Date of Award
Winter 12-19-2023
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Type
Dissertation
Abstract
Uterine peristalsis, characterized by spontaneous slow-wave contractions of the sub-endometrial layer of the uterine myometrium, occurs throughout the menstrual cycle. Disruptions in peristalsis patterns may occur in women experiencing abnormal uterine bleeding, endometriosis, and infertility. Current tools to measure uterine peristalsis in humans have limitations that hamper their research and clinical utility. Therefore, an electrophysiological imaging system with wearable sensors was developed to noninvasively image the four-dimensional electrical activation patterns with high spatial and temporal resolution and coverage. This dissertation starts with the technical development of uterine peristalsis imaging (UPI) to study complex UP patterns with multi-parametric electrophysiological signatures. Subsequently, it illustrates the diverse and complex UP patterns captured and classified by our imaging system. Furthermore, one prospective observational cohort study was performed employing a randomized control approach to investigate how the use of transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) alters physiologic UP in gynecologic patients. This study is designed to uncover the nuanced changes brought about by TVUS usage. Additionally, it discusses the recent clinical findings pertaining to UP and its associations with reproductive hormones, obesity, and endometrium development. These insights contribute significantly to our understanding of the physiologic intricacies involved. Next, it introduces the adoption of a developed imaging technique for longitudinal imaging of the electrical patterns in utero-placenta-pump (UPP) throughout pregnancy and studies the correlation between the electrical patterns and the potential risk of fetal growth restriction (FGR). Lastly, this dissertation introduces electrophysiological imaging of vasomotion in other electrically excitable organs, including the human cortex and skeletal muscles. This extension will allow us to investigate significant and intricate physiological and pathological conditions.
Language
English (en)
Chair
Yong Wang