Acquisition and Analysis of Electrohysterogram Signal

Electrohysterogram (EHG) signal is the signal related to action potentials propagating through smooth muscle cells of the uterus (myometrium) to the abdomen of pregnant women which is also known as uterine contraction signal. Cardiotocography (CTG) is the most common method used for monitoring fetal heart rate (FHR) and uterine contractions during pregnancy and labor. This method detects mechanical activity of fetal heart and uterus, however, it provides low accuracy and sensibility and hence more accurate methods are required. The abdominal electrode method of FECG monitoring and Electrohysterography (EHG) are alternative noninvasive method to monitor the FHR and uterine contractions during pregnancy which provides better results compared to CTG. Each information such as the frequency of uterine contractions, length of the contraction and contraction power of uterus, indicates the condition of the uterus which will help the obstetricians to identify the progress of labor. All these above mentioned parameters can be identified from the EHG signal acquired non-invasively by placing the electrodes on the abdomen of the pregnant women. In this work the acquisition of EHG signal as well as analysis of EHG signal in both antepartum condition and labor condition have been carried out and parameters such as number of contractions, contraction duration, amplitude, power of contraction are computed and the quantitative analysis of EHG signals in both above mentioned conditions are performed and it is compared with the simultaneously recorded uterine contraction signal parameters from Cardiotocography (CTG).