A Fetal Electrocardiogram Data Acquisition and Analysis System

Non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram measurements have the potential to monitor and reduce newborn clinical complications. Fetal electrocardiogram signals, however, are relatively weak and difficult to extract from the maternal electrocardiogram signal and other sources of interference. The goal of this project is to, therefore, successfully extract and process fetal electrocardiogram signals in real time from a competing background of maternal electrocardiogram signals and other forms of noise. To accomplish this goal, electrocardiogram instrumentation hardware has been designed, capable of processing multiple input data streams from electrocardiogram leads placed over the maternal abdomen. High-performance bio-potential amplification, filtering, processing, and safety issues are considered in the design. The results of this study outline a high precision and scalable electrocardiogram system for extracting fetal signal from a large background of maternal and other interfering signals.