Flip Technologies Limited

Northwestern University

Crospon Limited

Adrian McHugh

John O'Dea

Patrick Griffin

Eoin Bambury

John Erik Pandolfino

Richard Kiely

Peter James Kahrilas

Zhiyue Lin

A pressure monitoring apparatus () for monitoring pressure of a liquid () in a vessel () comprises a housing () within which an airtight gas chamber () is formed. A pressure sensor () is located in the housing () monitors the pressure of a gas in the gas chamber (). A conduit () having a communicating bore () of total length Lcommunicates the gas chamber () with the vessel (). As the pressure of the liquid in the vessel () increases, a liquid/gas interface meniscus () travels along a working length Lof the communicating bore () from the second end () thus increasing the pressure in the gas chamber () to the pressure of the liquid, which is monitored by the pressure sensor (). The total length Lof the conduit () is greater than the working length Lof the conduit () to avoid the liquid/gas interface meniscus () reaching the first end () of the communicating bore (). The pressure monitoring apparatus () may also be mounted at the distal end () of a balloon catheter () for monitoring the pressure of a liquid inflating medium inflating the balloon () of the balloon catheter (), which may be an electrically conductive liquid, with the gas isolating the pressure sensor () from the liquid inflating medium.

Pressure monitoring apparatus, a catheter and a method for monitoring pressure in a liquid

Systems, methods, and apparatus for esophageal panometry are provided. An example method includes capturing measurement data including an area and a pressure of an esophageal body via a measurement device positioned with respect to the esophageal body; generating representations of the exported measurement data; analyzing the measurement data to determine esophageal reactivity based on the area and pressure; assessing esophageal function based on the determined esophageal reactivity; and outputting an indication of esophageal function.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for esophageal panometry

A method and apparatus for a balloon catheter can be provided. The balloon catheter includes a catheter and a balloon, a plurality of measuring electrodes formed on a primary substrate extend around the catheter within the balloon. The primary substrate and secondary substrate is formed by a portion of a flexible resilient membrane. The membrane is coiled to form a roll, and a primary substrate is also coiled around a rolled secondary substrate. The coiled primary and secondary substrates is urged through a second lumen in the catheter from the proximal end thereof to a radial slot in the catheter communicating with the second lumen. The primary substrate is urged through the radial slot and wrapped around and bonded to the catheter to form the measuring electrodes as band electrodes.

Catheter and a method for manufacturing a catheter

A balloon catheter comprises a catheter and a balloon located on the distal end of the catheter. A pair of stimulating electrodes for receiving a constant current stimulating signal when the balloon is inflated with an electrically conductive medium and a plurality of sensing electrodes for producing voltage response signals are located on the catheter. The voltage response signals are indicative of the values of the transverse cross-sectional area of the balloon adjacent the sensing electrodes. A first lumen accommodates the inflating medium to and from the balloon, and a second lumen accommodates electrically conductive wires to the stimulating and sensing electrodes. A pressure sensing element is located in a protective housing in the second lumen, and communicates through a communicating opening in the protective housing and through a communicating port in the catheter with a hollow interior region of the balloon. The balloon catheter may also be provided with a guide wire engaging element for engaging a guide wire externally of the balloon catheter.

Method and apparatus for forming a stoma and a balloon catheter

A balloon catheter comprising a catheter () and a balloon () located at a distal end () of the catheter (). A plurality of measuring electrodes () formed on a primary substrate () extend around the catheter () within the balloon (). The primary substrate () is formed by a portion of a flexible resilient membrane () which also forms a secondary substrate (). The measuring electrodes () are formed on the primary substrate () by first electrically conductive tracks () and second electrically conductive tracks () which are electrically connected to the first electrically conductive tracks () are simultaneously formed on the secondary substrate (). The membrane () is coiled to form a roll, and the primary substrate () is also coiled around the rolled secondary substrate (). The coiled primary and secondary substrates () is urged through a second lumen () in the catheter () from the proximal end () thereof to a radial slot () in the catheter communicating with the second lumen (). The primary substrate () is urged through the radial slot () and wrapped around and bonded to the catheter () to form the measuring electrodes () as band electrodes.

Catheter, a balloon catheter and a method and apparatus for monitoring the transverse cross-section of a stoma

A system () and a device () is used in a fundoplication procedure in order to avoid over-tightening of the fundus of the stomach when the fundus is being wrapped around the esophagus () adjacent the lower oesophageal sphincter (). The device () comprises a catheter () having a primary balloon () located at a distal end () thereof which is inflatable with a saline solution by a primary pump (). A pair of spaced apart primary stimulating electrodes () on the catheter () within the primary balloon () receive a stimulating current signal from a constant current signal generator () under the control of a microprocessor (), which reads voltage signals from spaced apart primary receiving electrodes () on the catheter () in the balloon (). The microprocessor () determines the diameter of the primary balloon () at locations adjacent the primary receiving electrodes (), and an image () of the inflated primary balloon () is displayed on a visual display screen () along with corresponding diameter values of the primary balloon (). The primary balloon () is located in the sphincter () and inflated with the saline solution until the sphincter () has been dilated to a desired diameter, which is observed on the visual display screen (). As the fundus of the stomach is being wrapped around the esophagus () adjacent the sphincter () the diameter of the primary balloon () is observed so that the fundus is not over-tightened. A secondary balloon () on the catheter () is independently inflatable for simulating a bolus of food in the esophagus () so that the dilating response of the sphincter () can be determined by observing the image () of the primary balloon () and the diameter values thereof on the visual display screen ().

Device and a system for use in a procedure for improving a sealing function of a sphincter and a method for improving the sealing function of a sphincter

A method for producing a catheter () having a plurality of axially spaced apart electrodes () towards a distal end () of the catheter () comprises forming the electrodes () from a single sheet () of electrically conductive foil material by forming spaced apart slots () in the sheet material to define a plurality of spaced apart electrically conductive elements () extending transversely between spaced apart elongated connecting portion (). The electrically conductive elements () subsequently form the electrodes (), and are retained spaced apart by the connecting portions () until bonded to the catheter (). Electrically conductive wires () electrically coupled to the electrically conductive elements () extend through an elongated slot () into and along an axial communicating bore () to a proximal end () of the catheter (). Two pieces of double-sided adhesive tape () bonded to the electrically conductive elements () in turn bond the electrically conductive elements () to the catheter (). After entering the wires () into the axial communicating bore () the electrically conductive elements () with the double-sided tape () are wrapped around the catheter () and are severed from the connecting portions (). Free ends () of the electrically conductive elements () abut each other to form the electrodes () as band electrodes.

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Kilcolgen, Ireland

Adrian McHugh