Computerized fetal monitoring based on bioelectric signals from maternal abdomen

The paper presents an instrumentation set for effective diagnostics of early symptoms of fetal distress in high-risk pregnancy based on bioelectric signals recording. The representative database of records has been established that enabled the complex analysis of signals recorded on a surface of maternal abdomen. As an outcome, the effective algorithms have been developed for processing both the fetal electrocardiogram and the signal of electrical activity of a uterine muscle. This allowed the development of unique diagnostic system based on external biosignal measurement module connected to the standard personal computer. In this system, like in a classical fetal monitor, the fetal heart rate (FHR) signal together with contraction activity signal of uterine muscle and fetal movement become an essential source of information on fetal condition. In addition, there is a possibility for spectral analysis of FHR signal as well as a morphology assessment of fetal ECG signal.