Monica Healthcare Limited

Minoca Healthcare Limited

Carl William Barratt

Barrie Robert Hayes-Gill

Jean-Francois Pieri

John Andrew Crowe

David Keith James

David Nottingham University Medical School James

The invention relates to large area electrodes suitable for use in a fetal heart rate monitoring systems. The electrode comprises: a cutaneous gel contact () for sensing fetal electrocardiogram signals from a human pregnant subject; an electrical conductor () electrically connected to the gel contact () so as to define a first electrical contact region; a connector () in electrical contact with the electrical conductor () for connection to a lead wire; and a substructure () for attachment to a human pregnant subject. The gel contact () and the electrical conductor () are arranged on the substructure () to allow a contact surface () of the gel contact () to be in electrical communication with the skin of a human pregnant subject to define a second electrical contact region. The second electrical contact region has an area greater than 370 square millimeters. When arranged on a predefined electrode topology on the abdomen the success rate of fetal heart rate detection is significantly improved. The topology may be incorporated into a flat flexible cable which provides a comfortable and reproducible electrode arrangement allowing an untrained person to apply electrodes to a pregnant mother's abdomen.

Electrode and electrode positioning arrangement for abdominal fetal electrocardiogram detection

Fetal behavior is monitored by receiving ECG data from a set of electrodes attached to a material body. A waveform pre-processor identifies a succession of fetal ECG complex waveforms within the received data and a waveform processor determines differences in the processor succession of fetal ECG complex waveforms over time. An event logger determines from the determined differences a number of fetal movements during the period of time. Fetal spatial presentation and/or position within the uterus may also be determined from fetal ECG data acquired from a plurality of electrodes positioned on the maternal abdomen in a predetermined configuration. A number of fetal ECG complex waveforms are identified within the data, and each of the waveforms is compared with a set of predetermined fetal ECG complex templates ascribed to the predetermined electrode configuration to determine a template that best matches the identified fetal ECG waveforms.

Fetal surveillance

The spatial position of a fetus within the womb is determined and monitored through analysis of ECG waveform data received from a set of electrodes that are attached to a maternal abdomen in a predetermined configuration. The waveform is compared with a set of predefined stored templates to determine the position of the fetus. An event logger may determine the number of fetal movements during a period of time.

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Pentrich, United Kingdom

Carl William Barratt