TCSUH.NET --> Fetal-Magnetocardiography Research
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Fetal-Magnetocardiography |
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| There is a strong need to assess the physiological development of the fetus, as more pre- and full-term babies survive with various disorders. Important parameter for the diagnostic use is the basal fetal heart rate (FHR) disclosing the presence or absence of accelerations and decelerations and baseline variability associated with the development of Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). In the last few years, advantages and medical relevance of the fetal magnetocardiography (fetal-MCG) have been shown. Fetal-MCG is the measurement of magnetic fields (a few pT in amplitude) emitted by the fetal heart from small currents by electrically active cells of the heart muscle. The measurements are taken by SQUID sensors in one or several spatial locations above the pregnant abdomen and provide information which is complementary to that provided by direct, contact electro-physiological measurements. Typically, the quality of fetal-magnetocardiographic recording is significantly higher than that of the corresponding electric or Doppler recordings. Fetal biomagnetic signals are unaffected by poor electrical conductivity of the vernix caseosa, a waxy substance which forms on the fetal skin at about 25 weeks’ gestation and impedes the transmission of fetal bioelectric signals. |
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| TCSUH Fetal-Magnetocardiography Project |
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| The overall goal of this project is to develop reliable biosensing technologies based on Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUID) for non-invasive monitoring of the development of the fetus during second half of pregnancy, which is crucial to present and future clinical diagnostics but which may not be normally detected with present-day methods. |
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| Our Approach |
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| Our multidisciplinary research is aimed at developing clinically viable diagnostic methods, based on non-invasive detection and processing of fetal cardiac magnetic signal, primarily focusing on how to detect fetal magnetocardiograms in clinical settings and develop software methods to assess fetal heart rate variability. |
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| Our Collaborators |
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| Research is conducted both at TCSUH and at MSI Center (Memorial Hermann Hospital). |
