In various embodiments of the invention, a manipulator attaches to and allows a sheath to be positioned inside the cervix and a catheter to thereby be inserted through the sheath and be positioned in a desired location in the uterus. In various embodiments of the invention, the manipulator may be attached or permanently connected to the sheath. In various embodiments of the invention, the sheath is fenestrated to allow the catheter to be detached from the sheath. In various embodiments of the invention, the manipulator allows the sheath to be positioned through the cervix canal to allow for catheter transmitted intrauterine pressure monitoring or balloon catheter assisted ripening of the cervix.

A wireless fetal and maternal monitoring system includes a fetal sensor unit adapted to receive signals indicative of a fetal heartbeat, the sensor optionally utilizing a Doppler ultrasound sensor. A short-range transmission unit sends the signals indicative of fetal heartbeat to a gateway unit, either directly or via an auxiliary communications unit, in which case the electrical coupling between the short-range transmission unit and the auxiliary communications unit is via a wired connection. The system includes a contraction actuator actuatable upon a maternal uterine contraction, which optionally is a EMG sensor. A gateway device provides for data visualization and data securitization. The gateway device provides for remote transmission of information through a data communication network. A server adapted to receive the information from the gateway device serves to store and process the data, and an interface system to permits remote patient monitoring.

A uterine activity analysis apparatus, comprising a rendering device at least one controller coupled to the rendering device, and configured to acquire a uterine activity signal (UAS) corresponding to uterine activity of a patient; determine uterine activity information based upon the acquired UAS and render, on the rendering device, content based at least in part including UAS upon the determined uterine activity information. The controller may compare the determined uterine activity information with threshold uterine activity information and provide clinical decision support (CDS) based upon the decision. Furthermore, the controller may render a breathing guide to illustrate a preferred breathing pattern, when the start of a contraction is detected.

The disclosed apparatus, systems and methods relate to tracking abdominal orientation and activity for purposes of preventing or treating conditions of pregnancy or other types of medical conditions. In certain specific embodiments, the system, device, or method relates to identifying abdominal 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.

There are provided a maternal and fetal monitoring device and a display device for monitoring device including fetal heart rate acquisition means configured to acquire a fetal heart rate, labor pain intensity acquisition means configured to acquire a maternal labor pain intensity, fetal bioelectric signal acquisition means configured to acquire a fetal bioelectric signal, and display means capable of simultaneously displaying a cardiotocogram that displays the fetal heart rate and the labor pain intensity side by side on the same time axis over time as a graph and a fetal bioelectric signal diagram displaying the fetal bioelectric signal, and optimizing and displaying, together with the cardiotocogram, the fetal bioelectric signal diagram and the like closely related to these pieces of information.

In the present invention, a system and associated method is provided for monitoring fetal vital parameters. The system includes a base unit, a monitoring hub including a digital signal processor/controller and operably connected to the base unit by a single channel digital signal protocol cable, e.g., a USB cable, and a number of fetal monitoring sensors operably connected to the monitoring hub. The controller processes the signals from the sensors into a single USB protocol which can be sent along a single cable to the base unit. The USB cable allows power to be supplied to the hub in order to charge a battery used to operate the hub and the sensors connected to the hub when disconnected from the base unit to allow the patient using the hub to move freely about the base unit, with all sensor signals from the hub being wirelessly transmitted to the base unit.

A method and system for monitoring the childbirth and the laboring process included a device designed to assist pregnant women in the first stage of labor in the form of a device that fits in a woman's hand (or worn on the wrist) and has a trigger that can be pressed at the onset of a contraction, and released when the contraction ends. The trigger is pressure-sensitive and can help to track the contractions' intensity level simultaneously.

Apparatus and methods for monitoring pregnancy or labour are disclosed. In one embodiment the apparatus includes an electromyography (EMG) sensor having two or more EMG electrodes to monitor fetal or maternal activity during pregnancy or labour and one or more position sensors to monitor the relative positioning of the two or more EMG electrodes during the fetal or maternal activity. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a monitoring device to be placed on a body and having a plurality of sensors integrated into the monitoring device, the plurality of sensors including at least: a first sensor configured to detect a first type of signal from the body indicative of a first type of fetal or maternal activity during pregnancy or labour; and a second sensor configured to detect a second type of signal from the body, different from the first type of signal, also indicative of the first type of fetal or maternal activity during pregnancy or labour.

An apparatus for acquiring signals from a pregnant subject includes a flexible portion that is conformable to an abdomen of the subject. The flexible portion includes a plurality of signal acquisition points, each signal acquisition point comprising a contact adapted to electrically couple to a respective electrode and signal acquisition circuitry. The flexible portion includes a first linear section that is generally aligned along a first axis; and a second linear section extending from the first linear section, the second linear section being generally aligned along a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis; wherein a first group of the signal acquisition points is located along the first axis and a second group of the signal acquisition points is located along the second axis.

A system to determine status of a pelvic condition in a subject characterised by abnormal contractility activity of a target pelvic structure is described. The system comprises a sensing module to measure electrical activity of the subject's pelvis at a plurality of time points during the subject's hormonal cycle, a signal processing module configured to receive electrical activity measurements from the sensing module and isolate from the electrical activity measurements electrical contractility parameter measurements representative of the target pelvic structure, and a processor module operably connected to the signal processing module. The processor is configured to receive as an input the electrical contractility parameter measurements representative of the target pelvic structure, generate a data profile of the subject comprising the electrical contractility parameter measurements representative of the target pelvic structure, compare the data profile with a database of reference data profiles comprising reference data profiles of subjects with different pelvic condition status, output the status of the pelvic condition in the subject based on the comparison. In any embodiment, the signal processing module is configured to isolate from the electrical activity measurements slow wave electrical contractility parameter measurements representative of the target pelvic structure. Systems and methods for treating pelvic conditions comprising stimulation of a pelvic structure to normalise pelvic structure contractility are also described.