Apparatus and method for determining yield pressure

• US 20040138586A1
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mark Rydell, Robert A. Ganz
• Original Assignee: Mark Rydell, Robert A. Ganz
• Inventors: Ganz, Robert A., Rydell, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/718,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138586A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/560
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/036 by means introduced into body tracts A61B5/032 and A61B5/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4238 stomach

Abstract

An apparatus includes a catheter for insertion into a stomach to introduce air into the stomach through the catheter and a pressure measurement device associated with the catheter to sense a pressure in the stomach. The pressure measurement device is used to determine a gastric yield pressure of the stomach when enough air has been introduced to the stomach to overcome the esophageal-gastric junction.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a catheter for insertion into a stomach to introduce air into the stomach through the catheter; and

a pressure measurement device associated with the catheter to sense a pressure in the stomach, wherein the pressure measurement device is used to determine a gastric yield pressure of the stomach when enough air has been introduced to the stomach to overcome the esophageal-gastric junction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure measurement device includes a pressure transducer at a distal end of the catheter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure measurement device includes a pressure transducer at a proximal end of the catheter to measure a pressure of the air in the catheter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the catheter includes at least two lumens, a first lumen for introducing air into the stomach and a second lumen associated with the pressure measurement device to measure the pressure in the stomach.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the two lumens have unequal diameters, with the second lumen having a larger diameter than the first lumen.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second lumen includes one or more side ports open to the stomach.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the lumens are co-axial lumens.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second pressure measurement device associated with the catheter, wherein the second pressure measurement device is located so as to measure a pressure in the esophagus when the first pressure measurement device measures the pressure in the stomach.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the catheter comprises a water-perfused catheter having one or more sensor openings along an intermediate portion of the catheter and a pressure transducer at a distal end of the catheter.

10. A system comprising:

a catheter to introduce air into a stomach through the catheter;

a pressure measurement device to sense a pressure in the stomach; and

a monitor operatively coupled to the pressure measurement device to display the pressure of the stomach, wherein the monitor reveals a gastric yield pressure of the stomach when enough air has been introduced to the stomach by the catheter such that the pressure in the stomach overcomes an esophageal-gastric junction.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second pressure measurement device to measure a pressure in an esophagus when the first pressure measurement device measures the pressure in the stomach.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the monitor includes a pressure gauge.

13. The system of acclaim 10, wherein the pressure measurement device includes a detachable pressure transducer attached to a wall of the stomach.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the catheter includes at least two lumens, a first lumen for introducing air into the stomach and a second lumen associated with the pressure measurement device to measure the pressure in the stomach.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the two lumens have unequal diameters, with the second lumen having a larger diameter than the first lumen.

16. The system of claim 10, including an endoscope to introduce the catheter into the stomach.

17. A method comprising:

inserting a distal end of a catheter into a stomach, the catheter associated with a pressure measurement device;

introducing air into the stomach through the catheter; and

determining a gastric yield pressure using the pressure measurement device when enough air has been introduced to the stomach to overcome the esophageal-gastric junction.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the catheter includes at least two lumens, a first lumen for introducing air into the stomach and a second lumen coupled to the pressure measurement device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising a second pressure measurement device associated with the catheter, wherein the second pressure measurement device is located for measuring a pressure in the esophagus when the first pressure measurement device measures the pressure in the stomach.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the catheter is inserted into the stomach using an endoscope.