WO2018079377A1 - Pregnant state monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

This pregnant state monitoring system (100), which monitors the state of a mother's body (S1) on a placement table (BD) and/or an embryo (S2) in the womb of the mother's body, is provided with: at least one load detector (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) which is installed on the placement table or under a leg of the placement table, and detects a temporal change in the load of the mother's body or embryo; a signal analysis unit (31) which obtains a frequency spectrum of the temporal change in the load of the mother's body and embryo; and a state monitoring unit (35) which determines, on the basis of the obtained frequency spectrum, whether a contraction occurs in the womb of the mother's body.

Description

Pregnancy monitoring system

The present invention relates to a pregnancy status monitoring system that monitors a maternal (pregnant woman) and / or fetal status using a load detector.

Monitoring the contraction of the pregnant woman's uterus is an important technique for safe birth. Specifically, for example, in a non-stress test (NST) performed on a pregnant woman in the second trimester of pregnancy, the state of contraction of the uterus of the pregnant woman and the state of the heartbeat of the fetus are detected in synchronization, and safe delivery is reached. It is determined whether or not it is possible. Similarly, during pregnancy, the state of contraction of the uterus of the pregnant woman and the state of the heartbeat of the fetus are detected, giving doctors and midwives an important index for safe delivery. It should be noted that the contraction of the uterus of the pregnant woman that occurs at the time of delivery is very strong, causing a strong pain called labor pain in the pregnant woman.

The state of contraction of the pregnant woman's uterus (the state of labor during delivery) is generally detected using a pressure-sensitive sensor called a labor meter. Specifically, a tonometer is brought into contact with the pregnant woman's abdomen and fixed by a belt surrounding the pregnant woman's abdomen. If the pregnant woman's uterus contracts, the pregnant woman's abdominal circumference expands and the sensor part of the tocodynamometer is compressed. The tonometer detects the contraction of the uterus based on the strength of the compression.

In addition, it has been proposed to use a labor sensor that detects contraction of the uterus based on measurement of a phonogram instead of such a labor meter (Patent Document 1).

JP2016-67816

Since the pressure-sensitive labor force meter and the labor force sensor described in Patent Document 1 are used in direct contact with a pregnant woman's abdomen, it is necessary to wear clothes that can easily expose the abdomen. And it is necessary to endure the sensation of the sensor being pressed against the abdomen, which can give various inconveniences and discomfort to pregnant women. Also, in labor that requires urgent work, it is a problem that it takes time to install the tonometer, and if an inexperienced person attaches the tonometer, the tonometer will be misaligned or detached, making it impossible to measure accurately. is there.

Therefore, the present invention can detect the state of contraction of the uterus (the state of labor) by a non-invasive method that does not cause inconvenience and discomfort to pregnant women, and is a pregnancy that does not cause the trouble of attachment or dropout. The purpose is to provide a condition monitoring system.

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
A pregnancy status monitoring system for monitoring the condition of a mother on a mounting table and / or a fetus in the womb of the mother,
At least one load detector that is provided under a mounting table or a leg of the mounting table and detects temporal changes in the load of the mother and the fetus;
A signal analyzer for obtaining a frequency spectrum of temporal variation of the weight of the mother and the fetus;
There is provided a pregnancy state monitoring system including a state monitoring unit that determines whether or not contraction has occurred in the uterus of the mother based on the obtained frequency spectrum.

In the pregnancy state monitoring system according to the first aspect, the state monitoring unit may further determine a cycle in which contraction occurs in the uterus of the mother.

The pregnancy status monitoring system according to the first aspect may further include an output unit that performs a predetermined output based on a period when the contraction of the mother's uterus reaches a predetermined value.

In the pregnancy status monitoring system according to the first aspect, the signal analysis unit may separate a load component that vibrates according to a heartbeat of the fetus included in a temporal variation in the load of the mother and the fetus, The state monitoring unit may monitor the state of the fetal heartbeat based on a load component that vibrates in accordance with the fetal heartbeat.

In the pregnancy status monitoring system according to the first aspect, the at least one load detector may be a plurality of load detectors. The pregnancy status monitoring system according to the first aspect may further include a center-of-gravity position calculation unit that obtains the position of the center of gravity of the mother and / or the fetus from the load of the mother and the fetus, and the signal analysis unit includes: The load component that vibrates according to the respiration of the mother included in the temporal variation of the load of the mother and the fetus may be separated, and the center-of-gravity position calculation unit is a load that vibrates according to the respiration of the maternal The position of the center of gravity of the matrix may be obtained based on the component.

The pregnancy status monitoring system of the present invention can monitor the presence or absence of contraction of the uterus (the presence or absence of labor) in a non-invasive manner, and there is no fear of attachment and dropout.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pregnancy status monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of the load detector with respect to the bed. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure for monitoring a pregnancy state using the pregnancy state monitoring system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an example of a frequency spectrum obtained by the signal analysis unit. FIG. 4A shows the frequency spectrum of the load signal during a period when the mother's uterus is not contracted, and FIG. 4B shows the frequency spectrum of the load signal when the mother's uterus is contracted. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship among labor start time, labor end time, labor cycle, and labor duration. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a bed system including a pregnancy status monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Embodiment>
A pregnancy status monitoring system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Hereinafter, a case where the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 is mainly used with a bed will be described as an example. However, the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 may be used with other devices such as a delivery table and a stretcher.

In the present specification and the present invention, “pregnant state” means various states related to the state of the mother (pregnant woman) and / or the fetus in the mother body. Further, in the present specification and the present invention, an apparatus or device that is used with a pregnancy status monitoring system such as a bed, a delivery table, or a stretcher and on which a pregnant woman is placed is referred to as a “mounting table”.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of this embodiment mainly includes a load detection unit 1, a control unit 3, a storage unit 4, and a display unit 5. The load detection unit 1 and the control unit 3 are connected via an A / D conversion unit 2. Further, a notification unit 6, a communication unit 7, and an input unit 8 are connected to the control unit 3. In this specification and this invention, the display part 5, the alerting | reporting part 6, and the communication part 7 are collectively called an "output part."

The load detection unit 1 includes four load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d. Each of the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d is a load detector that detects a load using, for example, a beam-type load cell. Such a load detector is described in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 4829020 and Japanese Patent No. 4002905. Each of the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d is connected to the A / D converter 2 by wiring.

The four load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d of the load detection unit 1 are arranged below the legs of the bed used by the subject. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d are respectively disposed below casters Ca, Cb, Cc, and Cd attached to the lower ends of the legs at the four corners of the bed BD. .

The A / D converter 2 includes an A / D converter that converts an analog signal from the load detector 1 into a digital signal, and is connected to the load detector 1 and the controller 3 by wiring.

The control unit 3 is a dedicated or general-purpose computer, in which a signal analysis unit 31, a respiration information calculation unit 32, a heart rate information calculation unit 33, a centroid position calculation unit 34, and a state monitoring unit 35 are constructed.

The storage unit 4 is a storage device that stores data used in the pregnancy status monitoring system 100. For example, a hard disk (magnetic disk) can be used. The display unit 5 is a monitor such as a liquid crystal monitor that displays information output from the control unit 3 to a user of the pregnancy monitoring system 100.

The notification unit 6 includes a device, for example, a speaker, that aurally performs predetermined notification based on information from the control unit 3. The communication unit 7 is a part that communicates with the outside through a predetermined line, and includes, for example, a modem. The input unit 8 is an interface for performing a predetermined input to the control unit 3 and can be a keyboard and a mouse.

The operation of monitoring the state of the subject S (maternal (pregnant) S1 and fetus S2) (FIG. 2) on the bed using such a pregnancy state monitoring system 100 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the monitoring of the condition of the subject using the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 includes a load detection step (S101) for detecting the load of the subject S as a load signal, and a signal analysis step (S102) for analyzing the detected load signal. ), A respiratory information calculation step (S103) and a heart rate information calculation step (S104) for calculating the respiratory information and heart rate information of the pregnant woman based on the analyzed signal, and the center of gravity positions of the pregnant woman and the fetus are calculated based on the detected load signal. It mainly includes a center-of-gravity position calculation step (S105), a state monitoring step (S106) for monitoring a pregnancy state based on various information calculated in the above steps, and an output step (S107) for outputting a monitoring result.

[Load detection process]
In the load detection step S101, the load of the subject S (maternal (pregnant) S1 and fetus S2) on the bed BD is detected using the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d. Since the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d are respectively disposed under the casters Ca, Cb, Cc, and Cd as described above, the load applied to the upper surface of the bed BD is four load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d are distributed and detected.

The load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d each detect a load (load change) and output it to the A / D converter 2 as an analog signal. The A / D conversion unit 2 converts the analog signal into a digital signal with a sampling period of, for example, 5 milliseconds, and outputs the digital signal to the control unit 3 as a digital signal (hereinafter referred to as “load signal”). Hereinafter, the load signals output from the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d and digitally converted by the A / D converter 2 are referred to as load signals sa, sb, sc, and sd, respectively.

[Signal analysis process]
The signal analysis step S102 is a step of separating each of the load signals sa, sb, sc, and sd into a plurality of components by the signal analysis unit 31. Specifically, each of the load signals sa to sd includes a component that vibrates according to the breathing of the mother S1, a component that vibrates according to the heartbeat of the mother S1, a component that vibrates according to the heartbeat of the fetus S2, and the mother S1. It separates into components that vibrate according to the contraction of the uterus.

The signal analysis unit 31 first performs a Fourier analysis on the load signal sa to obtain a frequency spectrum in a frequency band of 0.1 Hz to 20 Hz, for example. An example of the obtained frequency spectrum is shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). FIG. 4A shows the result of Fourier analysis on the load signal sa acquired during a period when the uterus of the mother S1 is not contracted. FIG. 4B is acquired during the period when the uterus of the mother S1 is contracted. It is the result of the Fourier analysis with respect to the load signal sa. Since the load signals sa to sd all vibrate according to the biological activity of the subject S on the bed BD, the results of the Fourier analysis for each of the load signals sa to sd are substantially the same. Accordingly, the Fourier analysis may be performed on at least one of the load signals sa to sd, and is not necessarily performed on the load signal sa.

Since human breathing is performed about 12 to 20 times per minute, the frequency of human breathing is about 0.2 to 0.33 Hz. Therefore, if Fourier analysis is performed on the load signal sa, a frequency peak appears at a position corresponding to the respiration frequency (maternal respiration frequency) of the mother S1 in the frequency band of 0.2 to 0.33 Hz. The signal analysis unit 31 specifies the maternal breathing frequency based on the position of the frequency peak that appears in this frequency band.

In the example shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a frequency peak appears at the position of the frequency ν _1b Hz in the frequency band of about 0.2 to 0.33 Hz. Therefore, the signal analysis unit 31 specifies that the maternal respiratory frequency (the center value thereof) is ν _1b Hz. Since the fetus S2 does not perform lung respiration, no frequency peak corresponding to the respiration of the fetus appears in the frequency spectrum.

Since the human heartbeat is performed about 30 to 200 times per minute, the human heartbeat frequency is about 0.5 to 3.3 Hz. The normal value of the mother's heart rate is about 80 to 90 times (about 1.33 to 1.5 Hz), and the normal value of the fetal heart rate is about 120 to 160, which is larger than the normal value of the mother's heart rate. It is known that it is about twice (about 2 to 2.66 Hz).

Therefore, if Fourier analysis is performed on the load signal sa, the position corresponding to the heartbeat frequency of the mother S1 (maternal heartbeat frequency) and the heartbeat frequency of the fetus S2 (fetus in the frequency band of about 0.5 to 3.3 Hz). A frequency peak appears at a position corresponding to (heart rate). The signal analysis unit 31 specifies the maternal heart rate and the fetal heart rate based on the position of the frequency peak that appears in this frequency band.

FIG. 4 (a), in the example shown in FIG. 4 (b), in the frequency band of approximately 0.5 ~ 3.3 Hz, position of the frequency _[nu 1h Hz, and the frequency [nu a higher frequency side than the frequency _[nu 1h Hz _A frequency peak appears at a position of _{2 h} Hz. Therefore, the signal analysis unit 31 specifies that the maternal heartbeat frequency (the center value) is ν _1h Hz and the fetal heartbeat frequency (the center value) is ν _2h Hz.

It is known that when contraction occurs in the uterus of the mother S1, the uterine muscles constituting the uterus vibrate slightly, and the frequency is about 3 to 20 Hz (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Therefore, if Fourier analysis is performed on the load signal sa, a frequency peak appears at a position corresponding to the vibration frequency (uterine muscle frequency) of the uterine muscle of the mother S1 in a frequency band of about 3 to 20 Hz. The signal analysis unit 31 specifies the myometrial frequency based on the position of the frequency peak that appears in this frequency band.

In the example shown in FIG. 4B, a frequency peak appears at the position of the frequency ν _1c Hz in the frequency band of about 3 to 20 Hz. Therefore, the signal analysis unit 31 specifies that the myometrial frequency (the center value thereof) is ν _1c Hz. In FIG. 4 (a), which shows an example of the result of Fourier analysis for the load signal sa acquired during a period when the uterus of the mother S1 is not contracted, a frequency peak appears in a frequency band of about 3 to 20 Hz. Absent.

Next, the signal analysis unit 31 includes a component that vibrates at the specified maternal respiratory frequency (ν _1b Hz), a component that vibrates at the maternal heart rate frequency (ν _1h HZ), and the fetus from each of the load signals sa, sb, sc, and sd. A component that vibrates at a heartbeat frequency (ν _2h Hz) and a component that vibrates at a uterine muscle frequency (ν _1c Hz) are separated and extracted. Each of these components is extracted, for example, by performing a band pass filter process on each of the load signals sa to sd.

Hereinafter, the components that vibrate at the maternal respiratory frequency included in the load signals sa, sb, sc, and sd are referred to as maternal respiratory components sa _1b , sb _1b , sc _1b , and sd _1b , respectively. Similarly, components that vibrate at maternal heart rate frequencies included in the load signals sa to sd are maternal heart rate components sa _1h to sd _1h , components that vibrate at fetal heart rate frequencies are vibrated at fetal heart rate components sa _2h to sd _2h , and myometrial frequencies. These components are called uterine contraction components sa _1c to sd _1c .

[Respiration information calculation process, heart rate information calculation process]
In the respiration information calculation step S103, the respiration information calculation unit 32 calculates the respiration rate of the mother S1 based on the value of the maternal respiration frequency specified in the signal analysis step S102. Specifically, this calculation is performed, for example, by converting the maternal respiratory frequency [Hz] into the respiratory rate [times / minute].

In the heart rate information calculation step S104, the heart rate information calculation unit 33 calculates the heart rates of the mother S1 and the fetus S2 based on the values of the maternal heart rate frequency and the fetal heart rate frequency specified in the signal analysis step S102. Specifically, these calculations are also performed, for example, by converting the maternal heart rate [Hz] and the fetal heart rate [Hz] into the heart rate [times / minute].

[Center of gravity calculation process]
In the center of gravity position calculating step S105, the centroid position calculating unit 34, the position of the total center of gravity _{G 0} is a combined center of gravity of the total load exerted on the bed BD, maternal breathing centroid _{G 1b} based on maternal respiratory component _sa 1b ~ _{sd 1b} The position of the maternal heart rate center G _1h based on the position, the maternal heart rate components sa _1h to sd _1h, and the position of the fetal heart rate center G _2h based on the fetal heart rate components sa _2h to sd _2h are calculated.

The calculation of each barycentric position is performed by the following calculation. On the bed BD, XY coordinates are set as shown in FIG. 2, and the coordinates of the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d are set to (X _a , Y _a ), (X _b , Y _b ), (X _c ), respectively. , Y _c ), (X _d , Y _d ), and the load detection values of the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d are W _a , W _b , W _c , and W _d , respectively, are added to the bed BD. The center-of-gravity position G (X, Y) of the loaded load is calculated by the following equation.

Here, the output values at the respective sampling times of the load signals sa, sb, sc, sd are used as the detected values W _a , W _b , W _c , W _d of the loads of the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d. in the position of the total center of gravity G ₀ of each sampling time is calculated.

Similarly, by using the output values at each sampling time of the maternal respiratory components sa _1b to sd _1b as the detected load values W _a , W _b , W _c , and W _d of the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d. The position of the maternal heart centroid G _1b at each sampling time is calculated, and the output value at each sampling time of the maternal heart rate components sa _1h to sd _1h is used to calculate the position of the maternal heart centroid G _1h at each sampling time. Then, the position of the fetal heart rate center G _2h at each sampling time is calculated by using the output values at each sampling time of the fetal heart rate components sa _2h to sd _2h .

The overall center of gravity G ₀ , the maternal breathing center of gravity G _1b , the maternal heart rate center of gravity G _1h , and the fetal heart rate center of gravity G _2h have the following characteristics.

Position of the total center of gravity G ₀ is the position of the center of gravity of the total load exerted on the bed BD, if entity applies a load to the bed BD is only subject S, the position of the combined center of gravity of the mother S1 and the fetus S2 It becomes.

Since the maternal respiratory centroid G _1b and the maternal heart rate centroid G _1h are the centroid positions calculated based on the maternal respiratory components sa _1b to sd _1b and the maternal heart rate components sa _1h to sd _1h , respectively, The position is closer to the center of gravity of the parent S1 alone than the combined center of gravity. The maternal respiratory centroid G _1b and the maternal heart rate centroid G _1h move due to both the movement of the mother S1 and the movement of the fetus S2, but are more affected by the movement of the mother S1 than the movement of the fetus S2. In addition, even when a load caused by a person other than the subject S (a load by an inanimate object such as a bag or a visitor) is applied to the bed BD, the vibration frequency of these loads generally has maternal respiratory components sa _1b to sd _1b and a maternal heart rate. Since the vibration frequencies of the components sa _1h to sd _1h are different, the maternal respiratory centroid G _1b and the maternal heart rate centroid G _1h are not affected by these loads.

The fetal heart rate center of gravity G _2h is a position of the center of gravity calculated based on the fetal heart rate components sa _2h to sd _2h, and thus is closer to the center of gravity of the fetus S2 alone than the combined center of gravity of the mother S1 and the fetus S2. The fetal heartbeat center of gravity _G2h moves due to both the movement of the mother S1 and the movement of the fetus S2, but is more affected by the movement of the fetus S2 than the movement of the mother S1. In addition, even when a load caused by a person other than the subject S (a load by an inanimate object such as a bag or a visitor) is applied on the bed BD, the vibration frequency of these loads is generally the vibration frequency of the fetal heartbeat components sa _2h to sd _2h . The fetal heart rate center of gravity _G2h is not affected by these loads.

The positions of the obtained total center of gravity G ₀ , maternal respiratory center of gravity G _1b , maternal heart rate center of gravity G _1h , and fetal heart rate center of gravity G _{2 h} , and the total center of gravity locus GT ₀ , which is the trajectory of these temporal fluctuations, and the maternal respiratory center of gravity locus GT _1b , the maternal heart rate centroid locus GT _1h , and the fetal heart rate centroid locus GT _2h are stored in the storage unit 4.

[Status monitoring process, output process]
In the state monitoring step S106, the state monitoring unit 35 monitors various pregnancy states using at least one of various waveforms and various information calculated in the above steps. In the output step S107, various outputs (display on the display unit 5, notification by the notification unit 6, communication via the communication unit 7, etc.) based on the monitoring result in the state monitoring step S106 are performed.

The state monitoring performed in the state monitoring unit 35 includes, for example, (1) pregnancy test, (2) uterine contraction state monitoring, (3) fetal heartbeat monitoring, (4) non-stress test, and (5) delivery time estimation. , (6) broken water monitoring, (7) labor monitoring.

(1) Pregnancy test When the frequency band of about 0.5 to 3.3 Hz of the frequency spectrum obtained in the signal analysis step S102 is observed, if a fetus is not present in the maternal uterus, it is alone at a position corresponding to the maternal heart rate frequency. However, when a fetus is present in the womb of the mother, frequency peaks appear at a position corresponding to the maternal heartbeat frequency and at a position corresponding to the fetal heartbeat frequency.

Therefore, a pregnancy test can be performed based on whether or not two frequency peaks appear in the frequency band of about 0.5 to 3.3 Hz of the frequency spectrum obtained in the signal analysis step S102. It is also possible to determine the number of fetuses based on the number of frequency peaks that appear. For example, if the number of frequency peaks is three, it can be determined that the number of fetuses is two. The determination result is displayed on the display unit 5.

(2) Monitoring of uterine contraction The uterus of the mother during pregnancy contracts due to various causes such as fatigue of the mother. Uterine contractions are perceived by the mother as abdominal tension or pain. Labor pain that occurs just before parturition is due to strong contraction of the uterus.

The monitoring of the uterine contraction state by the state monitoring unit 35 is performed as follows, for example.

The state monitoring unit 35 determines whether or not uterine contraction occurs in the mother S1 based on whether or not a frequency peak appears in a frequency band of about 3 to 20 Hz of the frequency spectrum obtained in the signal analysis step S102. To do. Specifically, when a frequency peak appears in the frequency band of about 3 to 20 Hz of the frequency spectrum obtained in the signal analysis step S102, it is determined that uterine contraction occurs in the mother S1, and the frequency peak appears. If not, it is determined that no uterine contraction has occurred in the mother S1.

Further, the state monitoring unit 35 estimates the strength of the uterine contraction based on the amplitude of the waveform of the uterine contraction components sa _1c to sd _1c obtained in the signal analysis step S102. Specifically, if the amplitude is large, it is estimated that the strength of uterine contraction is large, and if the amplitude is small, it is estimated that the strength of uterine contraction is small.

The presence or absence of uterine contraction and the strength of uterine contraction determined by the state monitoring unit 35 are displayed on the display unit 5. The state monitoring unit 35 uses the notification unit 6 when the uterine contraction state satisfies a predetermined standard, for example, when the uterine contraction continues for a predetermined time or when the uterine contraction intensity exceeds a predetermined value. Notification using the communication unit 7 or communication using the communication unit 7 may be performed to notify the doctor or midwife of the monitoring result.

(3) Monitoring of fetal heart rate The state monitoring unit 35 is based on the waveforms of the fetal heart rate components sa _2h to sd _2h obtained in the signal analysis step S102 and the heart rate of the fetus S2 calculated in the heart rate information calculation step S104. The heartbeat state of the fetus S2 can be monitored.

The state monitoring unit 35 determines that the heart rate of the fetus S2 is abnormal when the heart rate of the fetus S2 deviates from the normal value range (for example, 120 to 160 [times / min]), and the display unit 5 This may be displayed on the screen. In addition, notification using the notification unit 6 or communication using the communication unit 7 may be performed to notify the doctor or midwife of the determination result.

(4) Non-stress test The state monitoring unit 35 can also execute a non-stress test (NST) by performing monitoring of the heartbeat state of the fetus S2 and monitoring of the uterine contraction state of the mother S1 in parallel.

The non-stress test is a test conducted in obstetrics in the second trimester of pregnancy mainly to check whether the fetus has the ability to withstand stress during labor. This is executed by detecting the state of uterine contraction in synchronization. Doctors and midwives determine whether or not the fetus can withstand stress during delivery by observing the fetal heartbeat and the maternal uterine contraction in synchronization. Specifically, for example, if symptoms such as a significant decrease in the heart rate of the fetus are observed when the mother's uterus contracts, the fetus determines that the fetus is not capable of withstanding the contraction of the uterus during delivery. Consider caesarean delivery.

The state monitoring unit 35 synchronizes and monitors the waveforms of the uterine contraction components sa _1c to sd _1c and the fetal heart rate components sa _2h to sd _2h obtained in the signal analysis step S102, so that the fetus can respond to stress during delivery. Determine whether you have the ability to withstand. Alternatively, the determination by the state monitoring unit 35 may not be performed, and the waveforms of the uterine contraction components sa _1c to sd _{1c and} the waveforms of the fetal heart rate components sa _2h to sd _2h may be synchronized and displayed on the display unit 5.

(5) Estimating the labor generation time When the month arrives and the delivery time approaches, the fetus in the mother's uterus moves toward the uterine ostium and places the head in the mother's pelvis. It is known that fetal fetal movement decreases when the fetal head enters the maternal pelvis. Moreover, when a fetus reaches such a state, it is common for labor to occur shortly before delivery.

The state monitoring unit 35 compares the position of the maternal respiratory centroid G _1b and / or the maternal heart centroid G _{1h with} the position of the fetal heart centroid G _2h , and the position of the fetal heart centroid G _2h is the maternal respiratory centroid G _1b and / or Alternatively, it is estimated that the fetus S2 has moved in the womb of the mother S1 toward the uterine ostium based on the downward movement relative to the position of the mother heart rate center of gravity _G1h . Further, the state monitoring unit 35 estimates that the head of the fetus S2 has entered the pelvis of the mother S1 based on the decrease in the frequency of movement of the fetal heart rate center of gravity _G2h .

The state monitoring unit 35 performs these estimations (estimation that the fetus S2 has moved in the womb of the mother S1 toward the uterine ostium and / or that the head of the fetus S2 has entered the pelvis of the mother S1). Based on the above, it can be estimated that the time of labor pain, and thus the time of delivery is approaching. The estimation result may be displayed on the display unit 5, or may be notified to the doctor or midwife by performing notification using the notification unit 6 or communication using the communication unit 7.

(6) Water breakage monitoring Water breakage (a phenomenon where the fetal membrane surrounding the fetus is torn and the amniotic fluid in the uterus flows out of the uterus) occurs after labor occurs immediately before parturition and may occur before labor occurs. is there. The state monitoring unit 35 can detect that water breakage has occurred in the mother body S1 by the following method.

When water breakage occurs in the mother S1, the amniotic fluid in the uterus of the mother S1 flows out of the mother S1 through the uterine ostium and vagina. Thereby, amniotic fluid, which is an inanimate object separate from the subject S, appears on the upper surface of the bed BD. Accordingly, the position of the overall center of gravity G ₀ varies due to the addition of a load by amniotic fluid that is an inanimate object separate from the subject S.

In addition, the amniotic fluid present in the body (in the womb) of the mother S1 is removed by water breakage. Therefore, the position of the maternal respiratory centroid G _1b and / or the maternal heart rate centroid G _1h shows a variation in a predetermined mode by removing a certain weight that is unevenly distributed in a part of the body of the mother S1.

That is, by maternal S1 is discharged to the outside of the amniotic fluid from the body, the position of the total center of gravity G ₀ moves downward, the position variation of certain aspects of maternal respiratory center of gravity G _1b and / or maternal heart center of gravity G _1h Show. State monitoring unit 35 determines that the total center-of-gravity G _0, maternal respiratory center of gravity G _1b and / or the maternal heart center of gravity G _1h based on that shown such movement, there is a water broke maternal S1. The determination result is notified to the mother S1, the doctor, the midwife, and the like using the display unit 5, the notification unit 6, and / or the communication unit 7.

(7) Labor monitoring When the labor is approaching, the uterus of the mother S1 contracts more strongly than the contraction in the pregnancy process. This contraction causes labor in the mother S1. Labor is divided into periodic main labor and aperiodic precursor labor that occurs before the main pain. In addition, main labor pains occur at a period of about 10 to 15 minutes at first, and the period of occurrence becomes shorter as the delivery approaches.

The state monitoring unit 35 can monitor the labor situation of the mother S1 based on the determination of whether or not uterine contraction occurs in the mother S1. When it is necessary to determine whether or not the uterine contraction occurring in the mother S1 is related to labor, it is estimated based on, for example, the amplitude of the waveform of the uterine contraction components sa _1c to sd _1c. The determination may be made based on whether or not the strength of the uterine contraction exceeds a predetermined value, and whether or not it is a time when labor should occur in the mother S1 (for example, the head of the fetus S2 is the pelvis of the mother S1) The determination may be made based on whether or not

The labor monitoring by the state monitoring unit 35 is specifically performed as follows, for example.

The state monitoring unit 35 determines whether or not uterine contraction has occurred in the mother S1, that is, whether or not labor has occurred in the mother S1, at a predetermined sampling period (as an example, 5 seconds). If the determination result of the presence or absence of uterine contraction changes from “none” to “present” at a predetermined sampling time t ₀ (FIG. 5), the sampling time t ₀ is stored in the storage unit 4 as the labor start time t _s1 .

Next, when the determination result of the presence or absence of uterine contraction is changed from “present” to “absent” at the predetermined sampling time t ₁ , the state monitoring unit 35 stores the sampling time t ₁ as labor pain end time t _e1. The labor pain duration time D is calculated based on the difference between the labor pain start time t _s1 and the labor pain end time t _e1 .

Then, the state monitoring section 35, when the determination result of the presence or absence of uterine contractions at the predetermined sampling time t ₂ is turned to "Yes" from again "no", the storage unit sampling time t ₂ as the onset of labor time t _s2 4, and the labor cycle T is calculated based on the difference between the labor pain disclosure time t _s1 and the labor pain start time t _s2 .

If the calculated labor cycle T exceeds a predetermined length (for example, 1 hour), the state monitoring unit 35 determines that labor is not periodic, and between the sampling time t ₀ and the sampling time t _1. It is determined that the labor pain that occurred was a precursor labor pain. In addition, without calculating the labor cycle T, for example, when a predetermined time (1 hour as an example) has elapsed from the labor end time t _e1 , labor pain generated between the sampling time t ₀ and the sampling time t ₁ is a precursor. It may be determined that it was labor pains.

On the other hand, if the calculated labor period T is a first predetermined value (as an example, about 10 to 15 minutes), the state monitoring unit 35 may have labor that has occurred between the sampling time t ₀ and the sampling time t ₁ . the labor that started the sampling time t _2, the judges that both are present labor having periodicity. After that, every time the end of labor and the start of the next labor occurs, the calculation of labor duration D and the labor cycle T are repeated, and the labor cycle T is set to a second predetermined value (for example, about 5 to 7 minutes). It is determined whether or not there is.

When the state monitoring unit 35 determines that the labor period T is the second predetermined value, the state monitoring unit 35 determines that the subject S is about to deliver and displays the fact on the display unit 5 and various outputs. I do.

Specifically, for example, when the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 is used together with a bed in a hospital room, the doctor / midwife is informed of the approaching delivery time through the communication unit 7 and the in-hospital line. Upon receiving this notification, the doctor / midwife can start various human and physical preparations for delivery.

When the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 is used with a bed at home, the subject S is urged to go to the maternity hospital via the notification unit 6. Moreover, while communicating with a taxi company etc. via the communication part 7 and requesting a vehicle allocation, it notifies the maternity hospital that the subject S will soon go to the maternity hospital. At this time, the maternity hospital may be notified of the respiratory rate and heart rate of the mother S1, the heart rate of the fetus S2, the labor cycle T, and the labor duration D together. In addition, if it is determined that it is necessary based on the respiratory rate and heart rate of the mother S1, the heart rate of the fetus S2, etc., an ambulance may be arranged instead of dispatching a taxi.

The effects of the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of this embodiment are summarized below.

The pregnancy status monitoring system 100 according to the present embodiment determines the uterine contraction state of the mother S1 based on the load signals from the load detectors 1a to 1d arranged under the legs of the bed BD. Therefore, according to the pregnancy state monitoring system 100 of the present embodiment, the uterine contraction state (including the state of labor) of the mother S1 can be monitored non-invasively. Moreover, there is no trouble of attaching the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 to the mother S1, and there is no possibility that the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 will fall off the mother S1.

The pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the present embodiment can monitor the heart rate of the fetus S2 based on the load signals from the load detectors 1a to 1d arranged under the legs of the bed BD. Therefore, unlike the conventional method of detecting the fetal heart sound by attaching an ultrasonic probe to the abdomen of the mother S1, no matter what posture the fetus takes in the uterus (that is, the fetal heart is the surface of the abdomen of the mother). The heart rate of the fetus can be monitored well, even if it is far from the device.

The state of uterine contraction of the mother S1 and the state of heartbeat of the fetus S2 can be observed in synchronization with the pregnancy state monitoring system 100 of the present embodiment. Therefore, if the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the present embodiment is installed in a hospital, a non-stress test that has conventionally been performed by attaching a plurality of sensors to the mother's abdomen can be performed non-invasively. In addition, if the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of this embodiment is installed at the home of a pregnant woman, for example, the state of contraction of the uterus of the mother S1 and the state of the heartbeat of the fetus S2 that have reached the final month can be constantly monitored. It is possible to quickly detect this situation and take an appropriate response.

Further, by using the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the present embodiment together with the delivery table in the delivery room, the state of contraction of the uterus of the mother S1 and the state of the heartbeat of the fetus S2 during delivery can be monitored non-invasively. it can. That is, the conventional delivery monitoring device can be replaced with the pregnancy status monitoring system 100. The pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the present embodiment can be used simply by placing the load detectors 1a to 1d under the legs of the delivery table, so that, for example, in the delivery process requiring emergency, the time for attaching the sensor to the mother S1 is omitted. There are effects such as being able to.

If the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the present embodiment is installed at a pregnant woman's home, for example, a pregnant woman who has reached the final month can foresee the start of labor based on the fact that the head of the fetus has settled in the pelvis. As described above, increasing the predictability of labor start time is very effective in eliminating the anxiety of pregnant women. Moreover, for example, even when a pregnant woman who has reached the final month breaks water during sleep, this can be detected quickly and appropriate notification can be made.

By installing the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 according to the present embodiment at the home of a pregnant woman and performing labor pain monitoring, for example, even a primiparous woman can accurately grasp the period of labor pains and move to a hospital at an appropriate timing. it can. Moreover, if the pregnancy state monitoring system 100 of this embodiment is installed in the labor room of a hospital, it is possible to determine an appropriate timing for moving a pregnant woman to the delivery room without bothering the doctor or midwife.

<Modification>
In the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the above-described embodiment, it is possible to adopt the following modification.

The above embodiments of pregnancy monitoring system 100 may display the position and maternal respiratory center of gravity trajectory GT _1b maternal respiratory center of gravity G _1b maternal S1, calculated by the gravity center position calculating step S105 on the display unit 5.

If the pregnancy state monitoring system 100 having such a configuration is used with a delivery table, a doctor or midwife who is a user monitors the breathing state of the mother S1 based on the movement of the mother breathing center of gravity _G1b , It is possible to encourage the mother S1 during labor to perform appropriate breathing. Specifically, for example, the doctor determines that the mother S1 stops breathing and is excessively strong based on the fact that the mother's breathing gravity center _G1b is stopped, and relaxes the mother S1 to continue breathing. Prompt.

The pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the above embodiment may be configured to perform a pregnancy test based on the frequency spectrum obtained in the signal analysis step S102 in advance, and to perform labor monitoring only when it is determined that the fetus S2 exists.

When performing labor monitoring using the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the above-described embodiment, the Fourier analysis in the signal analysis step S102 may obtain only the frequency spectrum in the frequency band of 3 Hz to 20 Hz. In addition, the sampling period for determining the presence or absence of labor by the state monitoring unit 35 is set to be longer (for example, 30 seconds to 1 minute) when the labor period T is long, and becomes shorter as the labor period becomes shorter (for example, 1 to 1). (5 seconds). By adopting these configurations, it is possible to reduce the processing load without impairing the accuracy of labor monitoring.

In the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the above embodiment, the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d are not limited to load sensors using a beam-type load cell, and for example, force sensors can be used.

In the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the above embodiment, the number of load detectors is not limited to four. Five or more load detectors may be used with additional legs on the bed BD. Or you may arrange | position a load detector only to three of the legs of bed BD. Even when there are three load detectors, if they are not arranged in a straight line, the center-of-gravity position G of the subject S on the bed BD surface can be detected.

In the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the above embodiment, the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d are respectively disposed below the casters Ca, Cb, Cc, and Cd attached to the lower ends of the legs of the bed BD. However, it is not limited to this. Each of the load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d may be provided between the four legs of the bed BD and the floor plate of the bed BD, or the four legs of the bed BD can be divided vertically. For example, it may be provided between the upper leg and the lower leg. Similarly, when a delivery table or a stretcher is used instead of the bed BD, the load detector may be incorporated in the leg of the delivery table or the stretcher. In the present specification and the present invention, the “load detector provided on the mounting table” means a load detector provided between the four legs of the bed BD and the floor plate of the bed BD as described above. This means a load detector incorporated in a part of the mounting table (eg, leg).

The load detectors 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d may be integrated with the bed BD, and the bed system BDS including the bed BD and the body condition monitoring system 100 of the present embodiment may be configured (FIG. 6).

In the above embodiment, a signal amplification unit that amplifies the load signal from the load detection unit 1 and a filtering unit that removes noise from the load signal are provided between the load detection unit 1 and the A / D conversion unit 2. May be.

In the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 of the above embodiment, the display unit 5 is not limited to displaying information on the monitor so that the user can visually recognize it. For example, the display unit 5 may be a printer that periodically prints and outputs the pregnancy status of the subject S. Furthermore, the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 does not have to include the display unit 5 and may only have an output terminal for outputting information. A monitor (display device) or the like for performing display is connected to the pregnancy status monitoring system 100 via the output terminal.

In addition, although the alerting | reporting part 6 of the said embodiment performed alerting | reporting auditorily, the alerting | reporting part 6 may be the structure which alert | reports visually by blinking of light etc., and is the structure which alert | reports by vibration. There may be. Moreover, the pregnancy state monitoring system 100 of the said embodiment does not need to have the alerting | reporting part 6. FIG.

In addition, in the pregnancy state monitoring system 100 of the said embodiment, the components connected by wiring may be connected by radio | wireless, respectively.

As long as the characteristics of the present invention are maintained, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and other forms conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention. .

According to the pregnancy status monitoring system of the present invention, various maternal and fetal conditions related to pregnancy can be monitored non-invasively. Therefore, if this is used in a hospital or a pregnant woman's home, the pregnancy status can be monitored more frequently without increasing the burden on the pregnant woman.

1 load detector, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d load detector, 2 A / D converter, 3 controller, 31 signal analyzer, 32 breath information calculator, 33 heart rate information calculator, 34 barycentric position calculator, 35 Status monitoring unit, 4 storage unit, 5 display unit, 6 notification unit, 7 communication unit, 8 input unit, 100 pregnancy status monitoring system, BD bed, BDS bed system S subject, S1 mother, S2 fetus

Claims (5)

1. A pregnancy status monitoring system for monitoring the condition of a mother on a mounting table and / or a fetus in the womb of the mother,
   At least one load detector that is provided under a mounting table or a leg of the mounting table and detects temporal changes in the load of the mother and the fetus;
   A signal analyzer for obtaining a frequency spectrum of temporal variation of the weight of the mother and the fetus;
   A pregnancy monitoring system comprising: a state monitoring unit that determines whether contraction has occurred in the uterus of the mother based on the obtained frequency spectrum.
2. The pregnancy state monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the state monitoring unit further obtains a cycle in which contraction occurs in the maternal uterus.
3. The pregnancy state monitoring system according to claim 2, further comprising an output unit that performs a predetermined output based on a period in which contraction of the mother's uterus reaches a predetermined value.
4. The signal analysis unit separates a load component that vibrates according to the fetal heartbeat included in the temporal variation of the maternal and fetal load,
   The pregnancy state monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the state monitoring unit monitors the state of the heartbeat of the fetus based on a load component that vibrates according to the heartbeat of the fetus.
5. The at least one load detector is a plurality of load detectors;
   Furthermore, a center-of-gravity position calculation unit for obtaining the position of the center of gravity of the mother and / or the fetus from the load of the mother and the fetus,
   The signal analysis unit separates a load component that vibrates in accordance with breathing of the mother included in temporal variation of the load of the mother and the fetus,
   The pregnancy status monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the center-of-gravity position calculation unit obtains the position of the center of gravity of the mother based on a load component that vibrates in accordance with breathing of the mother.

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