Method and apparatus for investigating force-deformation properties in muscles in walls of bodily hollow systems

• US 20050124920A1
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hans Gregersen
• Original Assignee: Hans Gregersen
• Inventors: Gregersen, Hans
• Granted Patent: US 7,479,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/593
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/227 of constricting muscles, i.e. sphincters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/392 Detecting gastrointestinal contractions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/42 Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the gastrointestinal, the endocrine or the exocrine systems A61B1/00, A61B5/4857, A61B5/486, A61B5/4866, A61B5/4869 take precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for investigating force-deformation properties in muscles in walls of bodily hollow systems. The invention also relates to an apparatus for performing such investigating force-deformation properties in muscles in walls of bodily hollow systems and the use of such apparatus. By the method and the apparatus it is possible from measurements made deriving data on force-deformation relationship in the walls of the hollow system in order to obtain knowledge on active and passive tissue properties.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method for investigating force-deformation properties in muscles in walls of bodily hollow systems, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) inflating a balloon until the balloon abuts an inner wall of the hollow system in order for the balloon and the catheter to be fixed in relation to the hollow system, and subsequently (b) introducing a mechanical stimulus by the inflated balloon to the muscles in the walls, said mechanical stimulus being introduced between the exteriorly accessible opening of the hollow system and the distal end of the catheter through canals inside the catheter.

(c) measuring a change of a physical property of the balloon during inflation of the balloon, said physical property being a dimensional state of the balloon itself, alternatively said physical property being correlated to a force induced to the balloon, alternatively said physical property being a mutual state between the balloon and the wall of the hollow system, and

(d) from the measurement deriving data on force-deformation relationship in the walls of the hollow system in order to obtain knowledge on active and passive tissue properties.

29. A method according to claim 27, wherein the method is performed anywhere in one of the following bodily hollow systems:

the digestive system including the stomach, the urogenital tract including the bladder, the cardiovascular system including the heart, the ear canal including the eustachian canal and the posterior nares.

30. A method according to claim 27, where the deriving of the force-deformation diagrams comprises computing data related to total force tissue properties and computing data related to passive force tissue properties, and where data related to active force tissue properties is computed based on the data related to the total force tissue properties and to the passive force tissue properties.

31. A method according to claim 30, where computing of the data related to the passive force tissue properties is performed during muscle relaxation such as by muscle relaxing drugs.

32. A method according to claim 30, where computing of the data related to the total force tissue properties is performed during muscle stimulation such as by muscle stimulating drugs.

33. A method according to claim 30, where computing of the data related to the total force tissue properties is performed during no muscle stimulation by drugs.

34. A method according to claim 30, where computing of the data related to the active force tissue properties is performed from values measured during a balloon being introduced into a hollow system showing short-lasting muscle contractions.

35. A method according to claim 30, where computing of the data related to the active force tissue properties is performed from values measured during a balloon being introduced into a hollow system showing long-lasting muscle contractions.

36. A method according to claim 30, where computing of the data related to the active force tissue properties is intermediate values computed from values measured during a balloon being introduced into a hollow system showing any type of muscle contractions.

37. A method according to claim 27, wherein the method is performed in vivo, and where the method comprises the initial step of introducing from an exteriorly accessible opening of a bodily hollow system the catheter into the hollow system, said catheter being provided with the inflatable balloon situated between a proximal end and a distal end of the catheter,

38. A method according to claim 27, wherein the method is performed in vitro, and where the method comprises the initial step of introducing from an opening of a bodily hollow system the catheter into the hollow system, said catheter being provided with the inflatable balloon situated between a proximal end and a distal end of the catheter,

39. A method according to claim 27, where the mechanical stimulus is introduced by way of inflating the balloon, thereby introducing a change in pressure inside the balloon, said pressure being used for computing the circumferential tension applied by the balloon to the internal surface of the wall of the hollow system, and said change in pressure being measured as the measure of the magnitude of mechanical stimulus.

40. A method according to claim 27, where a mechanical stimulus is introduced by way of inflating the balloon thereby inducing a change of volume of the balloon, said volume being used for computing the circumferential strain applied by the balloon to the internal surface of the wall of the hollow system, and said change in volume being measured as the measure of the magnitude of mechanical stimulus.

41. A method according to claim 27, where a mechanical stimulus is introduced by way of inflating the balloon thereby inducing a change of a diameter of the balloon, said diameter being used for computing of the circumferential strain applied by the balloon to the internal surface of the wall of the hollow system, and said change of diameter being measured as the measure of the magnitude of mechanical stimulus.

42. A method according to claim 27, where a mechanical stimulus is introduced by way of inflating the balloon thereby introducing a change in cross-sectional area of the balloon, said area being used for computing of the circumferential strain applied by the balloon to the internal surface of the wall of the hollow system, and said change in cross-sectional area being measured as the measure of the magnitude of mechanical stimulus.

43. A method according to claim 27, where a mechanical stimulus is introduced by way of inflating the balloon thereby introducing a change in tension of balloon, said tension being used for computing of the circumferential tension applied by the balloon to the internal surface of the wall of the hollow system, and said change in tension being measured as the measure of the magnitude of mechanical stimulus.

44. A method according to claim 27, where a mechanical stimulus is introduced by way of inflating the balloon thereby introducing a change of a number of dimensions of the balloon, said inflation inducing a circumferential strain applied by the balloon to the internal surface of the wall of the hollow system, and said change of strain being measured as the measure of the magnitude of mechanical stimulus.

45. An apparatus for measuring a physical reaction of a person or an animal, when a bodily hollow system of the person or the animal is being subjected to an artificially applied mechanical stimulus, said apparatus comprising

a catheter being provided with an inflatable balloon situated between a proximal end and a distal end of the catheter, and the apparatus comprising means for passing an inflating fluid, preferably a liquid, from the proximal end to the balloon,

where the apparatus is provided with means located on the catheter inside the balloon for measuring at least one of the following physical properties of the balloon:

the volume of the balloon, the cross-sectional area of the balloon seen in a direction parallel to the a longitudinal extension of the bodily hollow system, when the apparatus is introduced into the body, the diameter of the balloon in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal extension of the bodily hollow system, the tension of the balloon, the strain of the balloon, and the pressure of a fluid inside the balloon, and when the apparatus is introduced into the bodily hollow system, a force induced by the balloon onto the wall of the hollow system, or a deformation induced by the balloon of the wall of the hollow system and

where the apparatus also is provided with means for imaging of a physical state of the walls of the bodily hollow system.

46. An apparatus according to claim 45, said apparatus having a number of measuring means attached to the balloon, said measuring means preferably being chosen among means such as strain gauges, pressure gauges, temperature gauges, piezo-electrical gauges, electrodes, pH-recording means, and electromyographic (EMG) recording means.

47. An apparatus according to claim 45, said apparatus having a number of measuring means inserted into the balloon, said measuring means preferably being chosen among means such as pressure gauges, temperature gauges, ultrasonic measuring means, visualizational recording means, scanning means such as MR-scanning and CT-scanning, electromyographic (EMG) recording means, and means for recording flow of fluid.

48. An apparatus according to claim 45, said apparatus further including a number of exterior measuring means, said measuring means preferably being chosen among means such as ultrasonic measuring means, visualizational recording means, scanning means such as MR-scanning and CT-scanning, electromyographic (EMG) recording means, and means for recording a flow of fluid.

49. An apparatus according to claim 45, said apparatus further including a number of exterior imaging means, said imaging means being chosen among means such as ultrasonic imaging means, visualizational recording means, scanning means such as MRscanning and CT-scanning.

51. An apparatus according to claim 45, said apparatus having assigned to the catheter a number of the following measuring means for measuring the sensation felt by the patient of the mechanical stimulus being subjected:

automatically operated scales, manually operated scales and personal written or orally expressions.

52. Use of an apparatus according to claim 45 for obtaining knowledge on active and passive tissue properties in muscles of bodily hollow systems.