine muscle contractions; and

calculating the synchronization factor responsive to the strength and the frequency of the three or more uterine muscle contractions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning each of the plurality of electrode pairs on a surface of the subject'"'"'s abdomen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of electrode pairs comprise a ground electrode and a recording electrode.

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

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

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

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the plurality of signals from a remote device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the labor status is one of true labor and false labor.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising diagnosing a medical condition in the subject responsive to the labor status.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the medical condition is false labor.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the medical condition is premature labor.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a treatment for the subject based at least in part on the identified labor status.