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Torso-Tank Validation of High-Resolution Electrogastrography (EGG): Forward Modelling, Methodology and Results

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Abstract

Electrogastrography (EGG) is a non-invasive method for measuring gastric electrical activity. Recent simulation studies have attempted to extend the current clinical utility of the EGG, in particular by providing a theoretical framework for distinguishing specific gastric slow wave dysrhythmias. In this paper we implement an experimental setup called a ‘torso-tank’ with the aim of expanding and experimentally validating these previous simulations. The torso-tank was developed using an adult male torso phantom with 190 electrodes embedded throughout the torso. The gastric slow waves were reproduced using an artificial current source capable of producing 3D electrical fields. Multiple gastric dysrhythmias were reproduced based on high-resolution mapping data from cases of human gastric dysfunction (gastric re-entry, conduction blocks and ectopic pacemakers) in addition to normal test data. Each case was recorded and compared to the previously-presented simulated results. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed to define the accuracy showing \(\sim \) 1.8% difference, \(\sim \) 0.99 correlation, and \(\sim \) 0.04 normalised RMS error between experimental and simulated findings. These results reaffirm previous findings and these methods in unison therefore present a promising morphological-based methodology for advancing the understanding and clinical applications of EGG.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the Medical Technologies Centre of Research Excellence (MedTech CoRE) New Zealand, and the Health Research Council of New Zealand. SC was supported by the Andrew Pullan Doctoral Scholarship. LC by a Fraunhofer-Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Fraunhofer IPA. PD was supported by a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Stefan Calder, Greg O’Grady, Leo K. Cheng & Peng Du

  2. Department of Surgery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Greg O’Grady

  3. Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Leo K. Cheng

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  1. Stefan Calder
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  2. Greg O’Grady
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  4. Peng Du
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Correspondence to Stefan Calder.

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Associate Editor Ender A. Finol oversaw the review of this article.

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Calder, S., O’Grady, G., Cheng, L.K. et al. Torso-Tank Validation of High-Resolution Electrogastrography (EGG): Forward Modelling, Methodology and Results. Ann Biomed Eng 46, 1183–1193 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-018-2030-x

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