Patent ID: 8332021

Claim:
A system for monitoring a fetus during gestation, the system comprising an input for receiving a plurality of electric signals measured on a surface of a maternal body; and means for providing an at least partial representation of a fetal vector electrocardiogram in dependence on the plurality of electric signals and indicative of a time path of an electrical field vector generated by a fetal heart of the fetus, means for establishing orientation information relating to the fetus in dependence on a shape of the fetal vector electrocardiogram according to the at least partial representation, and means for providing a fetal electrocardiogram based on the received electric signals and based on an orientation of the fetus, wherein the fetal electrocardiogram represents a projection of a fetal cardiac potential vector according to a predetermined projection direction that is fixed with respect to the fetus, and wherein the means for providing a fetal electrocardiogram is arranged for projecting the fetal vector electrocardiogram according to the projection direction.