Patient Monitoring

Smart Pulse Technology

Monitoring mothers and babies with confidence

Electronic fetal monitoring provides a valuable indication of fetal health. However, sometimes the maternal pulse is mistaken for the fetal heart rate, an error referred to as signal ambiguity. When this happens, problems with the fetus may go undetected. Smart Pulse technology differentiates between the maternal pulse and fetal heart rate without the need for an additional sensors like SpO2 or ECG.

Real-world impact

Smart Pulse in Action

Caregivers at Burnside Memorial Hospital use Philips obstetrics monitoring technology to offer mobility to their pregnant patients so they don’t have to be confined to their beds – even in high-risk pregnancy situations.

Features

Pulse measurement

Clinicians must closely monitor heart rate in both mother and child during labor and delivery. Philips Smart Pulse technology is a patent-protected feature that leverages the Toco MP transducer. The Toco MP transducer’s unique design measures both contractions and maternal heart rate. Two sensors integrated into the Toco MP transducer measure maternal pulse, preventing signal ambiguity.

Ease of use

Coincidence detection continuously compares the maternal heart rate, as derived from maternal SpO2 or ECG measurements, to the fetal heart rate. When the two rates are the same, the monitor alerts the caregiver. While traditional coincidence detection is effective, it requires that SpO2 and/or ECG are measured with separate sensors and/or electrodes.

When using the Philips Toco MP transducer, those separate sensors and/or electrodes are not needed to perform coincidence detection. This creates a more comfortable experience for the mother and does not require additional work for the clinician.

Patient comfort

Women with pregnancies involving multiple births or high BMI often are confined to a bed so their babies can be monitored closely. This can cause pain and may sometimes even lengthen labor.

However, cableless monitoring with Smart Pulse technology makes mobile labor possible for these patients. Unlike traditional coincidence detection, Philips Toco MP and Toco+ MP transducers measure maternal pulse without the additional sensors, electrodes, and cables required when taking SpO2 or ECG measurements. This enhances patient comfort and increases mobility during labor.

Cross-checking when it counts

Identifying fetal and maternal heartbeats with certainty is critical during labor and delivery. The Avalon CL cableless fetal monitoring system with Smart Pulse technology offers peace of mind. It continuously delivers maternal pulse to detect coincidence with fetal heart rate – even for twins and triplets. Built-in cross channel verification makes automatic comparisons, reducing the possibility of mistaking one heartbeat for another, and providing a factual basis for timely intervention.

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