In the United States, there are approximately 4,900 labor and delivery hospitals performing more than four million births annually. Childbirth occurs with the aid of an assistant, such as a doctor, nurse, or midwife. The assistant performs a series of manual cervical examinations to monitor and assess the state of effacement and dilation of the cervix throughout labor. Labor is a lengthy process that can take several hours, up to 20 in a first time mother. During this time, the patient may be examined by more than one person.

Considering that the cervix is checked only through a manual examination, and in many cases by several assistants throughout labor, errors are inherent and inevitable. Manual cervical exams also increase the risk for infection in the mother. Furthermore, cervical exams can be uncomfortable, especially during labor contractions.

To help eliminate these errors and improve patient care, Partum Group hired Techshot to develop an autonomous electronic system for continuous labor room monitoring of the uterine cervical progress during the birthing process. Consisting of a disposable, one-time-use electrode and a receiving unit loaded with proprietary algorithms, the system has produced favorable results from its first round of testing with women in labor.