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Pilot Validation of a New Wireless Patch System as an Ambulatory, Noninvasive Tool That Measures Gut Myoelectrical Signals: Physiologic and Disease Correlations

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Abstract

Background and Aims

Limited means exist to assess gastrointestinal activity in a noninvasive, objective way that is highly predictive of underlying motility disorders. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility of recording myoelectric gastrointestinal activity by cutaneous patches and to correlate myoelectric signals with gastrointestinal function in various clinical settings.

Methods

A novel wireless patch system (WPS) (G-Tech Medical) that acquires gastrointestinal myoelectrical signals was placed on the patients’ anterior abdomens. Data were transmitted wirelessly to a mobile device with a user interface and forwarded to a cloud server where processing algorithms identified episodes of motor activity, quantified their parameters, and nominally assigned them to specific gastrointestinal organs based on their frequencies.

Results

The inherent reproducibility of the WPS measurement technique itself and from the underlying gut activity, coupled with source validation and sensitivity to changes in gut activity in several physiologic and pathologic states, demonstrates its feasibility, safety, and performance in clinical settings.

Conclusions

The novel WPS technology, measuring myoelectric intestinal activity noninvasively and continuously over multiple days, is feasible in a wide range of clinical settings, highlighting its promise in the diagnosis and management of motility disorders. Further research is required for more extensive validation and to determine how best to employ this information to optimize patient care.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. G-Tech Medical, Fogarty Institute for Innovation, 2495 Hospital Drive, Suite 300, Mountain View, CA, 94040, USA

    Lindsay Axelrod, Steve Axelrod & Anand Navalgund

  2. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 430 Broadway St., Pavilion C, 3rd Floor, GI Suite, Redwood City, CA, 94063, USA

    George Triadafilopoulos

Authors
  1. Lindsay Axelrod
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  2. Steve Axelrod
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  3. Anand Navalgund
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  4. George Triadafilopoulos
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Correspondence to George Triadafilopoulos.

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All authors have variable equity positions with G-Tech Medical.

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Axelrod, L., Axelrod, S., Navalgund, A. et al. Pilot Validation of a New Wireless Patch System as an Ambulatory, Noninvasive Tool That Measures Gut Myoelectrical Signals: Physiologic and Disease Correlations. Dig Dis Sci 66, 3505–3515 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06663-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06663-y

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