By better interpreting and utilizing health data from pregnant women and their unborn children, preterm births can be predicted earlier, and heart defects can be detected more quickly. Ivar de Vries, from the Department of Electrical Engineering, investigated during his PhD research how available monitoring data from mother and child can be used more effectively. He defends his PhD thesis on May 13.
In the Netherlands, two to three viable babies die every day due to complications before, during, and after birth. Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and Máxima Medical Center (MMC) are collaborating on research to detect these complications earlier by monitoring pregnant women and their unborn children.
Judith van Laar , gynecologist at MMC and Professor in Signal Processing Systems at TU/e, explains that "despite technological advances, it is still difficult to detect certain complications at an early stage."
Indicator
For his PhD research, Ivar de Vries focused on this early detection. He used a monitoring system to measure the heart rate of both the mother and child in a patient-friendly way using electrophysiological signals. It also visualizes uterine muscle activity, an important indicator of preterm birth.
The system used by De Vries was developed by Van Laar together with Rik Vullings , associate professor in the same TU/e research group. Both supervised De Vries during his PhD.
Admitted too early
"Gynecologists do not use all the data and signals that become available through monitoring. I studied these unused data. For example, with these data, you can predict preeclampsia, an important cause of premature birth, at an earlier stage," De Vries explains.
By gaining a clearer understanding of how pregnancy progresses, gynecologists can provide more targeted care. "You want to ensure women are not admitted to the hospital earlier than necessary or without a clear indication, since this increases the burden on healthcare."
According to the PhD researcher, there is high demand for this knowledge. "With such a vulnerable patient group, it is essential to provide solid evidence. You cannot just introduce something. You can't just do anything; you must prove that it works."
Intensive collaboration
De Vries built on research that his supervisors started more than twenty years ago during their own PhD trajectories. Vullings explains: "At the time, I was paired as an engineer with a clinician, Judith in my case." This foundation led to a collaboration that continues to this day.
Over the past 15 years, they have worked intensively to improve gynecologists' monitoring. The technology that they developed has been brought to market by Vullings through his company Nemo Healthcare . "We collaborate closely with MMC because they conduct large studies on the health of pregnant women and their unborn children. Many patients are willing to participate in this research."
Central role
All three are convinced that close collaboration between engineers and clinicians is crucial towards bringing technological innovations into daily medical practice.
Van Laar: "With his research, Ivar is helping physicians analyze their data more quickly. With that expertise, he plays a central role as an engineer within our clinic. You want to apply new methods, such as deep learning, in practice."
According to Van Laar, it goes beyond simply speaking each other's language: "The other field should not be a black box. I wanted to understand what Ivar was doing, so I immersed myself in the subject."
Vullings adds: "As an engineer, you dive into the problems physicians face and how technology can help solve them. By understanding each other better, you can jointly define the possibilities and limitations. That leads to the right research questions. Ones that are realistically achievable."
Asking questions
At the start of his PhD, De Vries had limited medical knowledge. Through self-study, collaboration with physicians, and attending cesarean sections, he became increasingly familiar with the medical field.
He also asked many questions, not only to healthcare professionals, but also to patients. "I asked about their needs and what did or did not work for them. That gave me a clearer picture of what gynecologists face daily." Based on this insight, he developed new monitoring methods.
One step closer
De Vries remains involved in the research, having recently started as a postdoc and is now working for TU/e, MMC, and Nemo Healthcare. He will continue to deepen his expertise in monitoring technology and explore new applications.
"The work from PhD research doesn't stop for me, because I'm continuing it myself in my new role. We are making progress and getting closer step by step. I see no reason why the new product will not be realized."
However, implementation in clinical practice will still take time. "It first needs to be thoroughly tested through clinical studies, which can take several years. If it becomes evident early on in such a study that the product is safe and effective, it may be introduced sooner than planned."
Accelerating innovation
According to Vullings, the strength of the collaboration between MMC, TU/e, and Nemo Healthcare lies in the joint development of the monitoring system and its continuous improvement through research.
This collaboration originates from the Eindhoven MedTech Innovation Center (e/MTIC), an initiative by five partners in the Brainport region aimed at accelerating healthcare innovation. In addition to TU/e and MMC, Catharina Hospital, Kempenhaeghe Center for Epilepsy and Sleep Medicine, and Philips are also part of e/MTIC.
