2026-05-26 オックスフォード大学
Ultrasound Patch (UPatch)
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-05-26-wearable-ultrasound-patch-could-help-doctors-spot-danger-signs-in-pregnancy-earlier
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-026-03140-1
ウェアラブル超音波パッチを用いたハイリスク妊娠における胎児モニタリング Fetal monitoring for high-risk pregnancies using a wearable ultrasound patch
Geonho Park,Yizhou Bian,Hao Huang,Sai Zhou,Siyu Qin,Muyang Lin,Xinyi Yang,Aaron Lee,Anand Ramkumar,Mariana Tome,Jayne Lander,Xiangjun Chen,Shenghan Wang,Pranavi Bheemreddy,Liam Stanton,Ren Sheng,Guihuan Guo,Mabel Shehada,Ruotao Wang,Alexa Roa,Chengchangfeng Lu,Wentong Yue,Ray S. Wu,Xiaoxiang Gao,… Sheng Xu
Nature Biotechnology Published:26 May 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-026-03140-1
Abstract
Ultrasonography is widely used for fetal monitoring but it requires sonographers and is limited to snapshot evaluations at discrete intervals. Here we report a wearable ultrasound patch (UPatch) for continuous and autonomous fetal monitoring. The UPatch can acquire anatomical structures and blood flow velocities, demonstrating good agreement with a handheld clinical ultrasound device on 62 pregnancies. Real-time image segmentation allows autonomous tracking of target vessels to acquire continuous blood flow spectra during fetal and maternal movements without a sonographer. Continuous monitoring data from 52 pregnant women aligned with stratified perinatal conditions, including healthy, small for gestational age, large for gestational age, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. With further technology development, integration with a miniaturized circuit could enable fully wireless operation and greater user mobility. The UPatch could provide continuous assessment of fetal compromise in high-risk pregnancies, expanding prenatal-care capabilities.
