The disclosed apparatus, systems and methods relate to tracking abdominal orientation and activity for purposes of preventing or treating conditions of pregnancy, respiratory diseases or other types of medical conditions. In certain specific embodiments, the system, device, or method relates to identifying abdominal or sleep position orientation risk values, calculating and updating a cumulative risk value, comparing the cumulative risk value to a threshold, and outputting a warning when the cumulative risk value crosses the threshold.

An illustrated view of an exemplary endocervical labor induction medicine injection apparatus for administering medication prior to or in the early stages of childbirth. The endocervical labor induction medicine injection apparatus is a medication apparatus that provides for controlled insertion of tablet style medication in an endocervical or lower uterine body area. The endocervical labor induction medicine injection apparatus provides increased functionality over the current manual placement methods ensuring maximum benefit and reduction of unwanted side effects. The endocervical labor induction medicine injection apparatus has a guide tube and an ejector tube. The ejector tube has an ejector head with a receiving cavity at a distal end of the ejector tube for receiving and dispensing the medication. A wire couples the receiving cavity at the distal end to a handle at a proximal end of the ejector tube. The guide tube is inserted into the cervical cavity of a patient. After determining proper positioning and loading of the medication into the receiving cavity, the distal end of the ejector tube is slid through the guide tube. The handle is then manipulated to release the medication at the desired location.

A method and device for measuring intra-abdominal pressure in a pregnant woman to assess likelihood or occurrence of pre-eclampsia. The method includes providing a catheter having first and second lumens and a balloon, inserting the catheter into a bladder of the patient, injecting gas into the first lumen of the catheter to expand the balloon, obtaining a first pressure reading of the bladder based on deformation of the balloon to thereby monitor pressure within an abdomen of the mother to assess if pre-eclampsia is occurring or likely to occur and transmitting the first pressure reading to an external monitor connected to the catheter. The pressure reading is indicative of the presence and/or risk of pre-eclampsia to determine when intervention should occur to prevent morbidity and mortality of the woman and baby.

System and method for assessing preterm delivery risk for pregnant subject is disclosed. Existing preterm delivery risk assessment methods provide results in late second or third trimester of pregnancy, so little time is available for medical advice. Presently disclosed method and system predict preterm delivery risk within 15 weeks of pregnancy. Microbiome characterization data obtained from microbiome sample from pregnant subject. Microbial taxonomic abundance profile generated from microbiome characterization data, contains abundance values of microbes present in the microbiome sample. Taxonomic Composition Skew value, and distribution characteristic value for microbial taxonomic abundance profile, quantifying biases in abundance values of microbes from the microbial taxonomic abundance profile, is computed. Risk of preterm delivery is determined based on the distribution characteristic value or taxonomic composition skew value of the set DSR, wherein the set DSR comprises values quantifying biases in the abundance values of microbes from the microbiome sample.

To objectively grasp a stress state of a user and to prevent a mental disorder of the user, the following steps are performed: acquiring, via a network, biogas information at multiple timings and time information corresponding to each of the multiple timings, wherein the biogas information represents a concentration of 1-dodecanol of a user acquired by a sensor that detects 1-dodecanol discharged from a skin surface of the user; obtaining reference information representing an upper limit of a normal range of the concentration of 1-dodecanol per unit period of time, using a memory storing the reference information representing the upper limit of the normal range; determining a stress time period during which a concentration of the 1-dodecanol of the user is more than the upper limit of the normal range, based on the acquired biological gas information; and outputting time period information indicating the determined stress time period to an information terminal of the user, to display the stress time period indicated by the time period information on a display of the information terminal.

In order to objectively grasp a stress state of a user and to prevent postpartum depression, biological gas information is acquired via a network, where the biological gas information indicates a concentration of acetophenone of the user and is obtained by a sensor that detects acetophenone released from a skin surface of the user. From a memory storing information including an upper limit of a normal range of the concentration of acetophenone per unit period, the information indicating the upper limit of the normal range is read out. When a frequency in the unit period with which the concentration of acetophenone of the user exceeds the upper limit of the normal range is determined to have an increasing tendency based on the biological gas information obtained during a pregnancy period of the user, the information related to stress of the user is output to an information terminal of the user.

In order to objectively grasp a stress state of a user and to prevent postpartum depression, biological gas information is acquired via a network, where the biological gas information indicates a concentration of benzyl alcohol of the user and is obtained by a sensor that detects benzyl alcohol released from a skin surface of the user. From a memory storing information including an upper limit of a normal range of the concentration of benzyl alcohol per unit period, the information indicating the upper limit of the normal range is read out. When a frequency in the unit period with which the concentration of benzyl alcohol of the user exceeds the upper limit of the normal range is determined to have an increasing tendency based on the biological gas information obtained during a pregnancy period of the user, the information related to stress of the user is output to an information terminal of the user.

A garment includes a securing portion operable to removably secure the garment about an abdomen of a wearer; a sensor attachment portion pivotably attached to the securing portion, the sensor attachment portion including a sensor mount configured to receive and retain a sensor therein; and a sensor received in the flexible sensor mount; the securing portion and the sensor attachment portion being configured such that, when the securing portion is secured around the back of a wearer, the sensor attachment portion pivots with respect to the securing portion so as to self-position the sensor attachment portion across (a) an upper portion of the wearer's abdomen or (b) a lower portion of the wearer's abdomen; the flexible sensor mount being configured to orient a sensor received therein to be flush with skin of the wearer when the garment is worn by the wearer and to self-adjust during the course of pregnancy.

Isotropic generalized diffusion tensor imaging methods and apparatus are configured to obtain signal attenuations using selected sets of applied magnetic field gradient directions whose averages produce mean apparent diffusion constants (mADCs) over a wide range of b-values, associated with higher order diffusion tensors (HOT). These sets are selected based on analytical descriptions of isotropic HOTs and the associated averaged signal attenuations are combined to produce mADCs, or probability density functions of intravoxel mADC distributions. Estimates of biologically-specific rotation-invariant parameters for quantifying tissue water mobilities or other tissue characteristics can be obtained such as Traces of HOTs associated with diffusion and mean t-kurtosis.

Particular aspects of the invention are methods for assaying metabolite levels in samples from a patient during pregnancy using nuclear magnetic resonance and direct flow injection mass spectrometry. In various methods, the assayed metabolites may be acylcarnitine or one or more of C3-OH (hydroxypropionylcarnitine), C5-OH (C3DC), C10, C5:1-DC (glutaconylcarnitine), C14:1-OH (hydroxytetradecenoylcarnitine) and C14:2-OH. One or more methods also may include measuring nuchal translucency of the fetus. Other methods relate to predicting fetal congenital heart defects in a fetus.