Method of monitoring a fetal heart rate

• US 9,610,060 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Jaeschke, Stefan, Wohlschlager, Markus, Geywitz, Hansjoerg
• Primary Examiner(s): Moran, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAHMOOD, NADIA AHMAD
• Application Number:
  US12/669,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20100168596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,179 Days
• Field of Search: 600511, 600301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02411 of foetuses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/033 Uterine pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0535 Impedance plethysmography for measuring blood flow A61B5/0295
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• 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 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5276 due to motion

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of monitoring a fetal heart rate, the method comprising: providing a first measurement head (104) and a second measurement head (106) and a sensor (200), the sensor (200) being comprised in the first measurement head (104) or the second measurement head (106), the sensor (200) being adapted to sense the maternal heart rate, the first measurement head (104) being adapted to sense maternal-fetal related medical data and the second measurement head (106) being adapted to sense the fetal heart rate, measuring the maternal heart rate by acquiring maternal heart rate data using the sensor (200), measuring the fetal heart rate by acquiring fetal heart rate data using the second measurement head (106), acquiring the maternal-fetal related medical data, detecting maternal-fetal heart rate coincidences by analyzing the maternal heart rate data and the fetal heart rate data.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a fetal heart rate, the method comprising:

providing a first measurement head and a second measurement head and a sensor, the sensor being included in the first measurement head or the second measurement head, the sensor configured to sense the maternal heart rate, the first measurement head configured to sense maternal-fetal related medical data and the second measurement head configured to sense the fetal heart rate,

measuring the maternal heart rate by acquiring maternal heart rate data using the sensor,

detecting artifacts and correcting the maternal heart rate data,

measuring the fetal heart rate by acquiring fetal heart rate data using the second measurement head,

acquiring the maternal-fetal related medical data,

detecting maternal-fetal heart beat coincidences using the corrected maternal heart rate data and the fetal heart rate data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the correction includes motion artifact correction.

3. The method of claim 1, further including:

transmitting of the maternal heart rate data, the fetal heart rate data and the maternal-fetal related medical data to a display unit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmission is performed with a wireless and/or a wired connection.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

5. A measurement head including:

a first sensor configured to acquire maternal-fetal related medical data,

a second sensor configured to acquire maternal heart rate data,

a module for artifact detection and correction of the maternal heart rate data, and

a unit configured to transmit the acquired maternal-fetal related medical data and the acquired maternal heart rate data to a data processing unit.

6. The measurement head of claim 5, wherein the module for artifact detection and correction of the maternal heart rate data are configured to analyze the maternal-fetal related medical data.

7. A measurement head comprising:

a first sensor configured to acquire maternal-fetal related medical data,

a second sensor configured to acquire maternal heart rate data, wherein the second sensor includes a plethysmography electrode, wherein the plethysmography electrode is a bio-impedance electrode, wherein said electrode is configured for capacitive and/or galvanic tissue-electrode coupling,

a unit configured to transmit the acquired maternal-fetal related medical data and the acquired maternal heart rate data to a data processing unit.

8. The measurement head of claim 7, wherein the sensor is configured for impedance measurements at various measurement frequencies.

9. The measurement head of claim 7, further including a phase sensitive detection module configured to detect an impedance measurement at various measurement frequencies.

10. The measurement head of claim 7, wherein the first sensor is an optical based electrode.

11. The measurement head of claim 10, wherein the measurement head is configured to be placed on the skin surface.

12. The measurement head of claim 11, wherein the measurement head includes:

an interface layer to be applied to the skin surface, the interface layer being permeable to light being used for operation of the optical based electrode.