Abstract: The present invention relates to a pregnancy monitoring system, the system comprising a fetal monitoring transducer (20) arranged to detect fetal medical condition information; and a control device (48) comprising a motion assessment unit (50) and a signal output unit (52); wherein the fetal monitoring transducer (20) is arranged to detect fetal movement indicative information, wherein the motion assessment unit (50) is arranged to process fetal movement grading information, in addition to the fetal movement indicative information, wherein the signal output unit (52) is arranged to simultaneously output a fetal condition signal, particularly a fetal heart rate signal, and an augmented fetal movement signal based on the fetal movement indicative information and the fetal movement grading information, wherein a characteristic property of the original fetal movement information is still present in the augmented fetal movement signal. The disclosure further relates to a corresponding pregnancy monitoring method.

Abstract: The invention relates to determining a fetal heart rate from an ultrasonic Doppler echo signal, which comprises at least two channels, including a first channel obtained for a first depth range and a second channel obtained for a second depth range. A first heart rate is determined from the first channel (51, 53, 55) and a second heart rate is determined from the second channel (52, 54, 56). External information on the fetal heart rate and/or the maternal heart rate, extracted from an independent source (60, 61, 62) such as an ECG, is used to select one of the first heart rate and the second heart rate as the fetal heart rate to be determined. A preferred embodiment provides for elimination of double counting heart rates by cutting out unwanted signal contributions. The disclosure further provides for an adaptive signal processing and data acquisition controlled by patient related data.

Abstract: A method of recognizing at least one moving anatomical structure using ultrasound data that operates by receiving ultrasound data (100). The ultrasound data comprises Doppler shift information which provides information descriptive of the velocity of at least one anatomical structure. The ultrasound data is first divided into a series of time frames (102). A classification is then assigned to each of the time frames using the Doppler shift information (104). The at least one anatomical structure is then recognized by using the classification of each time frame (106). This is possible, because different anatomical structures produce different patterns in the Doppler shift information.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of monitoring a fetal heart rate, the method comprising: providing a first measurement head (104) and a second measurement head (106) and a sensor (200), the sensor (200) being comprised in the first measurement head (104) or the second measurement head (106), the sensor (200) being adapted to sense the maternal heart rate, the first measurement head (104) being adapted to sense maternal-fetal related medical data and the second measurement head (106) being adapted to sense the fetal heart rate, measuring the maternal heart rate by acquiring maternal heart rate data using the sensor (200), measuring the fetal heart rate by acquiring fetal heart rate data using the second measurement head (106), acquiring the maternal-fetal related medical data, detecting maternal-fetal heart rate coincidences by analyzing the maternal heart rate data and the fetal heart rate data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pregnancy monitoring system (10) and to a method for detecting medical condition information from a pregnant subject of interest (12).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for fetal cardiac monitoring. For improving ultrasonic monitoring, the number of periodic signals, such as signals caused by the fetus and the mother, is assessed and the time window of the signal demodulation is adapted if more than one periodic signal is assessed.

Abstract: A method for determining at least one maternal physiological parameter out of a heart rate and a breathing rate, comprising the following steps: (a) attaching at least two transducers units (16, 18) of a fetal monitoring system (10) to a maternal abdomen (14); (b) evaluating an acceleration signal regarding at least one out of frequency, amplitude, and signal pattern to derive an acceleration signal corresponding to the at least one maternal physiological parameter; a fetal monitoring system (10), comprising at least two transducers units (16, 18), at least one transducer (24, 26, 28) provided for taking up physiological parameters, at least a first signal processing unit (34), and at least one acceleration sensor (30, 32) different from the at least two transducers (24, 26, 28), wherein the at least one acceleration sensor (30, 32), in at least one operating mode, is rigidly mounted inside a housing (20, 22) of one of the at least two transducer units (16, 18); and wherein the first signal processing unit (3

Abstract: A supply unit (10) supplies an electrically operated device (12) with electrical power and/or an electrical signal by connector elements (22, 24, 26, 28) for a releasable contacting of a dedicated connector (30,32) of the electrically operated device (12). The supply unit (10) includes a measuring device (34) for measuring a parameter, which parameter is suitable for determining the presence of an external capacitance electrically interconnected between one connector element (22) and another connector element (24) the supply unit (10) from said parameter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for fetal cardiac monitoring. For improving ultrasonic monitoring, the number of periodic signals, such as signals caused by the fetus and the mother, is assessed and the time window of the signal demodulation is adapted if more than one periodic signal is assessed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a supply unit (10) for supplying an electrically operated device (12) with electrical power and/or an electrical signal by means of connector elements (22, 24, 26, 28) for a releasable contacting of dedicated connector means (30,32) of the electrically operated device (12). According to the invention the supply unit (10) comprises a measuring device (34) for measuring a parameter, which parameter is suitable for determining the presence of an external capacitance electrically interconnected between one element (22) and another element (24) of the connector elements (22, 24, 26, 28) of the supply unit (10) from said parameter. The invention further relates to the corresponding electrically operated device (12), an electrical system (20) comprising the supply unit (10) and the electrically operated device (12) as well as a method for supplying an electrically operated device (12) with electrical power and/or an electrical signal.

Abstract: A method of recognizing at least one moving anatomical structure using ultrasound data that operates by receiving ultrasound data 100 (100). The ultrasound data comprises Doppler shift information which provides information descriptive of the velocity of at least one anatomical structure. The ultrasound data is first divided into a series of time frames (102). A classification is then assigned to each of the time frames using the Doppler shift information (104). The at least one anatomical structure is then recognized by using the classification of each time frame (106). This is possible, because different anatomical structures produce different patterns in the Doppler shift information.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of monitoring a fetal heart rate, the method comprising: providing a first measurement head (104) and a second measurement head (106) and a sensor (200), the sensor (200) being comprised in the first measurement head (104) or the second measurement head (106), the sensor (200) being adapted to sense the maternal heart rate, the first measurement head (104) being adapted to sense maternal-fetal related medical data and the second measurement head (106) being adapted to sense the fetal heart rate, measuring the maternal heart rate by acquiring maternal heart rate data using the sensor (200), measuring the fetal heart rate by acquiring fetal heart rate data using the second measurement head (106), acquiring the maternal-fetal related medical data, detecting maternal-fetal heart rate coincidences by analyzing the maternal heart rate data and the fetal heart rate data.