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Method for diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, and apparatus for use therewith

  • US 9,474,482 B2
  • Filed: 11/01/2011
  • Issued: 10/25/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for facilitating diagnosis of motility disorders of a gastrointestinal tract of a body of a patient, the method performed by a portable electronic device carried by the body and wirelessly connected to a plurality of external electrodes, the method comprising:

  • acquiring, by the portable electronic device, electrical signals from the plurality of wirelessly connected external electrodes while the patient is engaged in normal daily activities, wherein the electrical signals include electromyography signals concurrently acquired from a plurality of organs of the gastrointestinal tract, wherein the organs include a stomach, small intestines, and large intestines, wherein each of the organs produces a separate electromyography signal, and wherein the electrical signals are acquired from external electrodes positioned in a circular pattern on the skin of the body over the patient'"'"'s abdomen;

    recording the acquired electrical signals to memory on the portable electronic device;

    processing, by a processor of the portable electronic device, the acquired electrical signals to generate a plurality of processed waveforms;

    recording, to memory on the portable electronic device, one or more inputs entered by the patient for one or more symptoms of the body selected from a group consisting of;

    bowel movements, cramping, bloating, vomiting, nausea, heartburn, pain from chest, abdomen, or pelvic regions, refluxing, incontinence, constipation, stool form, and symptoms relating to esophageal motility disorders, incontinence, or other gastrointestinal disorder;

    correlating, by the processor, the processed waveforms to the patient-entered symptoms based on time;

    identifying, by the processor, a plurality of characteristics of the processed waveforms, wherein the characteristics of the processed waveforms are selected from a group consisting of;

    frequency, amplitude, power, pattern, duration, and periodicity;

    identifying, by the processor, the respective organ associated with each processed waveform and the organs that experienced electrical activity during a duration of time, based on the plurality of characteristics of the processed waveforms;

    characterizing, by the processor, the processed waveforms as being indicative of normal or abnormal activity of the organs based on the plurality of characteristics of the processed waveforms; and

    outputting, from the processor to a display, an alert indicative of a status of normal or abnormal activity of the organs.

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