Obstetric monitor development (fetal-maternal)

• Grant number: 15/26361-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: November 01, 2016
• End date: July 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Medical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Cerulli
• Grantee: Marcelo Cerulli
• Company: Medical Cirúrgica Ltda. - EPP
• City: São Paulo
• Associated researchers: Alexandre do Prado Matias
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/25138-3 - Obstetric monitor development (fetal-maternal), BP.PIPE

Abstract

Electronic fetal monitoring provides graphic and numeric information on Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) and maternal Uterine Activity (UA) to help clinical personnel assess fetal well-being. During labor, the FHR often exhibits decelerations and accelerations in response to uterine contractions or fetal movements, where certain patterns are indicative of hypoxia. The equipment currently used for evaluation of the fetus's development are the Cardiotocographs and are typically used in the physician's office or clinic. They also are often used in the hospital for high-risk mothers who are hospitalized before term for observation or treatment not in conjunction with labor. FHR monitoring is often used in tests conducted long before labor to assess fetal oxygenation levels and viability of the maternal-fetal exchange through the placenta. These equipment are also used during the labor to examining the frequency and intensity of uterine contractions; the clinician can assess the progress of labor, monitor the effect of labor-inducing or labor-inhibiting drugs, detect abnormal contraction patterns, and monitor FHR response to decreased placental blood flow during contractions. However, as the labor is a surgical procedure, the woman in labor also needs to be monitoring through a vital signals monitor that has the main parameters, such as Electrocardiogram (ECG), Arterial Pulse Oximetry (SpO2) and Non Invasive Blood Pressure (NIBP), independently of the need anesthesia or sedation. In Brazil, currently is estimated that are performed about 5.250 childbirths daily, being mostly performed in the hospitals. The Obstetric Monitor (Maternal - Fetal) development with a very low cost will become the procedure safest, as well as will make possible producing a local product becoming independent of the imported products for this purpose. The Obstetric Monitor (Maternal - Fetal) consists basically of a physiological monitor that carries through the ECG (Electrocardiogram), SpO2 (Arterial Pulse Oximetry); NIBP (Non Invasive Blood Pressure); Temperature Monitoring; Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) Monitoring through the fetal detention by ultrasonography and Uterine Activity (UA) Monitoring as well as the capacity of paper register of all the monitoring data. This monitor is intended to monitoring the labor surgical procedure, aiming the fetal and maternal health maintenance. The project main characteristic is the fetal and maternal data combination, to obtain information and relevant score indexes that will assist the clinical team during the procedure. As the product do not have a local similarity, the Obstetric Monitor aims to create a new concept in a Obstetric Operating Room Monitoring, making the procedure more informative and safe as much for the patients as for the Clinical Team. As result for phase I of the research project, to get a preparatory knowledge data base, sufficient to accomplish the practical development of the product in a posterior phase, providing to the company achievement advanced technology and competitive product for the local and external market. (AU)