Wireless pH Measuring Device for Esophageal Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing gastroesophageal reflux disease, such as endoscopic and wired pH measurement techniques, face issues with reliability, accuracy, and patient discomfort due to invasive procedures and limitations in daily activity measurements.
Innovation Solution
A pH measuring device with a body unit, electrode unit, and wireless communication unit that allows for wireless transmission of pH measurements from within the esophagus, minimizing discomfort and improving accuracy by using a silver/silver chloride reference electrode and metal oxide sensing electrodes, and a resonant circuit for data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a wired catheter is inserted through the nasal cavity to measure pH, then pH measurement can be performed, but the patient experiences pain, ache, and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wired catheter system with a wireless measurement system. The wireless pH measuring device eliminates the physical wire and nasal cavity insertion, substituting the mechanical connection with wireless signal transmission. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining measurement capability while removing the source of patient discomfort associated with the wired catheter.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the wire and nasal cavity insertion component from the pH measurement system. By taking out the intrusive wired catheter and replacing it with a wireless device that can be inserted into the esophageal wall, the solution eliminates the harmful factor of nasal cavity discomfort while preserving the essential pH measurement function.
2Duration of action of moving object
If a wired catheter is used for pH measurement, then continuous monitoring is possible, but measurement is limited during daily activities such as eating or exercising
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless system replaces the mechanical wired connection that constrained patient movement. By eliminating the wire that limited daily activities, the patent enables continuous monitoring during eating, exercising, and other normal activities, thus resolving the contradiction between continuous monitoring and adaptability to daily life.
3Quantity of substance
If a 24-hour wired pH measurement is performed, then sufficient data can be collected, but symptoms may not appear within 24 hours limiting measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables extended measurement periods beyond the conventional 24 hours by removing the wire constraint. The wireless system allows patients to wear the device continuously during all daily activities including sleep, eating, and exercise over longer periods, thereby capturing rare symptoms that may not appear within 24 hours and improving diagnostic accuracy.
4Reliability
If an endoscopic method is used to check esophageal tissue damage, then gastroesophageal reflux disease can be diagnosed, but more than half of patients show normal results reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of examining the consequences of reflux (tissue damage via endoscopy), the patent inverts the approach by directly measuring the cause (pH levels in the esophagus). This indirect measurement of acidity provides more reliable diagnostic information, as it detects the actual reflux event rather than waiting for visible tissue damage that may not appear in early or atypical cases.
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 stable and accurate wireless pH measurement, reducing patient discomfort and improving the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease by transmitting data externally without the need for invasive wired connections.
Implementation Method 1
an electrode unit including a reference electrode and a sensing electrode including different materials and configured to measure the pH in a living body
Implementation Method 2
a wireless communication unit configured to transmit a pH measurement value sensed by the electrode unit to the outside
Data Source
AI summary
A pH measuring device is disclosed. One aspect includes a body unit including a hollow portion and a through-portion formed in a first region so that the hollow portion communicates with the outside; an electrode unit including a reference electrode and a sensing electrode including different materials and configured to measure the pH in a living body by allowing a first end to be located in the hollow portion and a second end opposite to the first end to be exposed to the outside of the body unit through the through-portion; and a wireless communication unit configured to transmit a pH measurement value sensed by the electrode unit to the outside.