Optimized Measurement and Signal Processing of Fetal MCG

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管几十年的胎儿心电图研究，无创评估胎儿心脏电生理还没有成为常规的可能。然而，最近，我们和其他小组已经证明了胎儿心脏磁图（fMCG）的有效性，胎儿心电图的磁模拟，作为评估胎儿心率，节律和传导的有效新方法。该项目的长期目标是发展快速消费品作为胎儿调查和临床应用的新技术。如果成功，这项研究可以提高对危及生命的胎儿心律失常的诊断，并阐明原因不明的胎儿死亡。它还可以提供监测胎儿治疗效果的有效手段，并有助于评估新的治疗方法。本研究的短期目标是通过与其他技术相结合来扩展快速消费品的功能，并进行进一步的患者研究，以增加胎儿心脏电生理这一新兴领域的科学知识基础。具体目的如下：1。开发和应用基于统计估计和检测理论的检测器来识别复极异常，如QTc延长和t波交替。2. 开发和应用同时进行fMCG/超声心动图记录分析的方法，以便直接比较胎儿的电节律和机械节律，评估胎儿的机电功能。3. 结合胎儿心电图与超声监测，以提高胎儿健康的评估。4. 继续我们对正常妊娠和合并胎儿心律失常和其他高危情况的妊娠的研究，并结合在上述目标中发展的技术。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Noninvasive assessment of fetal cardiac electrophysiology has not been routinely possible despite many decades of fetal ECG research. Recently, however, we and other groups have demonstrated the efficacy of fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG), the magnetic analog of fetal ECG, as an effective new method of assessing fetal heart rate, rhythm, and conduction. The long-term goal of this program is to develop fMCG as a new technology for fetal investigation and clinical application. If successful, this research can improve the diagnosis of life-threatening forms of fetal arrhythmia and shed light on causes of unexplained fetal death. It can also provide an effective means of monitoring the effects of fetal therapies and can aid in the evaluation of new therapies. The short-term objective of the research proposed here is to extend the functionality of fMCG by combining it with other techniques and to perform further patient studies to increase the base of scientific knowledge in the nascent field of fetal cardiac electrophysiology. The specific aims are as follows: 1. Develop and apply detectors based on statistical estimation and detection theory to identify repolarization abnormalities, such as QTc prolongation and T-wave alternans. 2. Develop and apply methodology for analysis of simultaneous fMCG/echocardiography recordings in order to directly compare fetal electrical and mechanical rhythm and evaluate fetal electromechanical function. 3. Combine fetal actocardiography with ultrasound surveillance in order to improve the assessment of fetal well-being. 4. Continue our studies of normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by fetal arrhythmia and other high-risk conditions, incorporating techniques developed in the preceding aims.