Multi-mode Doppler fetal monitor

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of medical diagnosis, in particular to a multi-mode Doppler fetal monitor which comprises a TYPE-C connecting line, a uterine contraction probe and a plurality of Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes, and the Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes have different ultrasonic working frequencies. A plurality of Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes with different ultrasonic working frequencies are provided, so that the problem that a single fixed-frequency probe is difficult to adapt to all clinical scenes due to individual differences of pregnant women is fundamentally solved. Specifically, a user or a medical worker can flexibly select and replace the Doppler fetal heart replaceable probe most suitable for the current penetration depth requirement according to the real-time monitoring condition or the judgment of individual differences, so that the optimal penetration depth and signal quality can be obtained under different clinical conditions; and the defects of monitoring blind areas and unstable signals caused by fixed frequency are effectively overcome.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical diagnostic technology, and in particular to a multimodal Doppler fetal monitor. Background Technology

[0002] Fetal heart rate monitoring is a core component of prenatal examinations and intrapartum monitoring for assessing fetal well-being in utero, and it has irreplaceable value in the early detection of fetal distress and guiding clinical intervention. Traditional fetal heart stethoscopes rely on the operator's experience and are difficult to use for continuous and objective recording; while electronic fetal heart rate monitors based on fetal electrocardiograms or phonocardiograms are easily affected by maternal signals and cannot be widely used in the early prenatal period.

[0003] Currently, fetal heart rate monitors based on the Doppler ultrasound principle have become the mainstream non-invasive monitoring devices. They emit ultrasound waves into the mother's abdomen through a probe and receive frequency-shifted signals reflected from the fetal heart valves and ventricular walls. After processing, the instantaneous fetal heart rate is obtained, offering significant advantages such as real-time monitoring, intuitive operation, and high sensitivity.

[0004] However, in clinical applications, the ultrasound waves emitted by the probes of existing Doppler fetal heart monitors are at a fixed frequency. There are huge individual differences in the abdominal wall thickness, fat layer structure, placental location, amniotic fluid volume, and fetal position of different pregnant women. This makes it difficult for ultrasound waves of a single frequency to achieve the optimal penetration depth and signal quality in all clinical scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multimodal Doppler fetal monitor that solves the problem that in the clinical application of existing ultrasound Doppler fetal heart monitors, the ultrasound waves emitted by the probe are at a fixed frequency. However, there are huge individual differences among pregnant women in terms of abdominal wall thickness, fat layer structure, placental location, amniotic fluid volume, and fetal position. This makes it difficult for a single frequency ultrasound wave to achieve optimal penetration depth and signal quality in all clinical scenarios.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a multimodal Doppler fetal monitor, which includes a TYPE-C connector, a uterine contraction probe, and a replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probe. One end of the TYPE-C connector is connected to the uterine contraction probe, and the other end of the TYPE-C connector is connected to the replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probe. The uterine contraction probe is used to collect uterine contraction pressure signals; The Doppler fetal heart rate replacement probe is multiple, and each of the multiple Doppler fetal heart rate replacement probes has a different ultrasound working frequency. The multiple Doppler fetal heart rate replacement probes are selected and replaced according to the fetal heart rate depth.

[0007] The contraction probe includes a bottom housing, a pressure sensor, a contraction acquisition motherboard, and a contraction top cover. The pressure sensor is disposed on the bottom surface of the bottom housing, and the contraction acquisition motherboard is installed inside the bottom housing. The contraction acquisition motherboard is electrically connected to the pressure sensor, and the contraction top cover is fastened to the top of the bottom housing. The pressure sensor is used to sense the pressure changes in the mother's abdomen caused by uterine contractions and convert the changes into corresponding electrical signals. The uterine contraction acquisition motherboard is used to receive and preprocess the electrical signals output by the pressure sensor. The preprocessing includes signal amplification, filtering, and analog-to-digital conversion to obtain standardized uterine contraction pressure data.

[0008] Each of the replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probes includes a transducer base shell, a fetal heart rate probe main board, and a fetal heart rate probe top cover. An ultrasonic transducer is encapsulated inside the transducer base shell, and the fetal heart rate probe main board is also installed inside the transducer base shell. The fetal heart rate probe main board is used to drive the ultrasonic transducer to work and to receive and process the Doppler echo signal returned by the ultrasonic transducer. The fetal heart rate probe top cover is fastened to the top of the transducer base shell.

[0009] Each of the replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probes also includes a rechargeable lithium battery, a status indicator light guide, and an operation button. The status indicator light guide and the operation button are integrated on the upper cover of the fetal heart rate probe, and the rechargeable lithium battery is installed inside the replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probe.

[0010] Each of the replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probes has a built-in microprocessor and wireless communication module on its mainboard. The microprocessor is used to calculate the fetal heart rate based on the Doppler echo signal and to calculate the uterine contraction pressure value based on the pressure signal transmitted by the uterine contraction probe. The wireless communication module is used to send the fetal heart rate and uterine contraction pressure value to an external device.

[0011] Each of the replaceable Doppler fetal heart probes has an identification and parameter storage module on its main board. The identification and parameter storage module stores the unique identification of the corresponding probe, the nominal ultrasound frequency, and preset signal processing optimization parameters. The microprocessor on each of the fetal heart rate probe motherboards is configured to automatically report its identity and frequency parameters to external devices through the identity recognition and parameter storage module, so as to assist external devices in displaying, recording and matching the correct data.

[0012] The uterine contraction acquisition motherboard integrates a multi-axis motion sensing module, which is used to synchronously acquire multi-dimensional acceleration and angular velocity signals of the maternal abdomen. The uterine contraction acquisition motherboard is also configured to preprocess the signals from the multi-axis motion sensing module and the uterine contraction pressure signal together, and then transmit them to the fetal heart rate probe motherboard via the TYPE-C connection cable.

[0013] Each of the replaceable Doppler fetal heart probes has a microprocessor that integrates a multimodal data fusion analysis module, which is configured as follows: Frequency domain and time domain analysis is performed on the signals from the multi-axis motion sensing module; Correlation analysis was performed between the labeled fetal movement events and changes in fetal heart rate within the same time window; The uterine contraction pressure signal was compared with the fetal heart rate curve over time.

[0014] This invention discloses a multimodal Doppler fetal monitor, comprising a TYPE-C connector, a uterine contraction probe, and multiple replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probes, each with a different ultrasound operating frequency. By providing multiple replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probes with different ultrasound operating frequencies, the problem of a single fixed-frequency probe being difficult to adapt to all clinical scenarios due to individual differences among pregnant women is fundamentally solved. Specifically, users or medical personnel can flexibly select and replace the Doppler fetal heart rate probe most suitable for the current penetration depth requirement based on real-time monitoring data or judgments of individual differences such as abdominal wall thickness and fetal position. This technical solution achieves precise matching between ultrasound frequency and individualized penetration requirements, thereby ensuring optimal penetration depth and signal quality under different clinical conditions, effectively overcoming the shortcomings of existing technologies caused by fixed frequencies, such as monitoring blind spots and signal instability. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Fig. 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multimodal Doppler fetal monitor provided by the present invention.

[0017] Fig. 2 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the replaceable Doppler fetal heart probe provided by the present invention.

[0018] Fig. 3 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the uterine contraction probe provided by the present invention.

[0019] Fig. 4 This is a block diagram illustrating the operating principle of the multimodal Doppler fetal monitor provided by the present invention.

[0020] 101-TYPE-C connector cable, 102-contraction probe, 103-Doppler fetal heart rate replaceable probe, 104-bottom housing, 105-pressure sensor, 106-contraction acquisition motherboard, 107-contraction top cover, 108-transducer bottom housing, 109-fetal heart rate probe motherboard, 110-fetal heart rate probe top cover, 111-ultrasonic transducer, 112-rechargeable lithium battery, 113-status indicator light guide column, 114-operation buttons, 115-microprocessor, 116-wireless communication module, 117-identity recognition and parameter storage module, 118-multi-axis motion sensing module, 119-multimodal data fusion analysis module. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0022] Please see Figs. 1 to 4 The present invention provides a multimodal Doppler fetal monitor, which includes a TYPE-C connector 101, a uterine contraction probe 102, and a replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probe 103. One end of the TYPE-C connector 101 is connected to the uterine contraction probe 102, and the other end of the TYPE-C connector 101 is connected to the replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probe 103. The uterine contraction probe 102 is used to collect uterine contraction pressure signals; There are multiple Doppler fetal heart rate replacement probes 103, each with a different ultrasound operating frequency, and the multiple Doppler fetal heart rate replacement probes 103 are selected and replaced according to the fetal heart rate depth.

[0023] The ultrasound operating frequencies of the multiple Doppler fetal heart rate replaceable probes 103 include 1MHz, 2MHz, 2.5MHz and 3MHz.

[0024] In this embodiment, by providing multiple replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probes 103 with different ultrasound operating frequencies, the problem that a single fixed-frequency probe is difficult to adapt to all clinical scenarios due to individual differences among pregnant women is fundamentally solved. Specifically, users or medical personnel can flexibly select and replace the Doppler fetal heart rate probe 103 most suitable for the current penetration depth requirement based on real-time monitoring or judgment of individual differences such as abdominal wall thickness and fetal position. This technical solution achieves precise matching between ultrasound frequency and individualized penetration requirements, thereby ensuring optimal penetration depth and signal quality under different clinical conditions, effectively overcoming the shortcomings of monitoring blind spots and signal instability caused by fixed frequencies in existing technologies.

[0025] Furthermore, the contraction probe 102 includes a bottom housing 104, a pressure sensor 105, a contraction acquisition motherboard 106, and a contraction cover 107. The pressure sensor 105 is disposed on the bottom surface of the bottom housing 104, and the contraction acquisition motherboard 106 is installed inside the bottom housing 104. The contraction acquisition motherboard 106 is electrically connected to the pressure sensor 105, and the contraction cover 107 is fastened to the top of the bottom housing 104. The pressure sensor 105 is used to sense the pressure changes in the mother's abdomen caused by uterine contractions and convert the changes into corresponding electrical signals. The uterine contraction acquisition motherboard 106 is used to receive and preprocess the electrical signal output by the pressure sensor 105. The preprocessing includes signal amplification, filtering and analog-to-digital conversion to obtain standardized uterine contraction pressure data.

[0026] In this embodiment, the bottom housing 104 fits snugly against the pregnant woman's abdominal wall to stably transmit pressure. The pressure sensor 105 on the bottom surface is electrically connected to the contraction acquisition motherboard 106, ensuring the real-time and accurate acquisition of pressure signals. The contraction cover 107 forms a sealed cavity after being fastened, effectively protecting the internal electronic components. A strap connection structure (not shown in the figure) can be provided on the outer surface of the contraction cover 107 to securely and comfortably fix the contraction probe 102 to the pregnant woman's abdomen.

[0027] Furthermore, each of the Doppler fetal heart rate replaceable probes 103 includes a transducer base shell 108, a fetal heart rate probe main board 109, and a fetal heart rate probe top cover 110. An ultrasonic transducer 111 is encapsulated inside the transducer base shell 108, and the fetal heart rate probe main board 109 is also installed inside the transducer base shell 108. The fetal heart rate probe main board 109 is used to drive the ultrasonic transducer 111 to work and to receive and process the Doppler echo signal returned by the ultrasonic transducer 111. The fetal heart rate probe top cover 110 is fastened to the top of the transducer base shell 108.

[0028] In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 111, whose nominal frequency is precisely matched, is precisely positioned and encapsulated inside the transducer base shell 108 to ensure transmission and reception performance. The fetal heart probe cover 110 is tightly fastened to the transducer base shell 108, forming a robust protective structure that protects the internal precision circuitry and transducer from physical damage and environmental influences.

[0029] Furthermore, each of the Doppler fetal heart rate replacement probes 103 also includes a rechargeable lithium battery 112, a status indicator light guide post 113, and an operation button 114. The status indicator light guide post 113 and the operation button 114 are both integrated on the fetal heart rate probe cover 110, and the rechargeable lithium battery 112 is installed inside the Doppler fetal heart rate replacement probe 103.

[0030] In this embodiment, the rechargeable lithium battery 112 provides an independent and continuous power supply for the entire Doppler fetal heart rate replaceable probe 103. The status indicator light guide column 113 efficiently guides the internal LED status light to the surface of the housing, visually displaying the device's power, connection, and operating status in different colors or flashing patterns. The operation buttons 114 provide basic human-machine interaction functions such as power on / off and pairing.

[0031] Furthermore, each of the replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probes 103 has a built-in microprocessor 115 and a wireless communication module 116 on its fetal heart rate probe motherboard 109; the microprocessor 115 is used to calculate the fetal heart rate based on the Doppler echo signal and to calculate the uterine contraction pressure value based on the pressure signal transmitted by the uterine contraction probe 102; the wireless communication module 116 is used to send the fetal heart rate and uterine contraction pressure value to an external device.

[0032] In this embodiment, the microprocessor 115 integrates a dedicated digital signal processing algorithm to perform fast Fourier transform or autocorrelation analysis on the received Doppler echoes, calculate the accurate instantaneous fetal heart rate in real time, and calibrate and calculate the uterine contraction pressure data. The wireless communication module 116 establishes a stable, low-power connection with an external terminal, enabling real-time wireless transmission and remote display of monitoring data, thus improving ease of use and flexibility.

[0033] Furthermore, each of the Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes 103 is equipped with an identification and parameter storage module 117 on the fetal heart probe mainboard 109. The identification and parameter storage module 117 pre-stores the unique identification of the corresponding probe, the nominal ultrasound frequency, and the preset signal processing optimization parameters. The microprocessor 115 on each of the fetal heart rate probe motherboards 109 is configured to automatically report its identity and frequency parameters to external devices through the identity recognition and parameter storage module 117, so as to assist external devices in displaying, recording and matching protocols correctly.

[0034] In this embodiment, the identity recognition and parameter storage module 117 (such as an EEPROM chip) enables each of the replaceable Doppler fetal heart rate probes 103 to have a unique "digital ID card" and "personalized parameters." Furthermore, the microprocessor 115 reports its identity and frequency parameters to external devices to assist them in correctly displaying, recording, and matching protocols.

[0035] Furthermore, the uterine contraction acquisition motherboard 106 integrates a multi-axis motion sensing module 118, which is used to synchronously acquire multi-dimensional acceleration and angular velocity signals of the mother's abdomen. The uterine contraction acquisition motherboard 106 is also configured to preprocess the signal from the multi-axis motion sensing module 118 together with the uterine contraction pressure signal, and then transmit it to the fetal heart rate probe motherboard 109 via the TYPE-C connection cable 101.

[0036] In this embodiment, the multi-axis motion sensing module 118 (such as a combination of a MEMS accelerometer and a gyroscope) integrated on the uterine contraction acquisition motherboard 106 synchronously captures multidimensional micro-vibrations on the abdominal surface caused by fetal movement or maternal movement without adding an additional independent probe. The uterine contraction acquisition motherboard 106 performs preliminary filtering and digitization on the raw motion signal, packages it with uterine contraction pressure data, and transmits it through the digital channel of the TYPE-C connector 101, providing an additional, synchronous source of physiological motion information for the fetal heart rate probe motherboard 109.

[0037] Furthermore, each of the microprocessors 115 on the replaceable Doppler fetal heart probe 103 also integrates a multimodal data fusion analysis module 119, which is configured to: Frequency and time domain analyses are performed on the signals from the multi-axis motion sensing module 118. Correlation analysis was performed between the labeled fetal movement events and changes in fetal heart rate within the same time window; The uterine contraction pressure signal was compared with the fetal heart rate curve over time.

[0038] In this embodiment, the multimodal data fusion analysis module 119 first performs time-frequency analysis (such as calculating energy in specific frequency bands) on the signal from the multi-axis motion sensing module 118, automatically identifying and marking fetal movement events. Then, the multimodal data fusion analysis module 119 correlates the fetal movement event markers with the corresponding fetal heart rate curve to analyze whether there are characteristic fetal heart rate accelerations accompanying fetal movement, in order to assess fetal nervous system responsiveness. Simultaneously, the multimodal data fusion analysis module 119 continuously compares the temporal relationship between the uterine contraction pressure waveform and the fetal heart rate curve, automatically identifying characteristic fetal heart rate deceleration patterns (such as early deceleration, variable deceleration, or late deceleration) occurring during or after contractions, and generating corresponding prompts or markers, providing intelligent, multi-dimensional decision support information for clinical assessment.

[0039] The above description discloses only one preferred embodiment of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes of the above embodiments can be implemented, and equivalent changes made in accordance with the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A multi-modal Doppler fetal monitor, characterized in that, it comprises a TYPE-C connecting line, a uterine contraction probe and multiple Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes, one end of the TYPE-C connecting line is connected with the uterine contraction probe, the other end of the TYPE-C connecting line is connected with the Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes; the uterine contraction probe is used for collecting uterine contraction pressure signals; the multiple Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes have different ultrasonic working frequencies respectively, and the multiple Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes are replaced according to fetal heart depths.

2. The multi-modal Doppler fetal monitor according to claim 1, characterized in that, the uterine contraction probe comprises a bottom shell, a pressure sensor, a uterine contraction collection mainboard and a uterine contraction upper cover, the bottom surface of the bottom shell is provided with the pressure sensor, the inside of the bottom shell is installed with the uterine contraction collection mainboard, the uterine contraction collection mainboard is electrically connected with the pressure sensor, and the uterine contraction upper cover is buckled on the top end of the bottom shell; the pressure sensor is used for sensing pressure changes of the maternal abdomen caused by uterine contraction and converting the changes into corresponding electrical signals; the uterine contraction collection mainboard is used for receiving and pre-processing electrical signals output by the pressure sensor, the pre-processing includes signal amplification, filtering and analog-digital conversion, so as to obtain standardized uterine contraction pressure data.

3. The multi-modal Doppler fetal monitor according to claim 2, characterized in that, each of the multiple Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes comprises a transducer bottom shell, a fetal heart probe mainboard and a fetal heart probe upper cover, the transducer bottom shell is encapsulated with an ultrasonic transducer, the inside of the transducer bottom shell is further installed with the fetal heart probe mainboard, the fetal heart probe mainboard is used for driving the ultrasonic transducer to work and receiving and processing Doppler echo signals returned by the ultrasonic transducer, and the fetal heart probe upper cover is buckled on the top end of the transducer bottom shell.

4. The multi-modal Doppler fetal monitor according to claim 3, characterized in that, each of the multiple Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes further comprises a rechargeable lithium battery, a state indication light guide column and an operation button, the state indication light guide column and the operation button are integrated on the fetal heart probe upper cover, and the rechargeable lithium battery is installed inside the Doppler fetal heart replaceable probe.

5. The multi-modal Doppler fetal monitor according to claim 4, characterized in that, the fetal heart probe mainboard on each of the multiple Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes is internally provided with a microprocessor and a wireless communication module; the microprocessor is used for calculating a fetal heart rate according to Doppler echo signals and calculating a uterine contraction pressure value according to pressure signals transmitted by the uterine contraction probe, and the wireless communication module is used for sending the fetal heart rate and the uterine contraction pressure value to an external device.

6. The multi-modal Doppler fetal monitor according to claim 5, characterized in that, the fetal heart probe mainboard on each of the multiple Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes is provided with an identity recognition and parameter storage module, the identity recognition and parameter storage module pre-stores a unique identity of a corresponding probe, a nominal ultrasonic frequency and preset signal processing optimization parameters. The microprocessor on each of the fetal heart probe mainboards is configured to automatically report its identity and frequency parameters to an external device through the identity recognition and parameter storage module, to assist the external device in correct data display, recording and protocol matching. 7.The multi-modal Doppler fetal monitor of claim 6, wherein, The uterine contraction acquisition mainboard is integrated with a multi-axis motion sensing module, which is configured to synchronously acquire multi-dimensional acceleration and angular velocity signals of the maternal abdomen. The uterine contraction acquisition mainboard is further configured to transmit the signals of the multi-axis motion sensing module and the uterine contraction pressure signals to the fetal heart probe mainboard through the TYPE-C connecting line after preprocessing. 8.The multi-modal Doppler fetal monitor of claim 7, wherein, The microprocessor on each of the multi-modal Doppler fetal heart replaceable probes is further integrated with a multi-modal data fusion analysis module, which is configured to: perform frequency domain and time domain analysis on the signals from the multi-axis motion sensing module; perform correlation analysis on the marked fetal movement events and the fetal heart rate changes in the same time window; perform time sequence comparison between the uterine contraction pressure signals and the fetal heart rate curve.

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