Patent ID: 8568338

Claim:
A device for contacting with a patient's skin for external fetal monitoring, the device comprising: an ultrasound transducer; a pad removably attached to said ultrasound transducer, said pad having a layer of a cushioning material, an adhesive layer, an aperture therethrough, and at least one recessed notch along an exterior edge of said layer of cushioning material, wherein said at least one recessed notch is spaced from said aperture; said layer of cushioning material having an outer surface for contacting with the patient's skin and an inner surface; said adhesive layer with a first surface and a second surface, said first surface attached to said inner surface of said layer of cushioning material, said second surface being removably attached only to said transducer, and said second surface and said outer surface are on opposite sides of said pad; said aperture defines a cavity for holding an ultrasonic gel; said cavity holds said gel in a larger amount compared to the amount that said transducer can hold without said pad attaching to said transducer; and wherein said device allows for continuous ultrasound transducer readings for fetal monitoring.