As the COVID-19 pandemic has forced industries to go remote, companies are now also innovating health solutions promoting social distancing practices. Philips recently unveiled wireless fetal monitoring technology that can reduce unnecessary physical interactions that can put both pregnant women and physicians at risk. An estimated 116 million babies have been born since the declaration of the pandemic. With lockdowns and overwhelmed health centers, clinicians are challenged with conducting the continuous obstetrical monitoring necessary while still limiting contact between patients and doctors.
The Avalon CL Fetal and Maternal Pod and Patch is only one of Philips’ remote patient monitoring suite of devices. The technology is capable of providing “continuous non-invasive monitoring” of important vital signs such as maternal heart rate, fetal heart rate, and uterine activity. With the Avalon CL, an electrode patch is fitted onto the mother’s abdomen, which measures activity using ECG and EMG signals. Compared to traditional elastic belts used by clinicians, the patch doesn’t need to be constantly repositioned.
The patch was also designed for 48-hour, single-use and can be disposed of right after it is used.
“The fact that the new sensors are disposable and don’t require constant repositioning has been particularly useful for us in the peak of the COVID-19 wave in March and April in Lisbon,” said Dr. Diego Ayres-de-Campos of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine (EAPM).
Other OB solutions under Philips’ Avalon Fetal Monitoring portfolio include an obstetrical information management system that reads and supports data obtained using the Avalon Patch. The Avalon CL Transducer System enables cableless monitoring for Avalon Fetal Monitors, while the Avalon CL Wide Range Pod leverages hospital LAN systems to extend cableless monitoring even further. And the IntelliSpace Perinatal system is designed to manage patient data from antepartum visits through labor, delivery, and postpartum care. An ISP Revision K and IntelliVue XDS Remote Display also allows for remote control of the fetal monitor.
“Remote monitoring during labor has always provided multiple benefits to expectant mothers, including comfort, mobility and flexibility. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for mobile solutions during pregnancy is greater than ever,” said Peter Ziese of Philips.
The Avalon CL Fetal and Maternal Pod have been made available according to emergency guidelines issued by the FDA in April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The system has already received the EU CE Mark and is currently available across Europe as well as in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
For more information, visit Philips’ website here.
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