Introduction

Monica Healthcare has developed the world's first commercially available wireless fetal maternal monitor using abdominally sensed fetal/maternal ECG and uterine EMG (EHG) signals.

The new monitor offers a radical alternative to conventional Doppler and external TOCO fetal monitoring. The technique is based on the passive acquisition and advanced processing of the tiny electrophysiological signals present on the maternal abdomen. Signals can be detected from 20 weeks through to labour and delivery (L&D).

The system uses five electrodes placed around the mother's abdomen connected to a small (~100g) wearable device.

Safely monitoring maternal and fetal wellbeing during pregnancy and L&D to predict and manage both fetal and maternal compromise has been the focus for technology development over the past 40 years.  Fetal distress, over stimulation of the uterus and failure to progress during labour, unexplained still births, premature labour and identifying maternal/fetal complications such as Intra-Uterine-Growth-Retardation (IUGR) are all significant concerns. How to manage these, and a number of other medical problems including diabetic and clinically obese pregnancies, and the legal-medical issues associated with today's obstetric practice, without resorting to hospitalisation and overzealous defensive management is a significant and important global challenge.

Monica Healthcare offers a unique solution to meet this challenge, allowing both the mother and fetus to be unobtrusively and continuously monitored for long periods both at home or in the hospital. Four key aspects of the technology are:

• Entirely passive
• No belting, no adjustment after set-up, and no user intervention
• Wireless monitoring offering total freedom to move for the monitored women
• Can be operated by the mother at home with little training