Patent ID: 6966881

Claim:
A system for measuring dilation of a cervix of a uterus of a female during the first stage of labor, comprising: (a) an expandable gripping arrangement having two oppositely facing gripping members each resiliently biased to a gripping configuration for non-penetrating engagement of the cervix and an outwardly biased restoring member, said gripping arrangement being configured, such that, said restoring member pushes said gripping members apart so that said gripping arrangement grips the cervix while the cervix dilates; (b) a first elongated element having a calibrated scale disposed thereon; (c) a second elongated element, a part of said second elongated element being disposed along said calibrated scale, said part of said second elongated element having an indicator disposed thereon, said first elongated element and said second elongated element being mechanically connected to said gripping arrangement, in a manner such that, as said gripping arrangement expands with the dilating cervix, relative linear movement is generated between said first elongated element and said part of said second elongated element, thereby moving said indicator with respect to said calibrated scale so as to give a measurement of dilation of the cervix; and (d) an insertion arrangement configured to temporarily retain said gripping members in an open configuration during fitting of said gripping arrangement on the cervix and to simultaneously release said gripping members so as to allow said gripping members to return to said gripping configuration for non-penetrating engagement of the cervix.