Cervix monitor for risk assessment of spontaneous preterm delivery

目前，自发早产是全球婴儿死亡的主要原因。 和发病率。在大多数国家，早产率在最近几十年和现在都有所上升 年新生儿死亡的最大原因和第二大直接死亡原因 五岁以下的儿童。发现如何降低这一妊娠主要并发症的发生率 应该是当代卫生保健和早产检测的最高优先事项之一 宫颈成熟术是降低SPTD可能性的一种很有前途的方法。在第一阶段，我们 建议设计一种带有一次性使用探头的宫颈监测器(CM)原型，该探头由以下部分组成 一种用于宫颈弹性和长度的触觉传感器阵列和超声换能器 测量。该设备将基于我们的专利技术。在安全和 电磁兼容性测试和台架验证，我们计划进行一项试点临床研究 评估10名孕妇和10名非孕妇的CM表现。长期目标 该项目的目的是带来一个紧凑、成本效益高和易于使用的设备，用于风险评估 将SPTD转化为临床实践。

Currently, spontaneous preterm delivery (SPTD) is the leading global cause of infant mortality and morbidity. In most countries, the rate of preterm births has risen in recent decades and now represents the largest cause of neonatal death and the second largest direct cause of death in children under five. Discovering how to lower the rate of this major complication of pregnancy should be one of the highest priorities in contemporary health care and detection of premature maturation of cervix is a promising way to reduce the likelihood of SPTD. In Phase I, we propose to design a prototype of the Cervix Monitor (CM) with a single use probe comprised of a tactile sensor array and an ultrasound transducer for cervix elasticity and length measurements. The device will be based on our patented technology. After safety and electromagnetic compatibility testing and bench verification, we plan a pilot clinical study to assess CM performance with 10 pregnant and 10 non-pregnant women. The long term objective of the project is to bring a compact, cost-effective and easy-to-use device for risk assessment of SPTD into clinical practice.