Cervix dilation and labor progression monitor
AssigneeBarnev Ltd.
InventorOfer Barnea
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device and method for monitoring cervical dilation, and descent of the presenting part, during labor. An extracorporeally located ultrasound transmitter transmits ultrasound signals into the body of the patient. Small ultrasound reflectors located on either side of the cervical os, and on the fetal presenting part, reflect the ultrasound signals back to extracorporeal ultrasound receivers. Spectral and acoustic characteristics of the received ultrasound signals are analyzed to identify the relative locations of the reflectors, and the trigonometric relationships between the reflectors and transmitters are used to calculate the degree of cervical dilation, and the descent of the fetal presenting part. In an alternative embodiment, passive ultrasound receivers are used instead of ultrasound reflectors.
Claims15
A device for monitoring the progress of labor in a subject, comprising
- a) at least one extracorporeal ultrasound transmitter, operative to transmit ultrasound signals into the subject;
- b) at least one inorganic ultrasound reflector, operative to reflect said transmitted ultrasound signals, said at least one reflector being placeable on an internal body surface within the subject;
- c) at least one extracorporeal ultrasound receiver, operative to receive said reflected ultrasound signals, and
- d) a processor, operative to calculate a location of said reflector from said received reflected ultrasound signals, said location being a descriptor of the progress of labor in the subject.
A method for monitoring the progress of labor in a subject, comprising
- a) transmitting ultrasound signals from an extracorporeal location;
- b) reflecting said transmitted ultrasound signals off at least one inorganic reflector at an internal body surface of the subject;
- c) receiving said reflected signals at an extracorporeal location, and
- d) calculating a descriptor of the progress of labor from said received reflected signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.