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US 2004/0167426 A1Published application
Method and device for locating visceral constrictions
OwnerGaston Vantrappeninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and device are provided for determination of the location of an anatomical or functional constriction of a hollow body organ, such as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) in the gastroesophageal junctional segment, or constrictions in other tubular organs of the body such as other parts of the gastrointestinal tract, the pancreatico-biliary tract, the genito-urinary tract, and blood vessels.
Claims16
A device for determining a location of a visceral constriction in a body, the device comprising:
- a catheter comprising a compressible element having a volume dependent on compression of the element;
- a volume detector for detecting a change in volume of the compressible element;
- and
- a position detector for detecting a position of the compressible element with respect to a reference position measured along a length of the catheter.
1 more element
A method for determining the location of a visceral constriction, the method comprising:
- inserting a device comprising a compressible element into a body until the compressible element has passed a visceral constriction;
- defining a reference point for a distance over which the device is inserted into the body;
- and
- pulling out the device while monitoring a volume change of the compressible element as a function of a distance the device has been pulled out of the body, wherein the distance the device has been pulled out of the body is measured with respect to the reference point, and wherein the volume change of the compressible element indicates when the compressible element has passed the visceral constriction, whereby the location of the visceral constriction is determined.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.