Royal Philips has added the Avalon CL Fetal and Maternal Pod and Patch to its remote patient monitoring suite supporting at-risk populations during the COVID-19 emergency. These devices aim to reduce unnecessary physical interactions between clinicians and patients, which is of particular importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The patch is part of a broader innovative high-risk pregnancy solution which includes Philips perinatal analytics, and visualization software as well as an ultra-portable battery-operated fetal monitor.
Up to half a million women may deliver their babies while infected with COVID-19 in 2020. Additionally, pregnant women who have not been diagnosed with COVID-19 are interested in ways they can minimize their time in a hospital to limit their exposure to the disease. While clinicians are treating COVID-19 patients in isolation rooms, and accommodating home visits and births when possible, properly managing patient care while reducing the risk of exposure for care providers requires tools that enable remote monitoring of vitals.
The Fetal and Maternal Pod and Patch allow for continuous, noninvasive monitoring of maternal heart rate, fetal heart rate, and uterine activity with a single-use, 48-hour, disposable electrode patch placed on the mother’s abdomen. The patch is designed to be placed on the patient by a clinician only once, unlike traditional elastic belts and sensors that require frequent repositioning.
“Remote monitoring during labor has always provided multiple benefits to expectant mothers, including comfort, mobility, and flexibility. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for mobile solutions during pregnancy is greater than ever,” said Peter Ziese, General Manager, Monitoring & Analytics at Philips. “Philips has been dedicated to providing the best quality care for expectant mothers for more than fifty years. This new solution builds on our commitment to provide integrated continuous monitoring capabilities for high risk pregnancies. With this new patch, clinicians now have access to an innovative tool to help monitor pregnant women during COVID-19, helping to deliver comfort to these mothers during a particularly stressful time.”
