Fuzzy system for evaluation of fetal heart rate signals using FIGO criteria

Cardiotocography is a biophysical method of fetal monitoring during pregnancy and labour. It is mainly based on recording and analysis of fetal heart activity. The computerized fetal monitoring systems provide the quantitative description of the recorded signals but the effective methods supporting the conclusion generation are still needed. The evaluation of the signal can be made using criteria recommended by FIGO. Nevertheless, the quantitative description of the traces is inconsistent with qualitative nature of the obstetric knowledge. Therefore, we applied the fuzzy system based on Takagi-Sugeno-Kang model to evaluate and classify signals. FIGO guidelines were used for developing a set of fuzzy conditional rules defining the system performance. The proposed system was evaluated using data collected with computerized fetal surveillance system – MONAKO. The classification results confirm the improvement of the fetal state evaluation quality while using the proposed fuzzy system support.