Working with doctors at Lurie Children’s Hospital, Northwestern University researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind device that can track a fetus’ vital signs during surgery.
“The surgeons in this context are operating blind…they don’t know in any significant way how the fetus is responding to the surgery,” said Professor John Rogers, whose team of biomedical engineers managed to cram an array of medical sensors onto a space smaller than a shoelace.
The probe is a soft, plastic-like filament that combines electronics with robotics to deliver rea-time data to fetal surgeons during the most delicate of operations.
“This is a game changer,” said Dr. Aimen Shaaben, who along with Rogers authored the initial study.
The device can measure fetal heart rate, blood oxygenation and temperature…early warning signs of potential fetal distress.
At first, the device will be used in conjunction with fetal surgeries to correct spina bifida, but other uses are planned. In studies on large animals, the probe provided accurate, precise, clinical-grade measurements even as the uterus and fetus moved during surgery.
The device is inserted through a laparoscopy port on the mother’s abdomen along with the other miniature devices used during the surgery. Its flexible design allows to contour to the curves of the baby’s body.
The filament includes balloons that are inflated during the operation to gently press the sensor array up against the baby’s skin.
“The engineering constraint has to be delivered through a tool that size has to be as small as possible to minimize the burden on the fetus,” Rogers said.
When the procedure is over, the probe is removed through the same port.
Shaaben said that the next generations of probes could be used to track high-risk pregnancies.
“Rather than monitoring the heart rate in the office once or twice or three times a week, or even admitting the patient to the hospital to monitor, we can potentially monitor with these devices as they transition from a wired device to a wireless device,” he said.
The sensor filament is currently being prepared for clinical testing, but if it is successful, it could be deployed in operating rooms in the next few years.
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