The present invention provides a method for measuring the body fat percent and fat accretion during pregnancy, which preferably utilizes a Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) fat determination method. The FT-NIR results can be used to measure and monitor body fat percent, and used to measure the mother's fat accretion rate. A method to monitor weight gain in a pregnant subject is provided wherein the body fat percentage of the subject is maintained at a constant level during gestation, and the subject's fat accretion rate is monitored so as to follow the fat accretion rate provided by using pre-defined fat accretion determination formulae. By measurement of the body fat percent and fat accretion rates, the weight gain of a subject can be monitored and/or controlled during pregnancy.

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.

Sensor-based systems, devices, and methods are disclosed for monitoring for an aortocaval compression condition in a pregnant woman. A sensor device may be secured directly or indirectly to the woman, which may collect various sensor data related to the woman and/or the fetus. The device may determine a physical orientation of the woman (e.g., upright and/or lateral tilt angles of the woman) and/or biometric parameter(s) of the woman and/or fetus based on the collected sensor data, identify an aortocaval compression condition based on the determined orientation of the woman and/or biometric parameter(s) of the woman and/or fetus, and generate a repositioning alert via an alert mechanism. The disclosed concepts may be implemented, for example, as a personal home-use device, or as a broader system in a hospital or other medical facility, e.g., for monitoring and displaying aortocaval compression related information for multiple patients and/or facilitating patient turn protocols.

Devices and techniques for magnetic detection of myocardial forces are generally described. In some examples, cardiac tissue may be cultured such that the cardiac tissue adheres to a first post and a second post. In further examples, a magnetometer may detect a change in a magnetic field resulting from a deflection of the first post in a first direction from a first position to a second position. In some other examples a signal corresponding to the change in the magnetic field may be generated. In still other examples, frequencies of the signal outside of a first frequency range may be excluded to produce a filtered signal. In various examples, the first frequency range may include frequencies associated with beating of cardiac tissue. In still further examples, a force exerted by the cardiac tissue may be determined based at least in part on the filtered signal.

A system and method is provided for monitoring the fetal position and/or orientation of the fetus of an expectant mother. An acoustic sensor array is positioned over the belly. The pattern of acoustic sensor signals is processed to determine a fetal orientation and/or to determine movement over time of the fetus.

A Doppler fetal heartbeat monitor includes: a housing; a mainboard; a loudspeaker installed in the housing and electrically connected to the mainboard; and an ultrasonic transducer installed in the housing, electrically connected to the mainboard, and comprising at least one transduction wafer configured to generate an impulse wave, in which the ultrasonic transducer is internally provided at a head end of the housing, and the loudspeaker and the mainboard are internally provided at a tail end of the housing. By arranging the loudspeaker, the mainboard and the ultrasonic transducer in the housing, the Doppler fetal heartbeat monitor can have a compact structure and a small volume. Moreover, it is possible to reduce positive feedback of a sound system and a probability of a self-excited whistle.

A fetal scalp monitor is disclosed that enables a medical professional to monitor the well-being of a fetus in utero. The fetal scalp monitor has a main body, with a central core having a temperature sensor, conductive dome, grounding ring, and tocodynamometer. The main body also has at least one adhesive portion to facilitate the attachment of the device onto the scalp of a fetus, and a plurality of concentric rings to militate against amniotic fluids from entering the adhesive portion. The vital signs of the infant and conditions inside the uterus are then transmitted, either wired or wirelessly, to a fetus monitoring device.

The present invention relates to a method for detecting glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the blood, in particular in the blood of newborns or preterm infants by means of PCR, that can also be used for detection in the blood of preterm and full-term infants immediately after birth and can be performed so rapidly and reliably that a decision on cord blood therapy for a preterm and full-term infant can be made before severe brain damage occurs. Methods for determining GFAP in the blood of a mammal that are known from the prior art are not usable in preterm and full-term infants as too much blood would be required. The inventive method provides the prerequisite for a therapeutic use of cord blood stem cells to prevent and to therapy infantile cerebral damage that could develop into infantile cerebral paresis. A different possibility does not exist. According to the invention, a method for detecting glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the blood of a mammal is provided in which GFAP is determined by means of PCR-amplified immunoassay (I-PCR). The inventive method for detecting glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the blood of a mammal by means of I-PCR is preferably combined with other methods to form a system that delivers increased accuracy in detecting oxygen deprivation-induced brain damage, in particular in newborns and preterm infants immediately after birth. These methods consist of determining the head circumference and determining the NO partial pressure in breath gas.

The present disclosure discuses systems and methods for detecting and recording bioelectric signals, and specifically bioelectrical signals generated by abdominal organs, such as the uterus. The disclosure discusses area electrodes and arrays of area electrodes. The area electrodes are defined in a metal layer and include an inner and outer diameter. The area electrodes are configured to detect electrical signals generated substantially perpendicular to a surface of the area electrode while rejecting electrical signals generated substantially parallel to the surface of the area electrode.

The various embodiments herein relate to systems, devices, and methods for 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.