Fetal heart rate (FHR) measurement is one of the most important approaches used for monitoring the cardiac health status of fetal human beings. The routine clinical FHR measurements are usually carried out by means of ultrasound (US) cardiotocography; in clinical practice, this signal is combined with that related to correspondent uterine contractions. Although frequent and/or long-term FHR monitoring is recommendable, some problems are associated with the US device employment. An alternative to US monitors is offered by phonocardiography, a passive and fully non-invasive acoustic recording (no energy is transmitted to the fetus) of fetal heart sounds [1]. By recognising the heart sounds associate to each fetal heart beat is possible to reconstruct the FHR signal. There is no limitation in the duration of monitoring; in addition, this approach gives also the possibility to diagnose abnormal heart activity like heart murmur, extrasystoles and other arrhythmias. Unfortunately, the acoustic signal recorded on the maternal abdominal surface is faint and heavily loaded by noise, thus the determination of the FHR raises serious signal processing issues [2]. This paper presents a signal processing method for FHR extraction from an acoustic phonocardiography signal.

Extraction of heart rate from fetal phonocardiography signals

M. Romano;
2008-01-01

Abstract

Fetal heart rate (FHR) measurement is one of the most important approaches used for monitoring the cardiac health status of fetal human beings. The routine clinical FHR measurements are usually carried out by means of ultrasound (US) cardiotocography; in clinical practice, this signal is combined with that related to correspondent uterine contractions. Although frequent and/or long-term FHR monitoring is recommendable, some problems are associated with the US device employment. An alternative to US monitors is offered by phonocardiography, a passive and fully non-invasive acoustic recording (no energy is transmitted to the fetus) of fetal heart sounds [1]. By recognising the heart sounds associate to each fetal heart beat is possible to reconstruct the FHR signal. There is no limitation in the duration of monitoring; in addition, this approach gives also the possibility to diagnose abnormal heart activity like heart murmur, extrasystoles and other arrhythmias. Unfortunately, the acoustic signal recorded on the maternal abdominal surface is faint and heavily loaded by noise, thus the determination of the FHR raises serious signal processing issues [2]. This paper presents a signal processing method for FHR extraction from an acoustic phonocardiography signal.
2008
9788855529839
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12317/19765
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