A portable system to be inserted within the birth canal for measuring dilation of a cervical region is disclosed. The system comprises a housing having a first portion sized to conform to a user's hand thereby defining a handle and a second portion sized to be inserted into the birth canal. The system includes two structured light sources configured to project a pattern onto the cervical region, a sensor, a trigger interface, a power source, and the processor configured for capturing image sensor data. The processor is configured for receiving image data from the sensor, processing the image sensor data, calculating a measurement of the dilation of the cervical region, and transmitting the data. The processor will transmit the data onto the display, presenting the measurement of dilation as well as a visual representation of the measurement.

The present invention may be embodied as a retrievable device capable of sensing one or more properties of an individual (e.g., chemical or physical parameters). In use, the retrievable device can continuously determine the chemical concentrations within the vaginal tract. An embodiment of the retrievable device comprises a first housing having a light source and an image capture device, a second housing removably connected to the lust housing and having a sensor, and a fitting for retrieving the device. The sensor may be an analyte sensor configured to obtain at least one measurement of a concentration of an analyte in a fluid. The analyte sensor comprises a sensor substance in a sol-gel material so the sensor substance reversibly interacts with an analyte of interest. In addition, the retrievable device can be configured to determine different physical parameters and re-implanted.

A method of using an apparatus to protect the tissues, muscles and nerves of the female pelvic floor from trauma during vaginal childbirth, the apparatus having a softly expansible intravaginal component and a support component with a handle attached to the intravaginal component, the method including deploying the intravaginal device into a vaginal canal and under a fetal head in the vaginal canal during vaginal childbirth, attaching the handle device to the central body, and delivering fluid through the handle device into the intravaginal device and inflating the intravaginal device with the fluid to deploy the wings on the intravaginal device from the stored configuration into the deployed configuration to provide support and stabilization to at least one from among a perineal, perianal, and anal region and preventing or mitigating the subsequent development of abnormal fistulous communications between the vagina and either the urinary bladder or the rectum or both.

A method of quantifying progression of pregnancy, includes a) illuminating a uterine cervix with polarized light having a wavelength comprised between 600 and 1100 nm; b) acquiring a plurality of images of the illuminated uterine cervix through a polarization state analyser in respective analysing states; steps a) and b) being performed either once or a plurality of time using polarized light having different polarization states; c) from the acquired images, computing a depolarization parameter over a region of interest of the uterine cervix; and d) quantifying the progression of the pregnancy from said depolarization parameter. An apparatus, based on a colposcope fitted with a controllable polarization state generator, a controllable polarization state analyser and a suitably-programmed computer, for carrying out such a method. A computer program for carrying out such a method.

An apparatus for determining a force F.sub.tip applied to a tip of an electrical impedance spectroscopy probe includes a load cell, accelerometer, and a processing means. The probe tip has a substantially planar distal end for contacting human or animal tissue. The load cell measures the force F.sub.loadcell applied axially along a longitudinal axis when the probe tip is in contact with human or animal tissue. The accelerometer measures a gravity vector A.sub.axial. The apparatus includes a means for compensating for the mass of the probe tip using the measured force and the gravity vector to produce a calibrated measurement force F applied to the probe tip.

The guiding and assessment system for cervical examination of gravid patients relates to devices, systems, and methods for use as educational and non-medical intervention facilitation tools for both medical professionals and gravid patients/persons having a baby to achieve a vaginal delivery through non-medical interventions such as position change, gravity positions, massage, pelvic mobility, etc. by assessing the presentation of the fetal head to the maternal pelvis, dilation, and effacement. To accomplish this, the system includes a portable device for measurement of cervical dilation, presentation of fetal position relative to the maternal pelvis, and/or measurement of effacement of the cervix in a gravid patient. The device includes semicircular open rings made of pliable material, as well as a plurality of dilation markings, a plurality of effacement markings, and a plurality of presentation markings, that represent measurements of cervical dilation, effacement and fetal head presentation.

A method for easing child birth and, more particularly, to a device for practicing the method for easing child birth and, most particularly, to a device for easing child birth controlled by the individual giving birth to the child. The device mechanically replaces a “manual” contact, which can be applied to the pelvis of a woman in labor, for the purpose of aiding the expulsion of the baby, and reduce the pain and discomfort associated with this process. The device mechanically compresses the ilium portion of the pelvis medially and posteriorly, simultaneously. The pressure applied by the device is under full control of the patient, so that pressure is applied slowly and progressively to a point of maximum comfort. The pressure is decreased immediately upon demand by the patient. The duration of the application of compression corresponds with the length of the contraction period for the woman.

There is provided a system of transmitting partograph information and analyzing the same comprising a client device adapted to receive partograph information as inputs; the inputs transmittable to a partograph processing server via a wireless communication network; wherein the partograph processing server is configured to receive the partograph information; conform the partograph information to a standardized format and disseminate the partograph information to at least one computer device. Preferably, the partograph processing server further comprises an analyzer to analyze the partograph information for one or more abnormality condition and provides an alert to the at least one computer device and the client device. Alternatively, the analyzer is installed in the client device in the form of a software application.

A method for identification of biochemical markers associated with cervical remodeling over the course of pregnancy of humans includes obtaining Raman signals from the cervix of each of a group of humans with pregnancy at each phase of pregnancy; finding Raman signatures corresponding to each type of cervical tissue from the obtained Raman signals; and identifying biochemical markers associated with cervical remodeling at each phase of pregnancy corresponding to the Raman signatures.

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.