Abstract
Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the leading causes of neonatal morbidities and mortalities. Limited methods are available to physicians for mitigating PTB, thus posing an urgent need to develop effective methods for its prevention. In prior research, a benchtop electronic uterine control device (EUCD) was developed for tocolysis through injection of current pulses. However, the benchtop version is wall tethered and constrains patients to hospitals, i.e., it is unsuitable for deployment in outpatient or home settings. This paper focuses on the development of a mechatronics-based, low-cost, battery-powered, portable, and reproducible EUCD, which is suitable for use in home and clinical environments. The developed mechatronic version is validated for electrical performance with resistive load-tests, which indicate that the mechatronic device can generate current pulses similar to the existing benchtop EUCD. Furthermore, the signals generated from the device are evaluated for repeatability using coefficient of variation (CV) analysis and the results indicate that the mechatronic version can produce repeatable frequency (1–100Hz), amplitude (1–17mA), and pulse width (1–120ms) modulated current signals. An internet of medical things (IoMT) methodology is discussed to enable seamless transition of the developed device from a clinical environment to a home-based setting for remote use by the patients.
