Pancreatic secretion response to stimulation test protocol

An efficacy test for gastroelectric stimulation to affect pancreatic exocrine secretion in a patient, comprising:

• stimulating naturally a pancreas of a patient;
• waiting a natural response time;
• measuring a pancreatic response after waiting the first period of time;
• stimulating electrically the patient's pancreas with a stimulation signal and stimulating naturally the pancreas of the patient;
• waiting an electrical response time;
• measuring a pancreatic response in the patient's blood after waiting the electrical response time;
• calculating the difference between the pancreatic response measured after stimulating naturally and waiting the natural response time and the before stimulating naturally and the pancreatic response measured stimulating electrically the patient's pancreas and waiting the electrical response time;
• and,
• deciding the efficacy of gastroelectric stimulation to treat pancreatic exocrine conditions.

An efficacy test for a gastroelectric stimulator to affect pancreatic exocrine secretions in a patient, comprising:

• providing a gastroelectric stimulator, comprising:
• a neuroelectrical stimulator for producing a stimulation signal;
• at least one electrical lead having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being connected to the neuroelectrical stimulator and the distal end positionable in a lead position within the patient's abdomen;
• and,
• at least two electrodes carried near the electrical lead distal end, the electrodes being electrically connected through the electrical lead to the neuroelectrical stimulator to receive the stimulation signal and convey this signal to an electrode position within the patient's digestive system,
• wherein the stimulation signal is adapted to influence pancreatic exocrine output;
• stimulating naturally a pancreas of a patient;
• waiting a natural response time;
• measuring a pancreatic response after waiting the natural response time;
• stimulating electrically the patient's pancreas with a stimulation signal and
• stimulating naturally the pancreas of the patient;
• waiting an electrical response time;
• measuring a pancreatic response in the patient's blood after waiting the electrical response time;
• calculating whether the pancreatic response measured after stimulating naturally and waiting the natural response time is higher or lower than the pancreatic response measured stimulating electrically the patient's pancreas and waiting the electrical response time;
• and,
• deciding the efficacy of gastroelectric stimulation to treat pancreatic exocrine conditions.

An efficacy test method for using a gastroelectric stimulator to treat duodenal osmotic imbalance in a patient, comprising:

• isolating the patient's duodenum near the pancreas to create a duodenum isolation area that substantially prevents fluid flow into or out of the isolation area;
• perfusing a solution of increasing osmolity at an osmotic increase time period into the duodenum isolation area;
• measuring a first duodenum osmolality level that causes nausea in the patient;
• waiting an osmotic decrease time sufficient for the osmolality of the duodenum isolation area to reduce below the first duodenum osmolality level;
• stimulating the patient's pancreas using a gastroelectric stimulator;
• perfusing a solution of increasing osmolality at the osmotic increase time period into the duodenum isolation area;
• measuring a second duodenum osmolality level that causes nausea in the patient;
• calculating the difference between the first duodenal osmolality level and the second duodenal osmolality level;
• and,
• deciding whether gastroelectric stimulation has efficacy for treating duodenal osmotic imbalance according to the difference between the first and second duodenal osmolality levels.