Cervix monitor for risk assessment of spontaneous preterm delivery

Currently spontaneous preterm delivery SPTD is the leading global cause of infant mortality and morbidity In most countries the rate of preterm births has risen in recent decades and now represents the largest cause of neonatal death and the second largest direct cause of death in children under five Discovering how to lower the rate of this major complication of pregnancy should be one of the highest priorities in contemporary health care and detection of premature maturation of cervix is a promising way to reduce the likelihood of SPTD In Phase I we propose to design a prototype of the Cervix Monitor CM with a single use probe comprised of a tactile sensor array and an ultrasound transducer for cervix elasticity and length measurements The device will be based on our patented technology After safety and electromagnetic compatibility testing and bench verification we plan a pilot clinical study to assess CM performance with pregnant and non pregnant women The long term objective of the project is to bring a compact cost effective and easy to use device for risk assessment of SPTD into clinical practice Currently spontaneous preterm birth is the leading global cause of infant mortality and morbidity The main goal of this project is to develop a cost effective and easy to use device for risk assessment of preterm birth to allow saving children s lives by directing at risk women to preventive clinical treatment and or intervention