Pregnant Melbourne women will be the first to trial a world-first wearable foetal heart monitor that is powered by artificial intelligence.
This year, Epworth Freemasons Maternity patients will start a trial of new technology designed to give expectant mothers peace of mind during complicated pregnancies requiring extra foetal monitoring.
Co-founders of the device, Epworth Freemasons obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Fiona Brownfoot and electrical engineers Dr Emerson Keenan and Prof. Marimuthu Palaniswami said their goal was to create a wearable smartwatch for the foetus.
The technology is a sensor patch on the mother's abdomen, attached to small and light piece of hardware about the size of a smartphone. The device connects to an app and picks up the electrical activity of the baby's heart.
The algorithms turn the activity into a trace which clinicians can interpret. Some patterns of the trace are associated with healthy babies and others show us that the baby isn't coping with pregnancy or labour.
"Foetal heart rate is a vital bellwether of a baby's health, but comprehensive monitoring is cumbersome,'' Dr Brownfoot said.
"Currently foetal heart rate monitoring is hospital-centric and if mum or the baby moves the foetal heart rate signal is lost. Our device aims to allow women to be free to walk around.
It opens up the possibility of a virtual hospital, which is particularly needed for rural and remote patients.'
Once the trial is complete, the plan is to be ready for sales in 2026, focusing on Australian and US markets.
