INTRAUTERINE BALLOON APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR AUGMENTING UTERINE BIRTHING FORCES DURING PARTURITION

摘要

A catheter to access and navigate the uterine cavity through the cervical canal for delivering, deploying, and facilitating operation of a peripheral intrauterine medical apparatus during parturition includes an elongated, flexible tubular catheter body with a handle at the proximal end controlling a steering mechanism and deflecting the distal tip. The catheter includes a lumen that extends the length of catheter body to a distal end region of the catheter. The peripheral medical apparatus is located in the distal end region and is configured to deploy from the distal tip of the catheter into the uterine cavity. A soft catheter tip reduces the likelihood of injury during intrauterine navigation and placement, and sensors associated with the catheter body provide signals that allow for the monitoring of infant, umbilical cord, placenta and uterine muscle activity during labor to assist operation of the peripheral medical apparatus.