Electrolytic pressure transduction system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for measuring physiological pressures comprising a flexible tube having an open end, a closed end, a hollow interior and an outer surface, an electrode within said tube near said closed tube end, another electrode within said tube spaced from said electrode toward said open tube end, a centrally disposed electrode within said tube generally intermediate of said electrode and said spaced electrode, a pair of series connected electrical resistors, said resistors being coupled to said electrode and said spaced electrode to form a Wheatstone bridge therewith, and a tube portion that is softer and more readily compressed than said flexible tube, said tube portion joining all of said electrodes to said flexible tube and forming a portion of said flexible tube.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention is directed to a Wheatstone bridge circuit for measuring pressure in the distal esophageal sphincter (D.E.S.) as well as in other organs and bodily cavities. A flexible hollow tube having three spaced electrodes is lodged in the esophagus. The tube is partly filled with a saline solution to cover the electrodes, thereby producing two series connected, pressure sensitive resistors. The electrolytic resistors are coupled to two series connected fixed resistors to complete the bridge circuit. Electrical imbalances in the bridge circuit are measured in terms of the pressure corresponding to the pressure applied by the D.E.S.
40 Citations
7 Claims
- 1. An apparatus for measuring physiological pressures comprising a flexible tube having an open end, a closed end, a hollow interior and an outer surface, an electrode within said tube near said closed tube end, another electrode within said tube spaced from said electrode toward said open tube end, a centrally disposed electrode within said tube generally intermediate of said electrode and said spaced electrode, a pair of series connected electrical resistors, said resistors being coupled to said electrode and said spaced electrode to form a Wheatstone bridge therewith, and a tube portion that is softer and more readily compressed than said flexible tube, said tube portion joining all of said electrodes to said flexible tube and forming a portion of said flexible tube.
Specification