Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a soft, wearable ultrasound patch capable of continuously monitoring a fetus and umbilical cord for hours at a time, according to a study published May 26 in Nature Biotechnology and highlighted by UC San Diego Today.
The research was conducted by a team led by co-first author Geonho (Tom) Park, a chemical and nano engineering PhD candidate at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.
The patch uses autonomous tracking algorithms to follow the umbilical cord as it moves, enabling consistent measurements as the mother or fetus changes position, the researchers said. In a collaboration study between UC San Diego Health and John Radcliffe Hospital at the University of Oxford in England, the device produced measurements comparable to standard handheld ultrasound across 62 pregnancies, including those complicated by gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, hypertension, and abnormal fetal growth.
A wearable ultrasound patch could provide continuous monitoring of the fetus and umbilical cord during pregnancy.Geonho (Tom) Park and UC San Diego
In one case, the patch detected prolonged abnormal fetal signals that prompted an early cesarean delivery at 29 weeks, which the researchers said may have helped save the baby's life.
The team plans to integrate the patch into a compact wireless electronic system for future use.
Access the full study here and UC San Diego Today's report here.
