Pregnancy monitoring devices, systems, and related methods

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to devices, systems, and methods for monitoring pregnancy of a female pregnant subject. For example, a pregnancy monitoring system can detect movement or motion of a pregnant subject and/or of the fetus in the pregnant subject. Additionally or alternatively, the pregnancy monitoring system can detect internal and/or external source loads applied to the pregnant subject. In an embodiment, the pregnancy monitoring system can compare and/or correlate two or more loads, one to another (e.g., to produce an output that is at least partially based on such comparison and that is related to the wellbeing of the pregnant subject and/or of the fetus). For example, the pregnancy monitoring system can include a controller that is configured to determine and compare two or more loads based on signals received from one or more sensors that can be positioned on the pregnant subject.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A system for monitoring a pregnant subject, the system comprising:
 one or more sensors configured to generate one or more signals related to,
 an internal source load applied to the pregnant subject; and 
 motion of the pregnant subject; and 
   a controller including control electrical circuitry operably coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to receive the one or more signals therefrom, the control electrical circuitry configured to,
 distinguish the motion of the pregnant subject from the internal source load based at least partially on the one or more signals received from the one or more sensors; and 
 generate an output related to one or more of the internal source load or the motion of the pregnant subject. 
   
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein based at least partially on the one or more signals related to the internal source load, the control electrical circuitry of the controller is configured to generate information related to one or more of a position of a fetus in the pregnant subject, a motion of the fetus, or an orientation of the fetus. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein based at least partially on the one or more signals related to the internal source load, the control electrical circuitry of the controller is configured to generate information related to kicks of the fetus. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the control electrical circuitry of the controller is configured to correlate the motion of the pregnant subject with the motion of the fetus in the pregnant subject. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the output includes one or more recommendations related to one or more of a health of the pregnant subject or a health of the fetus in the pregnant subject. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the controller includes memory configured to store data related to the motion of the fetus in the pregnant subject and store data related to the motion of the pregnant subject. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert at least partially based on a comparison of the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored at a first time point, to the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored at a second time point. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 41 , further including a personal electronic device having a display, wherein the controller is configured to display the output from the controller on the display of the personal electronic device. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the personal electronic device is configured to display one or more recommendations related to one or more of a health of the pregnant subject or a health of a fetus in the pregnant subject, the one or more recommendations based at least partially on the output from the controller received at the personal electronic device. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert when the internal load source is below or exceeds a threshold load. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the one or more sensors include at least one motion sensor configured to sense the motion of the pregnant subject and at least one load-sensitive sensor configured to sense the internal source load. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 41 , further including one or more load-sensitive elements configured to generate an indication that the internal source load exceeds a threshold load. 
     
     
         53 . A wearable system for monitoring a pregnant subject, the wearable system comprising:
 one or more wearable elements sized and configured to be worn by the pregnant subject;   one or more sensors configured to generate one or more signals related to at least an internal source load applied to the pregnant subject and to motion of the pregnant subject, at least one of the one or more sensors carried by the one or more wearable elements; and   a controller including control electrical circuitry operably coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to receive the one or more signals therefrom, the control electrical circuitry configured to distinguish the motion of the pregnant subject from the internal source load based at least partially on the one or more signals received from the one or more sensors and to generate an output related to one or more of the internal source load or the motion of the pregnant subject.   
     
     
         54 . The wearable system of  claim 53 , wherein based at least partially on the one or more signals related to the internal source load, the control electrical circuitry of the controller is configured to generate information related to one or more of a position of a fetus in the pregnant subject, a motion of the fetus, or an orientation of the fetus. 
     
     
         55 . The wearable system of  claim 54 , wherein the control electrical circuitry of the controller is configured to correlate the motion of the pregnant subject with the motion of the fetus in the pregnant subject. 
     
     
         56 . The wearable system of  claim 54 , wherein the output includes one or more recommendations related to one or more of a health of the pregnant subject or a health of the fetus in the pregnant subject. 
     
     
         57 . The wearable system of  claim 54 , wherein the controller includes memory configured to store data related to the motion of the pregnant subject and to store data related to the motion of the fetus in the pregnant subject that is generated at least partially from the control electrical circuitry correlating the motion of the pregnant subject with the motion of the fetus. 
     
     
         58 . The wearable system of  claim 57 , wherein the control electrical circuitry of the controller is configured to compare data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored at a first time point, to the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored at a second time point. 
     
     
         59 . The wearable system of  claim 58 , wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert at least partially based on the comparison of the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored at the first time point, to the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored at the second time point. 
     
     
         60 . The wearable system of  claim 53 , further including a personal electronic device having a display, wherein the controller is configured to display the output from the controller on the display of the personal electronic device. 
     
     
         61 . The wearable system of  claim 60 , wherein the electronic device is configured to display one or more recommendations related to one or more of a health of the pregnant subject or a health of a fetus in the pregnant subject, the one or more recommendations being based at least partially on the output from the controller received at the personal electronic device. 
     
     
         62 . The wearable system of  claim 53 , wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert when the internal source load is below or exceeds a threshold load. 
     
     
         63 . The wearable system of  claim 53 , further including one or more load-sensitive elements configured to generate an indication that the internal source load is below a threshold load. 
     
     
         64 . A method of monitoring a pregnant subject, the method comprising:
 at a controller, receiving one or more signals from one or more sensors related to an internal source load applied to the pregnant subject and to motion of the pregnant subject, wherein the internal source load includes one or more forces resulting from motion of a fetus in the pregnant subject;   at the controller, determining a position of the fetus, the motion of the fetus, orientation of the fetus, or a combination thereof based at least partially on the one or more signals received from the one or more sensors   at the controller, correlating an amount of the motion of the pregnant subject with an amount of the motion of the fetus in the pregnant subject based at least partially on the one or more signals received from the one or more sensors; and   generating an output including information related to one or more of the position of the fetus in the pregnant subject, the motion of the fetus, or the orientation of the fetus.   
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64 , further including correlating the amount of the motion of the fetus in the pregnant subject with the amount of the motion of the pregnant subject and generating an output related to the correlated amount of the motion of the fetus and the amount of the motion of the pregnant subject. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 64 , further including storing data related to the amount of the motion of the fetus in the pregnant subject, which is at least partially based on the internal source load. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66 , further including comparing data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored at a first time point, to the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored at a second time point. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , further including generating an alert at least partially based on the comparison of the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored at the first time point, to the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored at the second time point.