Multiscale Electromagnetic Modeling of Contractions in the Pregnant Uterus

V. Tidwell[1], P. LaRosa[2], M. Zhang[1], H. Eswaran[3], A. Nehorai[1]
[1]Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
[2]Monsanto Company, Technology Pipeline Solutions, St. Louis, MO, USA
[3]OB/GYN Department, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
Published in 2014

Uterine contractions during pregnancy are currently poorly understood – experts disagree on the mechanisms by which contractions propagate through the organ and the structural layout of the uterine muscle fibers. We have developed a multi-scale model of the uterus, at the cellular, tissue, and organ levels. By comparing simulated abdomen-level magnetic field readings from our model to clinical measurements, we hope to create a framework by which propagation mechanisms and fiber structures can be compared and validated. This in turn will facilitate interpretation of the real-world measurements, allowing the state of the transmembrane potential in the uterus to be estimated from the state of the magnetic field at the abdomen surface.