Wireless Gastrointestinal EMG Patches for Ambulatory Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gastrointestinal electromyographic (EMG) systems are invasive, costly, and limited in their ability to provide comprehensive, long-term data on gastrointestinal activity, restricting their diagnostic potential and widespread use due to constraints on electrode placement, data coverage, and duration of recordings.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing wearable, wireless, disposable patches with distributed arrays of orthogonal bipolar electrodes for ambulatory patients, allowing for multi-day recordings of gastrointestinal activity while enabling advanced mathematical analysis of spatiotemporal data patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional invasive EMG systems are used, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to patient discomfort and invasive procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable wireless patches that are applied to the patient's skin for short-term monitoring. These patches contain all necessary sensors and electronics in a single-use configuration, eliminating the need for invasive procedures while maintaining diagnostic capability. The disposable nature ensures hygiene and patient comfort during extended wear periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/electrode-based invasive measurement systems with wireless sensor patches that use non-contact or minimally-contact sensing technologies. This substitution eliminates the need for needle insertions or surgical implantation while capturing gastrointestinal electrical activity through surface-level sensing mechanisms.
2Measurement precision
If traditional electrodiagnostic systems are used, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity deteriorates due to expensive equipment and complex setup
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the complex electrodiagnostic system into multiple independent wireless patches, each capable of autonomous data collection and transmission. This segmentation eliminates the need for a single complex centralized system, reducing overall device complexity and cost while maintaining measurement precision through distributed sensing nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless patches are designed as self-contained units with integrated power sources, sensors, data processing capabilities, and wireless transmission modules. They autonomously perform data acquisition, preliminary processing, and transmission without requiring complex external equipment or specialized setup procedures, thereby reducing system complexity and operational costs.
3Measurement precision
If traditional EMG testing procedures are used, then measurement precision is improved, but duration of action deteriorates due to limited recording time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous gastrointestinal monitoring over extended periods through wireless patches that can be worn for multiple days. The patches continuously collect EMG data during normal patient activities without interruption, providing comprehensive temporal coverage that captures cyclic and intermittent gastrointestinal patterns that would be missed in short-term traditional testing.
4Measurement precision
If traditional electrodiagnostic systems are used, then measurement precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates due to fixed electrode placement constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple distributed wireless patches that can be placed at different anatomical locations on the patient's body. Each patch independently captures local gastrointestinal electrical activity, and the combined data provides comprehensive coverage. This segmented approach offers flexibility in placement while maintaining measurement precision through multiple sensing points.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless patch system allows dynamic adjustment of sensor placement based on patient anatomy, specific diagnostic needs, and gastrointestinal activity patterns. Unlike fixed electrode systems, the patches can be repositioned or redistributed to optimize signal capture for different diagnostic scenarios, enhancing adaptability while preserving measurement accuracy.
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
Enables non-invasive, cost-effective, and comprehensive monitoring of gastrointestinal activity, overcoming limitations of previous systems by providing detailed diagnostic data that can be analyzed over extended periods, improving the understanding and diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders.
Implementation Method 1
an array of bipolar electrodes; acquiring electrical signals from one to all regions of the gastrointestinal tract
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for analyzing electrical activity in smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal tract of a patient are disclosed. The systems includes an electromyographic-sensing patch adapted for placement on the skin of the abdomen of the patient. The patch has at least one bipolar electrode pair, or a multitude arranged in an array, and is enabled for communication of a signal indicative of a sensed electromyographic signal. The methods include artifact removal, data normalization, and peak detection methods on data derived from the sensed electromyographic signal and employ, at least for example, machine learning methods.