UTERINE CONTRACTILITY AND CERVICAL RIPENING IN PREGNANCY

与怀孕期间分娩有关的问题是最多的。 医生面临的重要健康问题。了解企业的角色 产程中的子宫和宫颈及其控制方法 功能是解决与劳动有关的问题的关键。在 片刻，只用粗略的、不准确的、主观的方法来评价 子宫和宫颈的变化在准备中或期间发生的变化 劳力。在过去的几年里，申请人和他的同事们 开发了非侵入性方法来定量评估子宫和 分别基于宫颈的子宫电信号记录 从腹部表面(子宫肌电)和光的测量- 用光学装置诱导宫颈胶原荧光(LIF) (科拉斯科普)。这些方法是快速的，并且可以评估子宫 收缩能力和宫颈成熟。对大鼠和大鼠的初步研究 人类表明子宫和宫颈功能可以成功 在怀孕期间使用这些方法进行监测，这些方法 技术可用于与以下各项相关的各种条件 努力更好地定义管理。这份申请是为了获得资金 延长最初的研究。建议进行四项研究，使用腹部 子宫内膜癌录音和宫颈LIF。一支称职的调查团队和 工作人员已被召集起来，以满足这一需求和目标 求婚。具体的假设是LIF和腹部肌电 录音可以用来：1)辨别真假 分娩；2)预测分娩的开始；3)监测患者在 产痛或引产。具体目的是使用肌电 活动度和LIF以确定它们是否有助于：1)评估患者 真分娩与假分娩；2)监测产前患者 纵向；3)检查产后分解或诱导的有效性。 建议的工具和方法的潜在好处 包括降低早产率、改善产妇和 围产儿结局，监测治疗，减少剖宫产 子宫、宫颈疾病的认识程度及研究方法的改进 功能。

The problems associated with labor during pregnancy are among the most important health issues facing physicians. Understanding the role of the uterus and cervix in labor and developing methods to control their function is essential to solving problems relating to labor. At the moment, only crude, inaccurate and subjective methods are used to assess changes in the uterus and cervix that occur in preparation for or during labor. In the past several years, the applicant and his colleagues have developed noninvasive methods to quantitatively evaluate the uterus and cervix based respectively on recording of uterine electrical signals from the abdominal surface (uterine EMG) and measurement of light- induced cervical collagen fluorescence (LIF) with an optical device (Collascope). The methods are rapid and allow assessment of uterine contractility and cervical ripening. Preliminary studies in rats and humans indicate that uterine and cervical function can be successfully monitored during pregnancy using these approaches and that these techniques might be used in a variety of conditions associated with labor to better define management. This application is for funds to extend the initial studies. Four studies are proposed using abdominal EMB recordings and cervical LIF. A competent team of investigators and staff has been assembled to fulfill the needs and goals of this proposal. The specific hypotheses are that LIF and abdominal EMG recordings can be used to: 1) differentiate between true and false labor; 2) predict the onset of labor; 3) monitor patients during tocolysis or induction of labor. The specific aims are to use EMG activity and LIF to determine if they are helpful to: 1) assess patients in true versus false labor; 2) monitor antepartum patients longitudinally; 3) examine the effectiveness of tocolytics or induction. The potential benefits of the proposed instrumentation and methods include reducing the rate of preterm delivery, improving maternal and perinatal outcome, monitoring treatment, decreasing cesarean section rate and improving research methods to understand uterine and cervical function.