Fetal wellbeing monitoring apparatus and pad therefor

A fetal wellbeing monitoring apparatus for providing fetal wellbeing information to an expectant mother, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a fetal motor activity sensor including a base plate with a base plate topside and a base plate underside for respectively facing away from and towards an expectant mother's abdomen,
• said base plate topside having at least one planar strain gauge film element defining a nominal measurement plane in a non-flexed state, and having a variable electrical property proportional to resilient elastic flexion in a transverse direction to said measurement plane on application of a bending moment,
• said base plate underside having a rigidly mounted downward depending protruding contact for indenting an expectant mother's abdomen on intimately juxtapositioning said base plate underside thereagainst,
• said at least one planar strain gauge film element configured to assume a nominal flexed state on intimate juxtapositioning against an expectant mother's abdomen in the absence of fetal motor activity, and further configured to flex in said transverse direction and induce corresponding changes in said variable electrical property when transient abdominal movements of the expectant mother's abdomen impart flexural movements onto said at least one strain gauge film element;
• and
• (b) a fetal motor activity determination module for processing time varying information from said fetal motor activity sensor to determine fetal motor activity and to provide fetal wellbeing information to the expectant mother;
• wherein said base plate includes a pair of opposite elongated weakened regions for defining a major base plate surround supporting a minor base plate beam between a pair of opposite beam supports for resilient elastic flexion relative to said major base plate surround and said minor base plate beam supports said at least one elongated planar strain gauge film element.

A two-ply pad for use with a fetal wellbeing monitoring apparatus including a generally flattened hemispherical housing having an annular peripheral portion with an upright sloping topside and an annular flat underside defining a central sensor aperture for respectively facing away from and towards an expectant mother's abdomen, and a turret-like user interface having a user operable control panel raised with respect to the housing's topside for controlling operation of the fetal wellbeing monitoring apparatus and providing fetal wellbeing information to the expectant mother, the pad comprising:

• (a) a circular base sheet with an underside for intimate juxtapositioning against the expectant mother's abdomen, an annular top sheet overlying said base sheet, and a seam for attaching said top sheet to said bottom sheet,
• said top sheet having a central aperture whereby said top sheet and said base sheet define a pocket for stretchingly embracing the housing's peripheral portion with the underside of the base sheet facing towards the expectant mother's abdomen on dressing the pad onto the fetal wellbeing monitoring apparatus whereupon the control panel protrudes through said central aperture for enabling user access to the control panel's topside facing away from the expectant mother's abdomen;
• and
• (b) an annular peripheral biocompatible adhesive surface on at least said base sheet's underside for removable intimate adhesion of the pad on the expectant mother's abdomen.