The Influence of Window Size of Autocorrelation Function on Fetal Heart Rate Variability Measurement Using the Doppler Ultrasound Signal

Commonly used noninvasive fetal monitoring is based on fetal heart rate (FHR) variability analysis of the Doppler ultrasound signal coming from the mechanical activity of the fetal heart. Estimation of periodicity of acquired signals using the autocorrelation technique is very important. The determination of cardiac intervals using the Doppler signal is more difficult than in electrocardiography, where the R-waves are evident. We investigated the influence of the autocorrelation window size on the FHR variability analysis. The indices describing the FHR variability calculated for signals obtained using two different autocorrelation techniques with various window lengths were compared with the reference ones obtained from fetal electrocardiogram. The optimal window was a compromise between artifacts resistance and the averaging level of instantaneous variability.