Swallowed String pH Capsule for Non-Invasive GI Tract Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for assessing and determining pH levels in the esophagus and stomach are invasive, limited in scope, and fail to address the interdependence of systems and multifactorial causes of digestive dysfunction, leading to inadequate diagnosis and treatment of digestive health issues.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive device consisting of a weighted gelatin capsule with a highly absorbent cotton floss string that travels through the esophagus and stomach, allowing for the measurement of pH levels without surgical intervention, using a pH pen to determine the acidity levels and identify specific areas of the GI tract, enabling immediate and accurate assessment of digestive function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional pH assessment methods are used, then pH levels can be determined, but the procedures are invasive and require gastric intubation or lab-assisted chemical analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pH-sensitive string as an intermediary medium that transfers pH information from the stomach environment to an external indicator. The string absorbs gastric contents and transports them to the mouth where pH can be measured non-invasively using pH paper or a pH meter, eliminating the need for direct gastric intubation while maintaining measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical intrusion of gastric intubation with a chemical-biological system. Instead of physically inserting tubes into the stomach, the method uses a swallowed string that chemically interacts with gastric contents and mechanically transports them to the oral cavity for analysis, substituting an invasive mechanical procedure with a non-invasive chemical indicator system
2Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive digestive assessment is performed, then multifactorial causes can be identified, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal assessment tool that can evaluate multiple aspects of digestive function through a single procedure. The pH-string method can assess gastric acid secretion, esophageal reflux, intestinal motility, and absorption function all through one swallowed string, providing comprehensive diagnostic capability without requiring multiple separate complex devices or procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pH as a universal parameter that reflects multiple digestive functions. By measuring pH at different locations and time points along the GI tract, the system can infer information about acid secretion, motility patterns, reflux events, and absorption efficiency, allowing comprehensive assessment through monitoring of a single physical-chemical parameter
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 a safe, non-invasive, and cost-effective means to assess stomach acid levels, allowing for the detection of digestive dysfunction and monitoring of treatment effectiveness, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of digestive health and prevention of conditions like GERD and malabsorption.
Implementation Method 1
an approximately 50 cm cotton floss (string) composed of highly absorbent, uncoated cotton or like material
Implementation Method 2
a pH pen is applied to the floss to reveal the pH of the liquid absorbed by the floss (through changing of color corresponding to the pH)
Implementation Method 3
Through peristalsis and gravity the capsule travels down the esophagus
Implementation Method 4
Through peristalsis and gravity the capsule travels down the esophagus
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides novel approaches to determining the pH level of the upper GI tract, esophagus and stomach, as an indicator of proper GI function, nutrient absorption and as a means to gauge the overall health of a patient down to the cellular level. This may be determined, practically, in real time as a means of testing for and monitoring GI function without need for sedation or invasive procedures.