Uterine contraction sensing system and method

A system for sensing the frequency and duration of uterine contractions of a patient during labor and estimating the relative intensity thereof, able to sense changes in pressure in response to uterine muscle tone changes relating to contractions, and to enable a fetal monitor to be connected thereto for evaluation of contractions, comprising:

• a supporting element, including a facing side able to face an exterior abdominal wall proximate a uterine muscle of a patient and be positionable thereagainst, and able to support a force collector, and a pressure sensor positioned adjacent to the force collector, for supporting the force collector and the pressure sensor such that the force collector and the pressure sensor project therefrom, and shaped such that the projecting force collector and adjacent pressure sensor project into the abdominal wall to reside at least partially below the non-compressed surface of the abdomen to sense changes in pressure in response to uterine muscle tone changes relating to contractions, upon postioning the facing side of the supporting element so as to face the exterior abdominal wall proximate the uterine muscle of the patient;
• a force collector, for collecting force generated in response to uterine muscle tone changes relating to contractions, positioned on the facing side of the supporting element and shaped so as to project therefrom so as to project into the abdominal wall to reside at least partially below the non-compressed surface of the abdomen upon positioning the facing side of the supporting element on the exterior abdominal wall proximate the uterine muscle of the patient;
• and
• a pressure sensor, for sensing changes in pressure in the force collector responsive to uterine muscle tone changes, positioned adjacent to the force collector.