Uterine Magnetomyography
First Claim
1. A non-invasive method for characterizing uterine magnetomyographic activity comprising:
- a) providing a system consisting of a plurality of superconducting quantum interference device sensors shaped in a configuration adapted to a gravid abdomen of a pregnant patient;
b) placing said gravid abdomen of said pregnant patient in proximity to said sensors;
c) collecting from said sensors magnetomyographic signals produced by electrophysiological activity of uterine muscle cells of said pregnant patient;
d) analyzing said magnetomyographic signals produced by said electrophysiological activity of uterine muscle cells;
e) characterizing uterine activity of said pregnant patient based on an analysis of said magnetomyographic signals.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to satisfying the need to measure and monitor uterine activity non-invasively and accurately. Using superconducting quantum interference device sensors, we have established the feasibility of recording uterine contractile activity with high enough spatial-temporal resolution to determine the regions of localized activation and propagation over the uterus. With the large surface area and the shape of the array, spatial-temporal recordings of uterine activity were obtained using 151 sensors yielding a better insight into the mechanism of uterine contraction. By obtaining a contour plot of the magnetic field distribution, we were able to localize the areas of activation over the uterus during a contraction.
21 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A non-invasive method for characterizing uterine magnetomyographic activity comprising:
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a) providing a system consisting of a plurality of superconducting quantum interference device sensors shaped in a configuration adapted to a gravid abdomen of a pregnant patient;
b) placing said gravid abdomen of said pregnant patient in proximity to said sensors;
c) collecting from said sensors magnetomyographic signals produced by electrophysiological activity of uterine muscle cells of said pregnant patient;
d) analyzing said magnetomyographic signals produced by said electrophysiological activity of uterine muscle cells;
e) characterizing uterine activity of said pregnant patient based on an analysis of said magnetomyographic signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification