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To facilitate the study of myometrial activity two algorithms were developed for continuous analysis of both electrical and mechanical (intrauterine pressure) activity. A combination of maxima- and level detection was used to define cycles in the intrauterine pressure signal, in which frequency, period time, area of the cycle, amplitude, overall- and maximum rate of rise were calculated. The electrical signal was assessed by calculating the root-mean-square (RMS) value in a moving time interval. A threshold value was applied to the obtained RMS curve to detect bursts of electrical activity present in the original signal. Burst frequency, burst period time and mean burst RMS value were calculated from the RMS curve. The algorithms were applied to recordings obtained from chronically instrumented ewes in various experiments.