Monica Healthcare's device can be operated by pregnant women both at home or in the hospital

Apr 30, 2007 11:07 GMT  ·  By

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed a device that will help pregnant women worry less about their unborn child's health. Monica Healthcare's AN 24 electrophysiological monitor allows pregnant women and their doctors to check on an unborn baby's health.

It's actually the first device that allows future moms and doctors to monitor a baby's health status outside the hospital. The fetal monitor has gone from the research tag to the medically approved product in only two years, but it's still in the testing phase though. Researchers said that they created a state-of-the-art device which can gauge for both heart rates as well as fetal position.

The pocket-sized device operates on battery power, weighs under 100-grams and performs "non-intrusive passive monitoring". The highly sensitive device can detect 0.00000001 volts, meaning it can differentiate between a pregnant woman and her baby's heart signals. Moreover, it can transmit real time FHR/MHR analysis (data fetal readings) via Bluetooth or USB to the nearest PC.

The device will be very helpful in monitoring fetuses whose mothers have medical conditions like diabetes, autoimmune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjorgen's syndrome or obstetric cholestatis. It will also be very effective in monitoring fetuses identified as growing poorly or in the cases where it is suspected that the placenta is unhealthy and may endanger the baby's oxygen supply.

Monica Healthcare's AN 24 has now passed all EU regulatory safety standards and is currently undergoing clinical trials. If testing goes well, the product may be available in October.

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