{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,6]],"date-time":"2026-11-06T02:17:20Z","timestamp":1793931440260,"version":"4.8.0"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2012,11,5]],"date-time":"2012-11-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1352073600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/www.springer.com\/tdm"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMC Med Phys"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>Analyzing and monitoring uterine contractions during pregnancy is relevant to the field of reproductive health assessment. Its clinical importance is grounded in the need to reliably predict the onset of labor at term and pre-term. Preterm births can cause health problems or even be fatal for the fetus. Currently, there are no objective methods for consistently predicting the onset of labor based on sensing of the mechanical or electrophysiological aspects of uterine contractions. Therefore, modeling uterine contractions could help to better interpret such measurements and to develop more accurate methods for predicting labor. In this work, we develop a multiscale forward electromagnetic model of myometrial contractions during pregnancy. In particular, we introduce a model of myometrial current source densities and compute its magnetic field and action potential at the abdominal surface, using Maxwell\u2019s equations and a four-compartment volume conductor geometry. To model the current source density at the myometrium we use a bidomain approach. We consider a modified version of the Fitzhugh-Nagumo (FHN) equation for modeling ionic currents in each myocyte, assuming a plateau-type transmembrane potential, and we incorporate the anisotropic nature of the uterus by designing conductivity-tensor fields.<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>We illustrate our modeling approach considering a spherical uterus and one pacemaker located in the fundus. We obtained a travelling transmembrane potential depolarizing from \u221256 mV to \u221216 mV and an average potential in the plateau area of \u221225 mV with a duration, before hyperpolarization, of 35 s, which is a good approximation with respect to the average recorded transmembrane potentials at term reported in the technical literature. Similarly, the percentage of myometrial cells contracting as a function of time had the same symmetric properties and duration as the intrauterine pressure waveforms of a pregnant human myometrium at term.<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>We introduced a multiscale modeling approach of uterine contractions which allows for incorporating electrophysiological and anatomical knowledge of the myometrium jointly. Our results are in good agreement with the values reported in the experimental technical literature, and these are potentially important as a tool for helping in the characterization of contractions and for predicting labor using magnetomyography (MMG) and electromyography (EMG).<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/1756-6649-12-4","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2012,11,5]],"date-time":"2012-11-05T09:13:59Z","timestamp":1352106839000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":30,"title":["Multiscale forward electromagnetic model of uterine contractions during pregnancy"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Patricio S","family":"La Rosa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hari","family":"Eswaran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hubert","family":"Preissl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Arye","family":"Nehorai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,11,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"43_CR1","volume-title":"The Uterus","author":"T Chard","year":"1995","unstructured":"Chard T, Grudzinskas JG: The Uterus. 1995, Cambridge: University Press"},{"issue":"20","key":"43_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-0328(03)00065-X","volume":"110","author":"R Lamont","year":"2003","unstructured":"Lamont R: Looking to the future. BJOG: Int J Obstet Gynaecol. 2003, 110 (20): 131-135. 10.1046\/j.1471-0528.2003.00065.x.","journal-title":"BJOG: Int J Obstet Gynaecol"},{"issue":"10","key":"43_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"661","DOI":"10.7863\/jum.1998.17.10.661","volume":"17","author":"S Degani","year":"1998","unstructured":"Degani S, Leibovitz Z, Shapiro I, Gonen R, Ohel G: Myometrial thickness in pregnancy: longitudinal sonographic study. J Ultrasound Med. 1998, 17 (10): 661-665.","journal-title":"J Ultrasound Med"},{"key":"43_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"94","DOI":"10.1016\/S0029-7844(98)00345-7","volume":"93","author":"R Young","year":"1999","unstructured":"Young R, Hession RO: Three-dimensional structure of the smooth muscle in the term-pregnant human uterus. Obstet Gynecol. 1999, 93: 94-99. 10.1016\/S0029-7844(98)00345-7.","journal-title":"Obstet Gynecol"},{"key":"43_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.1002\/ar.a.20274","volume":"288","author":"S Weiss","year":"2006","unstructured":"Weiss S, Jaermann T, Schmid P, Staempli P, Niederer P, Caduff R, Bajka M: Three-dimensional fiber architecture of the nonpregnant human uterus determined Ex Vivo using magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging. Anat Rec Part A, Discov Mol, Cell, Evol Biol. 2006, 288: 84-90.","journal-title":"Anat Rec Part A, Discov Mol, Cell, Evol Biol"},{"key":"43_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1196\/annals.1389.038","volume":"1101","author":"RC Young","year":"2007","unstructured":"Young RC: Myocytes, myometrium, and uterine contractions. Ann New York Acad Sci. 2007, 1101: 72-84. 10.1196\/annals.1389.038.","journal-title":"Ann New York Acad Sci"},{"key":"43_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"108","DOI":"10.1016\/0029-7844(95)00111-4","volume":"86","author":"HF Andersen","year":"1995","unstructured":"Andersen HF, Barclay ML: A computer model of uterine contractions based on discrete contractile elements. Obstet Gynecol. 1995, 86: 108-111. 10.1016\/0029-7844(95)00111-4.","journal-title":"Obstet Gynecol"},{"issue":"10","key":"43_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"948","DOI":"10.1177\/1933719110376544","volume":"17","author":"M Barclay","year":"2010","unstructured":"Barclay M, Andersen H, Simon C: Emergent behaviors in a deterministic model of the human uterus. Reprod Sci. 2010, 17 (10): 948-954. 10.1177\/1933719110376544.","journal-title":"Reprod Sci"},{"key":"43_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"604","DOI":"10.1016\/S0029-7844(96)00502-9","volume":"89","author":"R Young","year":"1997","unstructured":"Young R: A computer model of uterine contractions based on action potential propagation and intercellular calcium waves. Obstet Gynecol. 1997, 89: 604-608. 10.1016\/S0029-7844(96)00502-9.","journal-title":"Obstet Gynecol"},{"issue":"3","key":"43_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"519","DOI":"10.1109\/TBME.2009.2035440","volume":"57","author":"C Rabotti","year":"2010","unstructured":"Rabotti C, Mischi M, Beulen L, Oei G, Bergmans J: Modeling and identification of the electrohysterographic volume conductor by high-density electrodes. Biomed Eng, IEEE Transac. 2010, 57 (3): 519-527.","journal-title":"Biomed Eng, IEEE Transac"},{"issue":"6","key":"43_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e11037","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0011037","volume":"5","author":"P Sokolowski","year":"2010","unstructured":"Sokolowski P, Giles W, McGrath S, Smith D, Smith J, Smith R: Human uterine wall tension trajectories and the onset of parturition. PLoS ONE. 2010, 5 (6): e11037-10.1371\/journal.pone.0011037.","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"43_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"183","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pbiomolbio.2011.07.004","volume":"107","author":"O Aslanidi","year":"2011","unstructured":"Aslanidi O, Atia J, Benson A, van den Berg H, Blanks A, Choi C, Gilbert S, Goryanin I, Hayes-Gill B, Holden A, Li P, Norman J, Shmygol A, Simpson N, Taggart M, Tong W, Zhang H: Towards a computational reconstruction of the electrodynamics of premature and full term human labour. Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2011, 107: 183-192. 10.1016\/j.pbiomolbio.2011.07.004.","journal-title":"Prog Biophys Mol Biol"},{"key":"43_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1196\/annals.1389.025","volume":"1101","author":"L Bursztyn","year":"2007","unstructured":"Bursztyn L, Eytan O, Jaffa AJ, Elad D: Modeling myometrial smooth muscle contraction. Ann New York Acad Sci. 2007, 1101: 110-138. 10.1196\/annals.1389.025.","journal-title":"Ann New York Acad Sci"},{"issue":"5","key":"43_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"C1816\u2014C1829","DOI":"10.1152\/ajpcell.00478.2006","volume":"292","author":"L Bursztyn","year":"2007","unstructured":"Bursztyn L, Eytan O, Jaffa AJ, Elad D: Mathematical model of excitation-contraction in a uterine smooth muscle cell. Am J Physiol - Cell Physiol. 2007, 292 (5): C1816\u2014C1829-","journal-title":"Am J Physiol - Cell Physiol"},{"key":"43_CR15","volume-title":"Proc. The 3rd European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference","author":"S Rihana","year":"2005","unstructured":"Rihana S, Marque C: Modelling the electrical activity of a uterine cell, a mathematical model approach. Proc. The 3rd European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference. 2005, Prague"},{"issue":"6","key":"43_CR16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"665","DOI":"10.1007\/s11517-009-0433-4","volume":"47","author":"S Rihana","year":"2009","unstructured":"Rihana S, Terrien J, Germain G, Marque C: Electrophysiological model of the uterine electrical activity. Med Biol Eng Comput. 2009, 47 (6): 665-675. 10.1007\/s11517-009-0433-4.","journal-title":"Med Biol Eng Comput"},{"issue":"4","key":"43_CR17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e18685","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0018685","volume":"6","author":"W Tong","year":"2011","unstructured":"Tong W, Choi C, Karche S, Holden A, Zhang H, Taggart M: A computational model of the ionic currents, Ca2+ dynamics and action potentials underlying contraction of isolated uterine smooth muscle. PloS One. 2011, 6 (4): e18685-10.1371\/journal.pone.0018685.","journal-title":"PloS One"},{"key":"43_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1067\/mob.2002.123031","volume":"187","author":"H Eswaran","year":"2002","unstructured":"Eswaran H, Preissl H, Wilson JD, Murphy P, Robinson S, Lowery C: First magnetomyographic recordings of uterine activity with spatial-temporal information with 151-channel sensor array. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2002, 187: 145-151. 10.1067\/mob.2002.123031.","journal-title":"Am J Obstet Gynecol"},{"issue":"3","key":"43_CR19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.1016\/j.semcdb.2007.05.004","volume":"18","author":"RE Garfield","year":"2007","unstructured":"Garfield RE, Maner WL: Physiology and electrical activity of uterine contractions. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2007, 18 (3): 289-295. 10.1016\/j.semcdb.2007.05.004.","journal-title":"Semin Cell Dev Biol"},{"key":"43_CR20","first-page":"1600","volume-title":"IFMBE Proceedings 11th World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Volume 25\/4","author":"PS La Rosa","year":"2009","unstructured":"La Rosa PS, Eswaran H, Lowery C, Preissl H, Nehorai A: Forward modeling of uterine EMG and MMG contractions. IFMBE Proceedings 11th World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Volume 25\/4. 2009, Edited by Dssel O, Schlegel WC. Munich: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 1600-1603."},{"key":"43_CR21","volume-title":"A bi-domain Model for Describing Ischemic Myocardial D-C Potentials (Ph. D. thesis)","author":"L Tung","year":"1978","unstructured":"Tung L: A bi-domain Model for Describing Ischemic Myocardial D-C Potentials (Ph. D. thesis). 1978, Cambridge, Massachusets: M.I.T, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department"},{"issue":"2","key":"43_CR22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"301","DOI":"10.1161\/01.RES.43.2.301","volume":"43","author":"W Miller","year":"1978","unstructured":"Miller W, Geselowitz D: Simulation studies of the electrocardiogram, I. The normal heart. Circulation Res. 1978, 43 (2): 301-315. 10.1161\/01.RES.43.2.301.","journal-title":"Circulation Res"},{"issue":"7\/8","key":"43_CR23","first-page":"545","volume":"21","author":"MJ Peters","year":"2001","unstructured":"Peters MJ, Stinstra JG, Hendriks M: Estimation of the electrical conductivity of human tissue. Electromagnetics. 2001, 21 (7\/8): 545-557.","journal-title":"Electromagnetics"},{"key":"43_CR24","volume-title":"Elements of electromagnetics","author":"M Sadiku","year":"2001","unstructured":"Sadiku M: Elements of electromagnetics. 2001, New York-Oxford: Oxford university press"},{"issue":"4","key":"43_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"657","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02476917","volume":"29","author":"R Plonsey","year":"1967","unstructured":"Plonsey R, Heppner DB: Considerations of quasistationarity in electrophysiological systems. Bull Math Biophys. 1967, 29 (4): 657-664. 10.1007\/BF02476917.","journal-title":"Bull Math Biophys"},{"key":"43_CR26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/acprof:oso\/9780195058239.001.0001","volume-title":"Bioelectromagnetism: Principles and Applications of Bioelectric and Biomagnetic Fields","author":"J Malmivuo","year":"1995","unstructured":"Malmivuo J, Plonsey R: Bioelectromagnetism: Principles and Applications of Bioelectric and Biomagnetic Fields. 1995, USA: Oxford University Press"},{"key":"43_CR27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1109","DOI":"10.1109\/IEMBS.2007.4352490","volume-title":"Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2007. EMBS 2007. 29th Annual International Conference of the IEEE","author":"S Rihana","year":"2007","unstructured":"Rihana S, Marque C, Lefrancois E: A two dimension model of the uterine electrical wave propagation. Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2007. EMBS 2007. 29th Annual International Conference of the IEEE. 2007, IEEE, 1109-1112."},{"issue":"6","key":"43_CR28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"337","DOI":"10.1016\/0028-2243(85)90057-7","volume":"20","author":"M Wikland","year":"1985","unstructured":"Wikland M, Lindblom B: Relationship between electrical and mechanical activity of the isolated term-pregnant human myometrium. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 1985, 20 (6): 337-346. 10.1016\/0028-2243(85)90057-7.","journal-title":"Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol"},{"issue":"3","key":"43_CR29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"671","DOI":"10.1016\/0002-9378(86)90305-4","volume":"155","author":"T Kawarabayashi","year":"1986","unstructured":"Kawarabayashi T, Kishikawa T, Sugimori H: Effect of oxytocin on spontaneous electrical and mechanical activities in pregnant human myometrium. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1986, 155 (3): 671-676.","journal-title":"Am J Obstet Gynecol"},{"issue":"6","key":"43_CR30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1445","DOI":"10.1016\/S0002-9378(99)70390-X","volume":"181","author":"HC Parkington","year":"1999","unstructured":"Parkington HC, Tonta MA, Brennecke SP, Coleman HA: Contractile activity, membrane potential, and cytoplasmic calcium in human uterine smooth muscle in the third trimester of pregnancy and during labor. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1999, 181 (6): 1445-1451. 10.1016\/S0002-9378(99)70390-X.","journal-title":"Am J Obstet Gynecol"},{"key":"43_CR31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1196\/annals.1389.031","volume":"1101","author":"A Shmygol","year":"2007","unstructured":"Shmygol A, Bru-Mercier G, Gullam J, Thornton S: Control of uterine Ca2+ by membrane voltage. Ann New York Acad Sci. 2007, 1101: 97-109. 10.1196\/annals.1389.031.","journal-title":"Ann New York Acad Sci"},{"key":"43_CR32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"445","DOI":"10.1016\/S0006-3495(61)86902-6","volume":"1","author":"R FitzHugh","year":"1961","unstructured":"FitzHugh R: Impulses and physiological states in theoretical models of nerve membrane. Biophys J. 1961, 1: 445-466. 10.1016\/S0006-3495(61)86902-6.","journal-title":"Biophys J"},{"key":"43_CR33","volume-title":"Proc. IRE, Volume 50","author":"J Nagumo","year":"1962","unstructured":"Nagumo J, Arimoto S, Yoshizawa S: An active pulse transmission line simulating nerve axon. Proc. IRE, Volume 50. 1962"},{"key":"43_CR34","first-page":"1","volume":"Chapter 1","author":"R FitzHugh","year":"1969","unstructured":"FitzHugh R: Mathematical models of excitation and propagation in nerve. H P Schwan, ed Biol Eng. 1969, Chapter 1: 1-85.","journal-title":"H P Schwan, ed Biol Eng"},{"key":"43_CR35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"155","DOI":"10.1016\/0025-5564(90)90020-Y","volume":"101","author":"PC Franzone","year":"1990","unstructured":"Franzone PC, Guerri L, Tentoni S: Mathematical modeling of the excitation process in myocardial tissue: influence of fiber rotation on wavefront propagation and potential field. Math Bioscienses. 1990, 101: 155-235. 10.1016\/0025-5564(90)90020-Y.","journal-title":"Math Bioscienses"},{"key":"43_CR36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/0-387-24024-1_1","volume":"4","author":"MJ Peters","year":"2005","unstructured":"Peters MJ, Stinstra JG, Uzunbajakau S, Srinivasan N: Fetal Magnetocardiography. Adv Electromagn Fields Living Syst. 2005, 4: 1-40. 10.1007\/0-387-24024-1_1.","journal-title":"Adv Electromagn Fields Living Syst"},{"key":"43_CR37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1007\/3-540-44883-7_12","volume":"2674","author":"R Weber","year":"2003","unstructured":"Weber R, Dickstein F: On the influence of a volume conductor on the orientation of currents in a thin cardiac issue. Lecture Notes Comput Sci. 2003, 2674: 111-121. 10.1007\/3-540-44883-7_12.","journal-title":"Lecture Notes Comput Sci"},{"issue":"S90","key":"43_CR38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3109\/00016347909156375","volume":"58","author":"G Wolfs","year":"1979","unstructured":"Wolfs G, Leeuwen M: Electromyographic observations on the human uterus during labour. Acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica. 1979, 58 (S90): 1-61. 10.3109\/00016347909156375.","journal-title":"Acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica"}],"container-title":["BMC Medical Physics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/1756-6649-12-4.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/1756-6649-12-4\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/1756-6649-12-4","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/1756-6649-12-4.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,1]],"date-time":"2021-09-01T22:40:57Z","timestamp":1630536057000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/bmcmedphys.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/1756-6649-12-4"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2012,11,5]]},"references-count":38,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,12]]}},"alternative-id":["43"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/1756-6649-12-4","relation":{},"ISSN":["1756-6649"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1756-6649","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2012,11,5]]},"assertion":[{"value":"5 July 2011","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"14 October 2012","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"5 November 2012","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}}],"article-number":"4"}}