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Abstract

Bioengineering

Electromyometrial Imaging of Uterine Contractions in Pregnant Women

Published: May 26th, 2023

DOI:

10.3791/65214

1Department of Physics, Washington University, 2Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, 5Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 6Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, 7Department of Cardiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 8Department of Women's Health, University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School

* These authors contributed equally

Abstract

During normal pregnancy, the uterine smooth muscle, the myometrium, begins to have weak, uncoordinated contractions at late gestation to help the cervix remodel. In labor, the myometrium has strong, coordinated contractions to deliver the fetus. Various methods have been developed to monitor uterine contraction patterns to predict labor onset. However, the current techniques have limited spatial coverage and specificity. We developed electromyometrial imaging (EMMI) to noninvasively map uterine electrical activity onto the three-dimensional uterine surface during contractions. The first step in EMMI is to use T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to acquire the subject-specific body-uterus geometry. Next, up to 192 pin-type electrodes placed on the body surface are used to collect electrical recordings from the myometrium. Finally, the EMMI data processing pipeline is performed to combine the body-uterus geometry with body surface electrical data to reconstruct and image uterine electrical activities on the uterine surface. EMMI can safely and noninvasively image, identify, and measure early activation regions and propagation patterns across the entire uterus in three dimensions.

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Keywords Electromyometrial Imaging

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