INTEGRATED INSTRUMENTATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING FEEDING READINESS AND COMPETENCE IN PRETERM INFANTS

摘要

An objective, automated approach for the detection and identification of the suck, swallow raid breathe parameters, which approach is vital for successful feeding in preterm infants during bottle feeding. Au instrumentation system measures and processes of suck, swallow, and breathe waveforms The analog signals are digitized by analog-to-digital (A/D) converters. A robust method based on correlation techniques and matched filters is used to detect and identify individual occurrences of suck, swallow and breathe. The results of the correlation method results m an occurrence matrix which contains the start time of the detected event (suck, swallow and/or breathe), the correlation coefficient, or probability of certainty and duration of the suspected event. The occurrence matrix is then used as a measure of coordination sucks swallow and breathe to determine feeding readiness and competence.