Liquid crystal thermographic placental location.

Abstract

A liquid crystal thermographic technic was developed and tested for placental location. The procedure was rapid, inexpensive, and noninvasive. Sixty-four women were examined during the late stages of pregnancy for placental location. Implantation sites for 46 women were observed at delivery and 39 were correctly identified by thermography for an overall accuracy of 85%. Placental location accuracy varied significantly with the implantation site. Thermographic location of anterior, frontal and lateral implantation sites was highly accurate. Posterior implantation identification with thermography was most difficult. Location of low-lying placenta implantation was difficult in the initial stages of the study but improved upon the establishment of thermographic criteria for thermogram interpretation. Continued investigation should improve the accuracy of liquid crystal thermographic placental location as the criteria for thermogram interpretation would be further elucidated and established.