Royal Philips has announced the UK launch of its Avalon Cableless Fetal Monitoring solution (Avalon CL), with a first installation at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
Avalon CL’s cableless design enables mothers to move more freely during labour and uses proprietary Smart Pulse technology to automatically detect the coincidence between maternal pulse and fetal heart rate, even for twins and triplets.
Conventional fetal monitoring solutions often present limitations for physicians and patients. Studies show that upright positions and walking are associated with a reduction in the length of the first stage of labour, and women in upright positions may be less likely to have an epidural. Further to this, observational studies suggest that maintaining a supine position in labour may have adverse physiological effects on the mother and her baby. With Avalon CL, mothers can reap the benefits of mobility by having more flexibility to move during labour due to its cableless design and consistent monitoring ability.
Our main aim is to deliver more choice for women in labour. We want to ensure that mothers-to-be and their babies benefit from the advantages of being mobile and upright in labour, while also providing the best-possible birth experience
Assistant divisional director of midwifery at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Dawn Morrall, said: “Our main aim is to deliver more choice for women in labour. We want to ensure that mothers-to-be and their babies benefit from the advantages of being mobile and upright in labour, while also providing the best-possible birth experience.”
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital now has six Avalon CL units throughout the hospital’s delivery suite. The team will also conduct a yearlong research project, Mums Up & Mobile (MUM), which will provide invaluable insights on the benefits of making labour more mobile and help better inform decisions for women giving birth, and their babies.
Linda Woods from Philips Healthcare UK said: “Cableless monitoring is part of the Philips focus on developmental care, which provides a holistic approach to caring for the individual mother and child across the continuum.
“Avalon CL also is an example of how we innovate, by deeply understanding the needs of our customers and their patients. To this end, we are excited to support the MUM. Project as we believe it will offer insights that will inform future innovations.”
Among its features to enhance safety and comfort for women, Avalon CL provides:
- Coincidence detection: Avalon CL’s Smart Pulse technology allows continuous coincidence detection between the mother’s pulse and the baby’s fetal heart rate, or rates if there are multiples, without any additional transducers or cables, allowing clinicians to provide more-accurate recognition and intervention
- Increased mobility and flexibility during labour: By removing cables, Avalon CL is more mobile and flexible, allowing women to find their most comfortable position to best manage contractions during the birth
- Enhanced monitoring under water: Avalon CL with Smart Pulse can be submerged under water for up to five hours for continuous monitoring, even with twins and triplets
Cableless monitoring is part of the Philips focus on developmental care, which provides a holistic approach to caring for the individual mother and child across the continuum
Avalon CL enhances the Philips Fetal and Maternal Monitors portfolio by providing advanced measurements during routine and high-risk deliveries for pregnant women.
The system transmits fetal and maternal vital signs information to a monitor via the base station. From there, patient information can be transferred seamlessly to the Philips IntelliSpace Perinatal information management system, which tracks medical information across the obstetrical care continuum – from the first antepartum visit to delivery, postpartum, newborn record, discharge and postpartum follow-up visits.
