Digestive Tract Bioimpedance Sensing for Early Edema Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bioimpedance measurement devices cannot reliably assess the presence of edema in the digestive tract, particularly gastric and intestinal tissues, which is an early indicator of pulmonary edema, and require frequent medical follow-up for at-risk patients.
Innovation Solution
A bioimpedance device with integrated electrodes and an accelerometer measures electrical and mechanical signals from gastric or intestinal tissues, analyzing these signals using machine learning to detect fluid congestion and structural changes, allowing for early detection of pulmonary edema.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional medical monitoring methods (physical examinations, chest X-rays, blood tests) are used to detect pulmonary edema, then diagnostic accuracy is maintained, but patient burden increases due to frequent hospital visits and medical follow-up
Solution Approach 1:
The patient performs self-monitoring by placing the device on their chest at home, eliminating the need for frequent hospital visits. The device automatically measures bioimpedance and detects edema, allowing patients to independently monitor their condition without requiring medical professionals for each measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/physical examination methods with electrical bioimpedance measurement. By measuring changes in electrical impedance of the chest wall and lungs, the system detects fluid accumulation without requiring physical examination or imaging equipment, enabling simple home-based monitoring while maintaining diagnostic reliability.
2Loss of time
If bioimpedance measurement is used to detect digestive tract congestion, then early detection of pulmonary edema is enabled, but measurement reliability is insufficient with existing devices
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system is divided into separate functional components: electrodes for electrical contact, current generator for signal injection, differential amplifier for precise voltage measurement, and processing unit for analysis. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, improving overall measurement reliability while enabling continuous monitoring for early detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the digestive tract (specifically gastric wall) as an intermediary measurement site to indirectly assess overall fluid status and pulmonary edema risk. By measuring bioimpedance changes in the accessible gastric wall, the system detects systemic fluid accumulation before it becomes clinically apparent in the lungs, providing early warning while maintaining measurement reliability through a controlled measurement location.
3Reliability
If multiple measurement parameters are collected to improve detection accuracy, then diagnostic reliability increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses a single bioimpedance measurement system that serves multiple functions: detecting digestive tract congestion, monitoring fluid status, and predicting pulmonary edema risk. By making the measurement system multi-functional, the patent improves detection reliability across different clinical scenarios without requiring separate specialized devices for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the current generator, differential amplifier, and processing unit into a single integrated device housing. This merging of components reduces overall device complexity while maintaining the ability to collect and analyze multiple measurement parameters, as all necessary electronics are contained in one unit rather than requiring multiple separate instruments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides reliable, autonomous assessment of fluid congestion in the digestive tract, enabling early diagnosis of pulmonary edema and reducing the need for frequent medical follow-up.
Implementation Method 1
a current generator and a potential difference measurement means... The electrode array is configured to generate at least one electrical current loop, passing through at least one gastric or intestinal tissue of the user, and to allow the measurement of a relative electrical potential difference in the gastric or intestinal tissue
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A device for measuring (1) congestion of the digestive tract comprises at least one housing (2), a current generator (30) and a means (31) for measuring a difference in potential, said generator and means being accommodated in said housing, and a set of electrodes (3) including at least two electrodes connected electrically, independently of one another, to the current generator (30) and/or to the means (31) for measuring a difference in potential across the terminals of the electrodes, each electrode of the set (3) of electrodes being configured to transmit an electric current and/or to allow a difference in potential to be measured. The set (3) of electrodes is configured to generate at least one electric current flow loop (13) flowing at least through a tissue of the gastro-intestinal tract (14) of the user and to allow a difference in electrical potential in relation to the tissue of the gastro-intestinal tract to be measured, the device (1) for measuring the bio-impedance of the digestive tract further comprising a calculating module (5) configured to receive the measured difference in electrical potential and to calculate a value of the bio-impedance of the digestive tract according to this measurement in relation to the tissue of the digestive tract.