@article{(Open Science Index):https://publications.waset.org/pdf/14006, title = {Extraction of Fetal Heart Rate and Fetal Heart Rate Variability from Mother's ECG Signal}, author = {Khaldon Lweesy and Luay Fraiwan and Christoph Maier and Hartmut Dickhaus}, country = {}, institution = {}, abstract = {This paper describes a new method for extracting the fetal heart rate (fHR) and the fetal heart rate variability (fHRV) signal non-invasively using abdominal maternal electrocardiogram (mECG) recordings. The extraction is based on the fundamental frequency (Fourier-s) theorem. The fundamental frequency of the mother-s electrocardiogram signal (fo-m) is calculated directly from the abdominal signal. The heart rate of the fetus is usually higher than that of the mother; as a result, the fundamental frequency of the fetal-s electrocardiogram signal (fo-f) is higher than that of the mother-s (fo-f > fo-m). Notch filters to suppress mother-s higher harmonics were designed; then a bandpass filter to target fo-f and reject fo-m is implemented. Although the bandpass filter will pass some other frequencies (harmonics), we have shown in this study that those harmonics are actually carried on fo-f, and thus have no impact on the evaluation of the beat-to-beat changes (RR intervals). The oscillations of the time-domain extracted signal represent the RR intervals. We have also shown in this study that zero-to-zero evaluation of the periods is more accurate than the peak-to-peak evaluation. This method is evaluated both on simulated signals and on different abdominal recordings obtained at different gestational ages. }, journal = {International Journal of Biomedical and Biological Engineering}, volume = {3}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, pages = {100 - 104}, ee = {https://publications.waset.org/pdf/14006}, url = {https://publications.waset.org/vol/30}, bibsource = {https://publications.waset.org/}, issn = {eISSN: 1307-6892}, publisher = {World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology}, index = {Open Science Index 30, 2009}, }