According to the present invention, when measurement of a distance (fetal head biparietal diameter) on an ultrasonic image is started, a first mobile marker for designating a start point and a standard range display graphic are displayed. The standard range display graphic is a graphic that is centered on the first mobile marker and comprises two circular graphics having radii that are configured to be a lower limit and upper limit of a fetal head biparietal diameter standard range. A user can designate the start point while recognizing, via the standard range display graphic, an end point candidate range. Subsequently, an end point can be designated while recognizing the end point candidate range via a stationary standard range display graphic.

According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an ultrasonic image, a first calculation unit which calculates directions of edges in a local region in the ultrasonic image, sizes of the edges in the local region, and directional uniformity of the edges in the local region, a second calculation unit which calculates a composite coefficient by using the sizes of the edges and the directional uniformity of the edges, a third calculation unit which calculates a filtering coefficient for a region corresponding to the local region based on the composite coefficient, and a filtering unit which performs filtering processing for sharpening or smoothing the ultrasonic image with respect to the ultrasonic image by using the filtering coefficient.

When measurement of a circumference (abdominal circumference of a fetus) on an ultrasonic image is started, a first mobile marker for designating a major axis start point of an ellipse to be measured is displayed. After the major axis start point is designated, a second mobile marker for designating a major axis end point of the ellipse to be measured and a standard range display graphic are displayed. The standard range display graphic comprises two ellipses in which the major axis start point and second mobile marker constitute a major axis or minor axis and the circumferences are configured to be a lower limit and upper limit of the abdominal circumference. A user can designate the major axis end point while recognizing the positional relationship between the standard range display graphic and the outline of an abdominal cross section. Furthermore, a minor axis end of the ellipse to be measured can be designated using the standard range graphic as a guide.

An infrasonic stethoscope for monitoring physiological processes of a patient includes a microphone capable of detecting acoustic signals in the audible frequency bandwidth and in the infrasonic bandwidth (0.03 to 1000 Hertz), a body coupler attached to the body at a first opening in the microphone, a flexible tube attached to the body at a second opening in the microphone, and an earpiece attached to the flexible tube. The body coupler is capable of engagement with a patient to transmit sounds from the person, to the microphone and then to the earpiece.

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.

There is provided a device (100) for placement on the abdomen (102) of a subject to measure uterine contractions of the subject and a fetal heart rate. The device (100) comprises a rigid base (104) for placement on the abdomen (102) of the subject and a cover (106) configured to connect to the rigid base (104). The cover (106) comprises a flexible portion moveable in response to uterine contractions of the subject. The device (100) further comprises a fetal heart rate sensor (108) mounted on the rigid base (104) and configured to measure the fetal heart rate. The device (100) also comprises a uterine contractions sensor (110) located within the device (100) and configured to measure the uterine contractions of the subject.

Certain embodiments provide an image data processing apparatus, comprising a data receiving unit configured to receive image data that is representative of a fetus, a color determination unit for determining a color based on a property of a parent of the fetus, and a rendering unit configured to render using the determined color an image of at least part of the fetus from the image data.

Ultrasound scanners that are initialized and placed to the side in a sterile bag for use in a sterile environment may suffer overheating and cut out early, because the bag represents a poor cooling environment. The rate of increase in temperature of a scanner is monitored and a determination is made as to whether the scanner is in a regular environment or a poor cooling environment. If the scanner is in a poor cooling environment, the scanner is switched from a regular state of operation to a poor cooling state of operation. In the poor cooling state of operation, the scanner settings consume less power and generate less heat on the whole than the regular scanner settings. The scanner reverts to higher power settings as and when needed to perform the desired scan. The user interface on an associated display device also changes in response to the scanner entering the poor cooling state of operation.

A first region of interest and a second region of interest are set respectively including a first end and a second end of a blood vessel of interest running in an umbilical cord. A template representing a fluctuation of a pulse at the first end is produced from a change of brightness information in the first region of interest. A graph representing a fluctuation of a pulse at the second end is produced from a change of brightness information in the second region of interest. A propagation time of blood is calculated by identifying a portion, in the graph, which matches the template. A length of the umbilical cord is estimated based on the propagation time.

An apparatus for monitoring an obstetrics patient during labour is provided. The apparatus receives a contraction signal conveying information related to occurrences of uterine contractions over time and processes his signal to derive a sequence of rates of uterine contractions over time. The apparatus also implements a Graphical User Interface (GUI) presenting a tracing of at least part of the sequence of rates of uterine contractions over time along with a threshold rate of uterine contractions GUI is dynamically adapted over time based on the contraction signal received. The sequence of rates of uterine contractions derived over time is also processed to detect occurrences of anomalous contraction rates and to identify one or more portions of the tracing corresponding to sustained anomalous contraction rate segments during which anomalous contraction rates have persisted for time durations exceeding a pre-determined time duration. The GUI is configured to trigger an alarm event in response to identification of a specific sustained anomalous contraction rate segment.