US 12,376,779 B2
Method of monitoring a fetus
Ahsan Khandoker, Abu Dhabi (AE)
Assigned to Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi (AE)
Filed by Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi (AE)
Filed on Nov. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/518,459.
Application 17/518,459 is a continuation of application No. 15/756,822, granted, now 11,185,275, previously published as PCT/IB2016/055284, filed on Sep. 2, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/213,500, filed on Sep. 2, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0054068 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 5/344 (2021.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/024 (2006.01); A61B 7/00 (2006.01); A61B 7/04 (2006.01); A61B 8/02 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 5/11 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/344 (2021.01) [A61B 5/02411 (2013.01); A61B 5/6831 (2013.01); A61B 5/7225 (2013.01); A61B 7/00 (2013.01); A61B 7/04 (2013.01); A61B 8/02 (2013.01); A61B 8/0866 (2013.01); A61B 5/11 (2013.01); A61B 2562/0204 (2013.01); A61B 2562/04 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of monitoring a fetus, the method comprising:
receiving, by a signal processing assembly of a signal conditioning assembly, a first acoustic signal from a first acoustic transducer coupled with a pregnant patient in proximity to an abdominal region of the pregnant patient at a first acoustic transducer position;
generating, by the signal processing assembly, a first preprocessed acoustic signal via amplification of the first acoustic signal;
storing the first preprocessed acoustic signal in a buffer of the signal conditioning assembly;
receiving instructions from a mobile computing device, by an input/output module of the signal conditioning assembly, that cause the input/output module to issue instructions to the buffer to output the first preprocessed acoustic signal to the mobile computing device;
processing, by the mobile computing device, the first preprocessed acoustic signal to extract one or more of a fetal heart sound, a fetal heartbeat rate, or a fetal heartbeat acoustic intensity;
outputting, by the mobile computing device, one or more of the fetal heart sound, the fetal heartbeat rate, or the fetal heartbeat acoustic intensity;
receiving, by the signal processing assembly, a second acoustic signal from a second acoustic transducer coupled with the pregnant patient in proximity to the abdominal region of the pregnant patient at a second acoustic transducer position;
generating, by the signal processing assembly, a second preprocessed acoustic signal via amplification of the second acoustic signal;
storing the second preprocessed acoustic signal in the buffer;
receiving, by the signal processing assembly, a third acoustic signal from a third acoustic transducer coupled with the pregnant patient in proximity to the abdominal region of the pregnant patient at a third acoustic transducer position;
generating, by the signal processing assembly, a third preprocessed acoustic signal via amplification of the third acoustic signal;
storing the third preprocessed acoustic signal in the buffer;
receiving instructions from the mobile computing device, by the input/output module, that cause the input/output module to issue instructions to the buffer to output the second preprocessed acoustic signal and the third preprocessed acoustic signal to the mobile computing device;
processing, by the mobile computing device, the first preprocessed acoustic signal, the second preprocessed acoustic signal, and the third preprocessed acoustic signal to determine a fetal position; and
outputting, by the mobile computing device, the fetal position,
wherein the signal conditioning assembly comprises a signal conditioning assembly audio port,
wherein the mobile computing device comprises a mobile computing device audio port,
wherein the mobile computing device audio port is detachable communicatively coupled with the signal conditioning assembly audio port via an audio cable, and
wherein the mobile computing device receives one of the first preprocessed acoustic signal, the second preprocessed acoustic signal, and the third preprocessed acoustic signal at a time over the audio cable.