Patent ID: 7862521

Claim:
A system for sensing the frequency and duration of uterine contractions during labor and estimating the relative intensity thereof, able to sense changes in pressure in response to uterine muscle tone changes relating to contractions, and to enable a fetal monitor to be connected thereto for evaluation of contractions, comprising: a force collector, for collecting force generated in response to uterine muscle tone changes relating to contractions, positionable against the exterior abdominal wall proximate the uterine muscle, and supportable so as to project into the abdominal wall to reside at least partially below the non-compressed surface of the abdomen; a pressure sensor, for sensing changes in pressure in the force collector responsive to uterine muscle tone changes, positionable adjacent to the force collector which is positionable against the exterior abdominal wall proximate the uterine muscle, which pressure sensor is supportable so as to project into the abdominal wall to reside at least partially below the non-compressed surface of the abdomen, and is connectable to a fetal monitor for evaluation of contractions during labor, which includes a supporting member, which includes a plurality of contact pads, and the system further comprises a cable for connecting to a fetal monitor at one end thereof, a plurality of connectors extending from the opposite end of the cable and secured to the plurality of contact pads, and a plurality of wires extending from the sensing member to the contact pads, and a sensing member for sensing changes in responsive to uterine muscle changes relating to contractions, supportable in the supporting member so as to project into the abdominal wall to reside at least partially below the non-compressed surface of the abdomen, and connectable to a fetal monitor for evaluation of contractions during labor; and a supporting element, for supporting the force collector so as to be positionable against the exterior abdominal wall proximate the uterine muscle and for supporting the pressure sensor adjacent to the force collector, and for supporting the force collector and the pressure sensor such that the force collector and the pressure sensor projects into the abdominal wall to reside at least partially below the non-compressed surface of the abdomen.