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Giordano N, Sbrollini A, Morettini M, Rosati S, Balestra G, Gambi E, Knaflitz M, Burattini L. Acquisition Devices for Fetal Phonocardiography: A Scoping Review. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:367. [PMID: 38671788 PMCID: PMC11048557 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11040367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Timely and reliable fetal monitoring is crucial to prevent adverse events during pregnancy and delivery. Fetal phonocardiography, i.e., the recording of fetal heart sounds, is emerging as a novel possibility to monitor fetal health status. Indeed, due to its passive nature and its noninvasiveness, the technique is suitable for long-term monitoring and for telemonitoring applications. Despite the high share of literature focusing on signal processing, no previous work has reviewed the technological hardware solutions devoted to the recording of fetal heart sounds. Thus, the aim of this scoping review is to collect information regarding the acquisition devices for fetal phonocardiography (FPCG), focusing on technical specifications and clinical use. Overall, PRISMA-guidelines-based analysis selected 57 studies that described 26 research prototypes and eight commercial devices for FPCG acquisition. Results of our review study reveal that no commercial devices were designed for fetal-specific purposes, that the latest advances involve the use of multiple microphones and sensors, and that no quantitative validation was usually performed. By highlighting the past and future trends and the most relevant innovations from both a technical and clinical perspective, this review will represent a useful reference for the evaluation of different acquisition devices and for the development of new FPCG-based systems for fetal monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Giordano
- Department of Electronics and Telecommunications and PoliToBIOMedLab, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (N.G.); (S.R.); (G.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Agnese Sbrollini
- Department of Information Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (A.S.); (M.M.); (E.G.)
| | - Micaela Morettini
- Department of Information Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (A.S.); (M.M.); (E.G.)
| | - Samanta Rosati
- Department of Electronics and Telecommunications and PoliToBIOMedLab, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (N.G.); (S.R.); (G.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Gabriella Balestra
- Department of Electronics and Telecommunications and PoliToBIOMedLab, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (N.G.); (S.R.); (G.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Ennio Gambi
- Department of Information Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (A.S.); (M.M.); (E.G.)
| | - Marco Knaflitz
- Department of Electronics and Telecommunications and PoliToBIOMedLab, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (N.G.); (S.R.); (G.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Laura Burattini
- Department of Information Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (A.S.); (M.M.); (E.G.)
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2
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Deir S, Mozhdehbakhsh Mofrad Y, Mashayekhan S, Shamloo A, Mansoori-Kermani A. Step-by-step fabrication of heart-on-chip systems as models for cardiac disease modeling and drug screening. Talanta 2024; 266:124901. [PMID: 37459786 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases are caused by hereditary factors, environmental conditions, and medication-related issues. On the other hand, the cardiotoxicity of drugs should be thoroughly examined before entering the market. In this regard, heart-on-chip (HOC) systems have been developed as a more efficient and cost-effective solution than traditional methods, such as 2D cell culture and animal models. HOCs must replicate the biology, physiology, and pathology of human heart tissue to be considered a reliable platform for heart disease modeling and drug testing. Therefore, many efforts have been made to find the best methods to fabricate different parts of HOCs and to improve the bio-mimicry of the systems in the last decade. Beating HOCs with different platforms have been developed and techniques, such as fabricating pumpless HOCs, have been used to make HOCs more user-friendly systems. Recent HOC platforms have the ability to simultaneously induce and record electrophysiological stimuli. Additionally, systems including both heart and cancer tissue have been developed to investigate tissue-tissue interactions' effect on cardiac tissue response to cancer drugs. In this review, all steps needed to be considered to fabricate a HOC were introduced, including the choice of cellular resources, biomaterials, fabrication techniques, biomarkers, and corresponding biosensors. Moreover, the current HOCs used for modeling cardiac diseases and testing the drugs are discussed. We finally introduced some suggestions for fabricating relatively more user-friendly HOCs and facilitating the commercialization process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Deir
- School of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yasaman Mozhdehbakhsh Mofrad
- Nano-Bioengineering Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shohreh Mashayekhan
- School of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Amir Shamloo
- Nano-Bioengineering Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
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3
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He T, Wen F, Yang Y, Le X, Liu W, Lee C. Emerging Wearable Chemical Sensors Enabling Advanced Integrated Systems toward Personalized and Preventive Medicine. Anal Chem 2023; 95:490-514. [PMID: 36625107 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tianyiyi He
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117583, Singapore.,Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMS, National University of Singapore, Block E6 #05-11, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117608, Singapore
| | - Feng Wen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117583, Singapore.,Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMS, National University of Singapore, Block E6 #05-11, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117608, Singapore
| | - Yanqin Yang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117583, Singapore.,Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMS, National University of Singapore, Block E6 #05-11, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117608, Singapore
| | - Xianhao Le
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117583, Singapore.,Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMS, National University of Singapore, Block E6 #05-11, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117608, Singapore
| | - Weixin Liu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117583, Singapore.,Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMS, National University of Singapore, Block E6 #05-11, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117608, Singapore
| | - Chengkuo Lee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117583, Singapore.,Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMS, National University of Singapore, Block E6 #05-11, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117608, Singapore
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4
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Abstract
In-fiber interferometric-based sensors are a rapidly growing field, as these sensors exhibit many desirable characteristics compared to their regular fiber-optic counterparts and are being implemented in many promising devices. These sensors have the capability to make extremely accurate measurements on a variety of physical or chemical quantities such as refractive index, temperature, pressure, curvature, concentration, etc. This article is a comprehensive overview of the different types of in-fiber interferometric sensors that presents and discusses recent developments in the field. Basic configurations, a brief approach of the operating principle and recent applications are introduced for each interferometric architecture, making it easy to compare them and select the most appropriate one for the application at hand.
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5
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Bibbo D, Klinkovsky T, Penhaker M, Kudrna P, Peter L, Augustynek M, Kašík V, Kubicek J, Selamat A, Cerny M, Bielcik D. A New Approach for Testing Fetal Heart Rate Monitors. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20154139. [PMID: 32722397 PMCID: PMC7436177 DOI: 10.3390/s20154139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, a new approach for the periodical testing and the functionality evaluation of a fetal heart rate monitor device based on ultrasound principle is proposed. The design and realization of the device are presented, together with the description of its features and functioning tests. In the designed device, a relay element, driven by an electric signal that allows switching at two specific frequencies, is used to simulate the fetus and the mother’s heartbeat. The simulator was designed to be compliant with the standard requirements for accurate assessment and measurement of medical devices. The accuracy of the simulated signals was evaluated, and it resulted to be stable and reliable. The generated frequencies show an error of about 0.5% with respect to the nominal one while the accuracy of the test equipment was within ±3% of the test signal set frequency. This value complies with the technical standard for the accuracy of fetal heart rate monitor devices. Moreover, the performed tests and measurements show the correct functionality of the developed simulator. The proposed equipment and testing respect the technical requirements for medical devices. The features of the proposed device make it simple and quick in testing a fetal heart rate monitor, thus providing an efficient way to evaluate and test the correlation capabilities of commercial apparatuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Bibbo
- Department of Engineering, University of Roma Tre, Via Vito Volterra, 62, 00146 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-5733-7298
| | - Tomas Klinkovsky
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic; (T.K.); (M.P.); (L.P.); (M.A.); (V.K.); (J.K.); (M.C.); (D.B.)
| | - Marek Penhaker
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic; (T.K.); (M.P.); (L.P.); (M.A.); (V.K.); (J.K.); (M.C.); (D.B.)
| | - Petr Kudrna
- Department of Biomedical Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, nam. Sitna 3105, 272 01 Kladno, Czech Republic;
| | - Lukas Peter
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic; (T.K.); (M.P.); (L.P.); (M.A.); (V.K.); (J.K.); (M.C.); (D.B.)
| | - Martin Augustynek
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic; (T.K.); (M.P.); (L.P.); (M.A.); (V.K.); (J.K.); (M.C.); (D.B.)
| | - Vladimír Kašík
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic; (T.K.); (M.P.); (L.P.); (M.A.); (V.K.); (J.K.); (M.C.); (D.B.)
| | - Jan Kubicek
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic; (T.K.); (M.P.); (L.P.); (M.A.); (V.K.); (J.K.); (M.C.); (D.B.)
| | - Ali Selamat
- Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, 54100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;
| | - Martin Cerny
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic; (T.K.); (M.P.); (L.P.); (M.A.); (V.K.); (J.K.); (M.C.); (D.B.)
| | - Daniel Bielcik
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic; (T.K.); (M.P.); (L.P.); (M.A.); (V.K.); (J.K.); (M.C.); (D.B.)
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Comparative Study on Noise Reduction Effect of Fiber Optic Hydrophone Based on LMS and NLMS Algorithm. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20010301. [PMID: 31948079 PMCID: PMC6983103 DOI: 10.3390/s20010301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive filtering has the advantages of real-time processing, small computational complexity, and good adaptability and robustness. It has been widely used in communication, navigation, signal processing, optical fiber sensing, and other fields. In this paper, by adding an interferometer with the same parameters as the signal interferometer as the reference channel, the sensing signal of the interferometric fiber-optic hydrophone is denoised by two adaptive filtering schemes based on the least mean square (LMS) algorithm and the normalized least mean square (NLMS) algorithm respectively. The results show that the LMS algorithm is superior to the NLMS algorithm in reducing total harmonic distortion, improving the signal-to-noise ratio and filtering effect.
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7
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Habibzadeh H, Dinesh K, Shishvan OR, Boggio-Dandry A, Sharma G, Soyata T. A Survey of Healthcare Internet-of-Things (HIoT): A Clinical Perspective. IEEE INTERNET OF THINGS JOURNAL 2020; 7:53-71. [PMID: 33748312 PMCID: PMC7970885 DOI: 10.1109/jiot.2019.2946359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
In combination with current sociological trends, the maturing development of IoT devices is projected to revolutionize healthcare. A network of body-worn sensors, each with a unique ID, can collect health data that is orders-of-magnitude richer than what is available today from sporadic observations in clinical/hospital environments. When databased, analyzed, and compared against information from other individuals using data analytics, HIoT data enables the personalization and modernization of care with radical improvements in outcomes and reductions in cost. In this paper, we survey existing and emerging technologies that can enable this vision for the future of healthcare, particularly in the clinical practice of healthcare. Three main technology areas underlie the development of this field: (a) sensing, where there is an increased drive for miniaturization and power efficiency; (b) communications, where the enabling factors are ubiquitous connectivity, standardized protocols, and the wide availability of cloud infrastructure, and (c) data analytics and inference, where the availability of large amounts of data and computational resources is revolutionizing algorithms for individualizing inference and actions in health management. Throughout the paper, we use a case study to concretely illustrate the impact of these trends. We conclude our paper with a discussion of the emerging directions, open issues, and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadi Habibzadeh
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, SUNY Albany, Albany NY, 12203
| | - Karthik Dinesh
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627
| | - Omid Rajabi Shishvan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, SUNY Albany, Albany NY, 12203
| | - Andrew Boggio-Dandry
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, SUNY Albany, Albany NY, 12203
| | - Gaurav Sharma
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627
| | - Tolga Soyata
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, SUNY Albany, Albany NY, 12203
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8
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Simulator of Foetal Phonocardiographic Recordings and Foetal Heart Rate Calculator. JOURNAL OF BIOMIMETICS BIOMATERIALS AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2018. [DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/jbbbe.39.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Nowadays, the classic diagnostic method to monitor general foetus well-being using the foetal heart rate conditions, ultrasonic cardiotography, is called into question. A valuable alternative is foetal phonocardiography, a passive and low-cost recording of foetal heart sounds. This paper presents a software which generates synthetic foetal phonocardiographic recordings simulating different recording conditions (by modifying noise level). From a real foetal phonocardiographic recording this software calculates the foetal heart rate. The software was developed using information picked from the literature especially for identifying the waveforms and characteristics of foetal and maternal heart sounds, and the different noises involved in real phonocardiographic recordings. Considering the possibility to simulate different recording situations and physiological or pathological foetal conditions just by modifying some parameters, this simulator software can be useful for testing different foetal-heart-rate extraction algorithms, like the authors’ one. In this paper are presented the different postulates used for developing this software.
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging Compatible Non-Invasive Fibre-Optic Sensors Based on the Bragg Gratings and Interferometers in the Application of Monitoring Heart and Respiration Rate of the Human Body: A Comparative Study. SENSORS 2018; 18:s18113713. [PMID: 30384506 PMCID: PMC6263944 DOI: 10.3390/s18113713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The publication presents a comparative study of two fibre-optic sensors in the application of heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) monitoring of the human body. After consultation with clinical practitioners, two types of non-invasive measuring and analysis systems based on fibre Bragg grating (FBG) and fibre-optic interferometer (FOI) have been designed and assembled. These systems use probes (both patent pending) that have been encapsulated in the bio-compatible polydimethylsiloxane (PMDS). The main advantage of PDMS is that it is electrically non-conductive and, as well as optical fibres, has low permeability. The initial verification measurement of the system designed was performed on four subjects in a harsh magnetic resonance (MR) environment under the supervision of a senior radiology assistant. A follow-up comparative study was conducted, upon a consent of twenty volunteers, in a laboratory environment with a minimum motion load and discussed with a head doctor of the Radiodiagnostic Institute. The goal of the laboratory study was to perform measurements that would simulate as closely as possible the environment of harsh MR or the environment of long-term health care facilities, hospitals and clinics. Conventional HR and RR measurement systems based on ECG measurements and changes in the thoracic circumference were used as references. The data acquired was compared by the objective Bland⁻Altman (B⁻A) method and discussed with practitioners. The results obtained confirmed the functionality of the designed probes, both in the case of RR and HR measurements (for both types of B⁻A, more than 95% of the values lie within the ±1.96 SD range), while demonstrating higher accuracy of the interferometric probe (in case of the RR determination, 95.66% for the FOI probe and 95.53% for the FBG probe, in case of the HR determination, 96.22% for the FOI probe and 95.23% for the FBG probe).
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10
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Jaros R, Martinek R, Kahankova R. Non-Adaptive Methods for Fetal ECG Signal Processing: A Review and Appraisal. SENSORS 2018; 18:s18113648. [PMID: 30373259 PMCID: PMC6263968 DOI: 10.3390/s18113648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Fetal electrocardiography is among the most promising methods of modern electronic fetal monitoring. However, before they can be fully deployed in the clinical practice as a gold standard, the challenges associated with the signal quality must be solved. During the last two decades, a great amount of articles dealing with improving the quality of the fetal electrocardiogram signal acquired from the abdominal recordings have been introduced. This article aims to present an extensive literature survey of different non-adaptive signal processing methods applied for fetal electrocardiogram extraction and enhancement. It is limiting that a different non-adaptive method works well for each type of signal, but independent component analysis, principal component analysis and wavelet transforms are the most commonly published methods of signal processing and have good accuracy and speed of algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rene Jaros
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15, 708 33 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Radek Martinek
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15, 708 33 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Radana Kahankova
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15, 708 33 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
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Martinek R, Kahankova R, Jezewski J, Jaros R, Mohylova J, Fajkus M, Nedoma J, Janku P, Nazeran H. Comparative Effectiveness of ICA and PCA in Extraction of Fetal ECG From Abdominal Signals: Toward Non-invasive Fetal Monitoring. Front Physiol 2018; 9:648. [PMID: 29899707 PMCID: PMC5988877 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-adaptive signal processing methods have been successfully applied to extract fetal electrocardiograms (fECGs) from maternal abdominal electrocardiograms (aECGs); and initial tests to evaluate the efficacy of these methods have been carried out by using synthetic data. Nevertheless, performance evaluation of such methods using real data is a much more challenging task and has neither been fully undertaken nor reported in the literature. Therefore, in this investigation, we aimed to compare the effectiveness of two popular non-adaptive methods (the ICA and PCA) to explore the non-invasive (NI) extraction (separation) of fECGs, also known as NI-fECGs from aECGs. The performance of these well-known methods was enhanced by an adaptive algorithm, compensating amplitude difference and time shift between the estimated components. We used real signals compiled in 12 recordings (real01-real12). Five of the recordings were from the publicly available database (PhysioNet-Abdominal and Direct Fetal Electrocardiogram Database), which included data recorded by multiple abdominal electrodes. Seven more recordings were acquired by measurements performed at the Institute of Medical Technology and Equipment, Zabrze, Poland. Therefore, in total we used 60 min of data (i.e., around 88,000 R waves) for our experiments. This dataset covers different gestational ages, fetal positions, fetal positions, maternal body mass indices (BMI), etc. Such a unique heterogeneous dataset of sufficient length combining continuous Fetal Scalp Electrode (FSE) acquired and abdominal ECG recordings allows for robust testing of the applied ICA and PCA methods. The performance of these signal separation methods was then comprehensively evaluated by comparing the fetal Heart Rate (fHR) values determined from the extracted fECGs with those calculated from the fECG signals recorded directly by means of a reference FSE. Additionally, we tested the possibility of non-invasive ST analysis (NI-STAN) by determining the T/QRS ratio. Our results demonstrated that even though these advanced signal processing methods are suitable for the non-invasive estimation and monitoring of the fHR information from maternal aECG signals, their utility for further morphological analysis of the extracted fECG signals remains questionable and warrants further work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radek Martinek
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Radana Kahankova
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Janusz Jezewski
- Institute of Medical Technology and Equipment ITAM, Zabrze, Poland
| | - Rene Jaros
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Jitka Mohylova
- Department of General Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Marcel Fajkus
- Department of Telecommunications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Jan Nedoma
- Department of Telecommunications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Petr Janku
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Homer Nazeran
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
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Ibrahim EA, Al Awar S, Balayah ZH, Hadjileontiadis LJ, Khandoker AH. A Comparative Study on Fetal Heart Rates Estimated from Fetal Phonography and Cardiotocography. Front Physiol 2017; 8:764. [PMID: 29089896 PMCID: PMC5651042 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate that fetal heart rates (fHR) extracted from fetal phonocardiography (fPCG) could convey similar information of fHR from cardiotocography (CTG). Four-channel fPCG sensors made of low cost (<$1) ceramic piezo vibration sensor within 3D-printed casings were used to collect abdominal phonogram signals from 20 pregnant mothers (>34 weeks of gestation). A novel multi-lag covariance matrix-based eigenvalue decomposition technique was used to separate maternal breathing, fetal heart sounds (fHS) and maternal heart sounds (mHS) from abdominal phonogram signals. Prior to the fHR estimation, the fPCG signals were denoised using a multi-resolution wavelet-based filter. The proposed source separation technique was first tested in separating sources from synthetically mixed signals and then on raw abdominal phonogram signals. fHR signals extracted from fPCG signals were validated using simultaneous recorded CTG-based fHR recordings.The experimental results have shown that the fHR derived from the acquired fPCG can be used to detect periods of acceleration and deceleration, which are critical indication of the fetus' well-being. Moreover, a comparative analysis demonstrated that fHRs from CTG and fPCG signals were in good agreement (Bland Altman plot has mean = -0.21 BPM and ±2 SD = ±3) with statistical significance (p < 0.001 and Spearman correlation coefficient ρ = 0.95). The study findings show that fHR estimated from fPCG could be a reliable substitute for fHR from the CTG, opening up the possibility of a low cost monitoring tool for fetal well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emad A. Ibrahim
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shamsa Al Awar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine and Health Science, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Zuhur H. Balayah
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine and Health Science, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Leontios J. Hadjileontiadis
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ahsan H. Khandoker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Martinek R, Kahankova R, Nazeran H, Konecny J, Jezewski J, Janku P, Bilik P, Zidek J, Nedoma J, Fajkus M. Non-Invasive Fetal Monitoring: A Maternal Surface ECG Electrode Placement-Based Novel Approach for Optimization of Adaptive Filter Control Parameters Using the LMS and RLS Algorithms. SENSORS 2017; 17:s17051154. [PMID: 28534810 PMCID: PMC5470900 DOI: 10.3390/s17051154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This paper is focused on the design, implementation and verification of a novel method for the optimization of the control parameters (such as step size μ and filter order N) of LMS and RLS adaptive filters used for noninvasive fetal monitoring. The optimization algorithm is driven by considering the ECG electrode positions on the maternal body surface in improving the performance of these adaptive filters. The main criterion for optimal parameter selection was the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). We conducted experiments using signals supplied by the latest version of our LabVIEW-Based Multi-Channel Non-Invasive Abdominal Maternal-Fetal Electrocardiogram Signal Generator, which provides the flexibility and capability of modeling the principal distribution of maternal/fetal ECGs in the human body. Our novel algorithm enabled us to find the optimal settings of the adaptive filters based on maternal surface ECG electrode placements. The experimental results further confirmed the theoretical assumption that the optimal settings of these adaptive filters are dependent on the ECG electrode positions on the maternal body, and therefore, we were able to achieve far better results than without the use of optimization. These improvements in turn could lead to a more accurate detection of fetal hypoxia. Consequently, our approach could offer the potential to be used in clinical practice to establish recommendations for standard electrode placement and find the optimal adaptive filter settings for extracting high quality fetal ECG signals for further processing. Ultimately, diagnostic-grade fetal ECG signals would ensure the reliable detection of fetal hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radek Martinek
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17 Listopadu 15, 70833 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Radana Kahankova
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17 Listopadu 15, 70833 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Homer Nazeran
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas El Paso, 500 W University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
| | - Jaromir Konecny
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17 Listopadu 15, 70833 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Janusz Jezewski
- Institute of Medical Technology and Equipment ITAM, 118 Roosevelt Str., 41-800 Zabrze, Poland.
| | - Petr Janku
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Jihlavska 20, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Petr Bilik
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17 Listopadu 15, 70833 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Zidek
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17 Listopadu 15, 70833 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Nedoma
- Department of Telecommunications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17 Listopadu 15, 70833 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Marcel Fajkus
- Department of Telecommunications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17 Listopadu 15, 70833 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
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