Transforming prenatal care: Can wearables and AI revolutionize fetal monitoring?  

How will technology change the course of prenatal care in the future?  

Pregnancy is a time of both excitement and medical vigilance. But how can we ensure that fetal monitoring keeps pace with cutting-edge technology to improve maternal and infant health? For decades, expectant mothers have been subjected to rigid, hospital-based monitoring systems that are often uncomfortable and impractical. Could wearable smart dry electrode technology, combined with artificial intelligence (AI), offer a game-changing alternative?  

The BMCC-funded ELAINE project is pioneering a breakthrough approach to maternal and fetal monitoring. By replacing cumbersome, outdated methods with smart, AI-driven, wearable solutions that patients can use at home, this project is reshaping prenatal care, making it more accessible, efficient, and accurate than ever before.  

How has prenatal care changed over the years?  

Prenatal care has evolved significantly over the years and particularly fetal monitoring techniques. The current standard for monitoring fetal health is cardiotocography (CTG). But CTG systems are often bulky and require operation by experienced staff, such as midwives and obstetricians, limiting their use primarily to clinical settings. These systems also face challenges in accurately monitoring patients with a higher body mass index (BMI), reducing their effectiveness in detecting potential complications.  

Recent advancements have introduced fetal electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring with gel electrodes; however, a reliable device using dry electrodes—crucial for comfortable at-home monitoring—has yet to be developed and could potentially offer even greater benefits.  

Enhancing pregnancy care through innovation 

Prof. Dr. Daniel Surbek, Head of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Women’s Clinic, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, emphasizes the importance of continuous and comfortable monitoring: 

“Continuous and comfortable maternal-fetal monitoring is vital for early detection of complications in high-risk pregnancies such as fetal distress, or preterm labor. Timely interventions can reduce hospitalization rates and improve maternal-fetal outcomes. Integrating wearable sensor technology with algorithms and AI-driven analytics represents the next generation of fetal monitoring, providing healthcare providers and parents with real-time, reliable insights into pregnancy health. This approach aligns with industry trends towards digitalization in medical records and the increasing demand for at-home health monitoring solutions.” 

ELAINE pioneers wearable dry electrodes for continuous monitoring 

ELAINE, launched in 2023 through a collaboration between CSEM and the Women's Clinic at the Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, represents a paradigm shift in prenatal care. This BMCC-funded initiative introduces wearable smart dry electrodes, a revolutionary technology that eliminates the discomfort of conventional monitoring methods. Unlike traditional sensors ELAINE:  

• Uses dry electrodes integrated into a textile band, eliminating the need for adhesives and gels. 
• Enables comfortable fetal ECG monitoring. 
• Is designed for both clinical and home use, the latter reducing the need for frequent hospital visits. 

Innovating prenatal care with Space-grade technology 

“ELAINE was initially inspired by CSEM research funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), which explored space-grade medical technologies for use in everyday healthcare,” relays Gürkan Yilmaz, a Senior Expert in MedTech at CSEM.​ “At the core of the ELAINE lies CSEM’s active dry electrode technology, combined with our fetal ECG extraction algorithm. This combination paves the way to achieve accurate fetal monitoring in at-home settings.” 

"At the Women's Clinic at Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, our collaboration with CSEM has been instrumental in perfecting the device and its placement on the maternal abdomen. This ensures it is both clinically effective and user-friendly for healthcare professionals. Having tested the solution on 55 pregnant women, we have seen outstanding results in extracting fetal ECG signals without invasive procedures. We are thrilled to move forward with clinical trials in the near future," says PD Dr. Med. Anda-Petronela Radan, Head of the Obstetrics Outpatient Department, Women's Clinic, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern.

Expanding ELAINE’s impact through NEWLIFE and VidaSense 

The technology developed by the partners in ELAINE is now being implemented in the EU-funded NEWLIFE project, as well. NEWLIFE focuses on developing connected dry sensors integrated into clothes such as cuffs, belts, bodysuits, caps, or beds, which can measure various vital signs, including the blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, pH, and oxygenation level of the mother and the baby. 

Moreover, building upon the technological foundation laid by ELAINE and refined by NEWLIFE, start-up VidaSense is now leading the commercial deployment of this breakthrough fetal monitoring concept. Supported by CSEM’s ACCELERATE Program, this Swiss start-up intends to make the smart prenatal monitoring system affordable and widely accessible for hospitals, midwives, and expectant mothers alike. The start-up is on track and has already secured the funding to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). 

BMCC's role in collaborative innovation

ELAINE, NEWLIFE, and VidaSense exemplify the potential of collaborative innovation in advancing prenatal care. Supported by BMCC, INSEL Gruppe, CSEM, and key European funding bodies, these projects demonstrate how innovation leaders, academia, clinical institutions, and the private sector can drive transformative medical advancements. This collaboration not only ensures sustained investment but also creates pathways for widespread adoption, fueling job growth in Bern's MedTech sector and supporting Switzerland's broader industry expansion. 

By offering wearable, intelligent, home-based solutions, these technologies aim to complement existing hospital-based systems. They have the potential to empower expectant mothers, reduce healthcare costs, and improve maternal-fetal monitoring, making a meaningful impact on both individual care and the healthcare system as a whole.