Monica Healthcare

Monica Healthcare was a medical technology company specializing in wearable wireless monitors for expectant mothers. The company spun out of the University of Nottingham in 2005, founded by Professor Barrie Hayes-Gill and two of his researchers, Dr. Carl Barratt (CEO) and Dr. Jean-Francois Pieri (CTO). The founding was deeply rooted in Professor Hayes-Gill's personal experiences and his research at the university, which began in the late 1980s, focusing on improving fetal monitoring technology.

The company's core products were wireless fetal monitoring devices that allowed expectant mothers greater mobility during labor. Its flagship product, the Novii Wireless Patch System, was a single-patient-use patch that monitored maternal heart rate, fetal heart rate, and uterine activity via Bluetooth. This system was particularly effective for patients who were difficult to monitor with traditional ultrasound technology. Monica Healthcare's business model focused on the sale of these single-use patches, which provided a recurring revenue stream, supplemented by the initial system sales.

Operating in the maternal-infant care market, Monica Healthcare served midwives, labor and delivery nurses, and expectant mothers in hospitals and at home. By 2017, its technology was used in over 1,000 locations across Europe, Asia, and North America. In March 2017, after a period of acting as the exclusive North American distributor for the Novii system, GE Healthcare acquired Monica Healthcare for an undisclosed price, integrating its technology into GE's Maternal-Infant Care division to enhance its mobile and digital offerings.

Keywords: fetal monitoring, maternal health, wearable medical device, wireless patch, obstetrics, electrocardiogram, uterine monitoring, patient monitoring, Novii, MedTech