Pregnancy monitoring system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022167948-A1
Application number	US-202217675395-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 18, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Jun 2, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pregnancy monitoring system, the system comprising a fetal monitoring transducer ( 20 ) arranged to detect fetal medical condition information; and a control device ( 48 ) comprising a motion assessment unit ( 50 ) and a signal output unit ( 52 ); wherein the fetal monitoring transducer ( 20 ) is arranged to detect fetal movement indicative information, wherein the motion assessment unit ( 50 ) is arranged to process fetal movement grading information, in addition to the fetal movement indicative information, wherein the signal output unit ( 52 ) is arranged to simultaneously output a fetal condition signal, particularly a fetal heart rate signal, and an augmented fetal movement signal based on the fetal movement indicative information and the fetal movement grading information, wherein a characteristic property of the original fetal movement information is still present in the augmented fetal movement signal. The disclosure further relates to a corresponding pregnancy monitoring method.

First claim

1 .- 11 . (canceled)

12 . A cardiotocographic pregnancy monitoring method comprising the steps of:
providing a fetal monitoring transducer and detecting fetal medical condition information involving detecting fetal movement indicative information, based on ultrasound monitoring; providing a maternal monitoring transducer and detecting maternal medical condition information, based on tocodynamometer monitoring; and controlling a monitoring process involving motion assessment and output signal generation; wherein the motion assessment involves processing fetal movement grading information indicative of a movement quality state, in addition to the fetal movement indicative information, based on a motion verification signal, wherein the fetal movement grading information includes a plurality of reliability levels of the fetal movement indicative information, wherein a first reliability level of the plurality of reliability levels corresponds to a distorted fetal movement identified in the fetal movement indicative information, and a second reliability level of the plurality of reliability levels corresponds to an undistorted fetal movement identified in the fetal movement indicative information, wherein the output signal generation involves simultaneously providing:
a fetal condition signal,
a maternal condition signal, and
an augmented fetal movement signal based on the fetal movement indicative information and the fetal movement grading information, wherein a characteristic property of the original fetal movement indicative information is still present in the augmented fetal movement signal, wherein the augmented fetal movement signal represents the plurality of reliability levels of the fetal movement indicative information to simultaneously display the plurality of reliability levels in relation to the characteristic property of the fetal movement indicative information.

13 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the motion verification signal is indicative of an actual level of relative motion between a first motion verification transducer and a second motion verification transducer of the motion evaluation unit.

14 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the augmented fetal movement signal involves a base portion including a binary signal indication the presence of fetal movement solely based on the fetal movement indicative information detected by the fetal monitoring transducer, and an augmentation portion indicating a signal quality level of the base portion.

15 . (canceled)

16 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the fetal condition signal is a fetal heart rate signal.

17 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the maternal condition signal is a uterine activity signal.

18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores therein a computer program product, which, when executed on a processor, causes the processor to:
detect a fetal medical condition information involving detecting fetal movement indicative information, based on ultrasound monitoring; detect maternal medical condition information, based on tocodynamometer monitoring; and control a monitoring process involving motion assessment and output signal generation; wherein the motion assessment involves processing fetal movement grading information indicative of a movement quality state, in addition to the fetal movement indicative information, based on a motion verification signal, wherein the fetal movement grading information includes a plurality of reliability levels of the fetal movement indicative information, wherein a first reliability level of the plurality of reliability levels corresponds to a distorted fetal movement identified in the fetal movement indicative information and a second reliability level of the plurality of reliability levels corresponds to an undistorted fetal movement identified in the fetal movement indicative information, wherein the output signal generation involves simultaneously providing:
a fetal condition signal
a maternal condition signal, and
an augmented fetal movement signal based on the fetal movement indicative information and the fetal movement grading information, wherein a characteristic property of the original fetal movement indicative information is still present in the augmented fetal movement signal, wherein the augmented fetal movement signal represents the plurality of reliability levels of the fetal movement indicative information to simultaneously display the plurality of reliability levels in relation to the characteristic property of the fetal movement indicative information.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the fetal condition signal is a fetal heart rate signal.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the maternal condition signal is a uterine activity signal.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Schmitt Lars
• Van De Laar Jakob
• Wohlschlager Markus
• Kaiser Winfried Peter

Classifications

• A61B5/721 Primary

  using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured · CPC title

• A61B8/4416

  related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions · CPC title

• A61B8/4227

  characterised by straps, belts, cuffs or braces · CPC title

• A61B5/4362

  Assessing foetal parameters · CPC title

• A61B5/344

  Foetal cardiography · CPC title