Device and method for displaying fetal positions and fetal biological signals using portable technology
OwnerMarianna Kiralyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A new, inexpensive and non-invasive fetal visualization process helps to locate fetal body parts and identify fetal positions without exposing the fetus to prolonged ultrasound irradiation. Associating location data with biological electrophysiology signal patterns and/or light absorption/reflection-related tissue-specific local fetal body composition data enables the generation of a 3D anatomical and functional map of the fetal body through the expecting mother's womb, which will be essential for long-term home monitoring of a fetus during pregnancy.
Claims13
A method of virtually projecting a computer image of a fetus (2D or 3D animation, ultrasound or drawing) on a pregnant woman's abdomen, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a portable computer equipped with camera, imaging software and a visual display;
- (b) providing an “Augmented Reality” software capable of performing real-time image processing, and identifying the shape of a pregnant woman's abdomen based on its curving, the umbilicus or any calibrated artificial markers attached to the abdomen;
- (c) providing a 2D or 3D computer image of the fetus (previously captured or real-time ultrasound image, animation or drawing);
- (d) having the portable computer calculate an approximate projection of the fetus, based on given parameters and formulas such as correlations between fetal size and abdominal size, last known fetal position, weeks of pregnancy
- (e) having the “Augmented Reality” software overlay the computer image of the fetus with the abdomen of the pregnant woman
A portable fetal monitoring device for recording biological signals from a fetus in utero, comprising:
- (a) an “Augmented Reality” software capable of performing real-time camera image processing and identifying the shape of a pregnant woman's abdomen based on its curving, the umbilicus or any calibrated artificial markers attached to the abdomen;
- calculate an approximate projection of the fetus, based on given parameters and formulas such as correlations between fetal size and abdominal size, last known fetal position, weeks of pregnancy;
- and overlaying a random computer image of the fetus with the abdomen of the pregnant woman
- (b) an array of sensor electrodes adapted to be placed on the mother's abdomen for detecting electrical activity of a fetus;
- (c) an amplifier-filter module connected to the array of sensors to amplify the spontaneous brain activity of the fetus detected by the biosensor electrodes;
- (d) an analog/digital converter converting the analog data to digital data;
- (e) a portable computer-based quantitative analysis software capable of improving a signal to noise ratio of the digitized spontaneous brain activity data and analyzing the data;
- (f) a display to real-time demonstrate the raw data and the results of the analysis as an indication of a status of the fetus;
- and
- (g) portable computer-based memory to store the data, and being capable of outputting said data for transmission to an external device or network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.