Tool has the potential to assist with preterm birth, labor management and clinical decision-making. Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a new imaging tool, called electromyometrial imaging (EMMI), to create real-time, three-dimensional images and maps of contrac
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a new imaging method to produce detailed 3D maps of uterine contractions in real-time. The technology could help define the progression of healthy labor and identify when problems may be developing, such as in preterm labor or labor arrest. Shown is a video clip of the left and right view of the real-time progression of a single uterine contraction during normal labor.
The study team, led by Yong Wang, Ph.D., and Alan Schwartz, M.D., Ph.D., at Washington University in St. Louis, and Alison Cahill, M.D., at the University of Texas at Austin, initially developed EMMI using a sheep model and reported their findings in. In the new study, the team tailored EMMI for human clinical use and tested it among a group of 10 women with healthy pregnancies.
EMMI maps were also used to develop metrics to describe uterine contractions. The maximal activation ratio, for example, measures the total surface area of the uterus that becomes electrically active during an individual contraction. The activation curve slope measures the rate of uterine electrical activation. The fundal early activation ratio helps quantify the region that generates contractions to dilate the cervix.
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