Methods of and apparatus for measuring uterine electrical and mechanical activity

US5397344A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• SCHERING CORPORATION · US

Inventors

• Robert E. Garfield · Goodyear, US
• Krzysztof Chwalisz · Berlin, DE
• Radoslaw Bukowski · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 22, 1992
• Grant date: Mar 14, 1995
• Expiry date: Dec 22, 2012

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61N1/36007
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The existence of gap junctions between cells is detected by stimulating the cells with electrical pulses having selective parameters and then detecting propagated signals emitted by the cells. A needle is provided having stimulation electrodes thereon from which the stimulating pulses emanate and an array of recording electrodes for detecting the pulses. In an alternative embodiment, an array of piezoelectric electrodes is distributed within the array of recording electrodes. The signals detected by the recording electrodes and piezoelectric electrodes are monitored by a recording device and stored within a computer.