Devices described herein can be used to directly measure left atrial pressure. For example, this document describes multiple embodiments of catheter-based, trans-esophageal tonometry devices that are used to directly measure left atrial pressure in a non-invasive manner.

According to one aspect, an implantable medical device may include an anchor assembly configured to anchor the medical device to a body lumen. The implantable medical device may also include a capsule. The capsule may include a pH sensor. The pH sensor may be configured to measure a pH of contents within the body lumen. The capsule may also include a power source, a controller, and an impedance sensor. The impedance sensor may be configured to measure an impedance within the body lumen.

A method may include positioning a catheter, including at least one electrode, within an esophagus such that the electrode is proximate to at least one sympathetic ganglion. The methods may further include recruiting the sympathetic ganglion via an electrical signal, monitoring the recruitment of the sympathetic ganglion, and, based on the monitoring the recruitment of the sympathetic ganglion, adjusting the electrical signal from the at least one electrode.

Intraluminal impedance recordings are used to calculate luminal cross-sectional area, or in other words, distension of the esophagus/gastrointestinal tract, during peristalsis using various recording protocols and algorithms derived using the Ohm's law of electricity. Additionally, multiple visual displays of distension-contraction plots of esophageal peristalsis are provided that allows both the relaxation and contraction phase of peristalsis to be easily assessed. These distension-contraction plots can be used to diagnose disorders of the esophagus or other regions of the gastrointestinal tract that result in symptoms such as difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), heartburn, and chest pain, in the case of esophagus. Furthermore, the effects of pharmacological agents/drugs on the distension-contraction measurements can be studied using these protocols and algorithms to treat patients with esophageal symptoms.

A novel clinical decision support system (CDS) helps the clinician setup, maintain, and interpret aesophageal pressure measurement. The esophageal pressure CDS (Pes CDS) would remind the clinician to do an occlusion test whenever the balloon is first inserted or changes dramatically. It could monitor the occlusion test and provide feedback on the performance and success of the occlusion test. Changes in the patient or monitored data can be tracked by looking for changes in the balloon baseline pressure, changes in the amplitude of the pressure waveform, or changes in the pattern of the Pes waveform. Having information from the ventilator will further increase the ability of the system to determine when Pes is changing unexpectedly.

A catheter includes a distal distension balloon and circumferentially arranged motility measurement balloons proximal of the distension balloon. A manifold includes balloon ports each configured to fluidly couple to a motility measurement balloon, pressure transducer ports, and a priming port. A port selector is coupled to the manifold and movable between different positions. Each port selector position causes the manifold to establish different fluidic couplings between the respective motility balloon, pressure transducer, and priming ports. A pressure sensing device includes pressure transducers each fluidly coupled to one of the pressure transducer ports. The pressure sensing device is configured to coordinate calibration of the pressure transducers at atmospheric pressure with the port selector in a first position and motility balloon pressure measurements with the port selector in a third position. Priming of the motility measurement balloons is implemented by moving the port selector to a second position.

A charger for charging a pressure sensing catheter is provided. The charger can include a plurality of charging ports for receiving a portion of the proximal section of the pressure sensing catheter. The charging port may include an engagement portion for engaging with the portion of the proximal section of the pressure sensing catheter such that when the engagement portion engages with the proximal section of the pressure sensing catheter, the engagement portion is fluidly coupled to the catheter lumen and the pressure transmission medium from the engagement portion is displaced from the engagement portion to charge the one or more balloons of the pressure sensing catheter. The charger can include a cover for covering the engagement portion. The charger can include flutes defined on a surface of each charging port to permit a predetermined volume of the pressure transmission medium to be displaced from each charging port.

According to one aspect, an implantable medical device may include an anchor assembly configured to anchor the medical device to a body lumen. The implantable medical device may also include a capsule. The capsule may include a pH sensor. The pH sensor may be configured to measure a pH of contents within the body lumen. The capsule may also include a power source, a controller, and an impedance sensor. The impedance sensor may be configured to measure an impedance within the body lumen.

A patient monitoring, feeding, and mechanical breathing system, the system including an endotracheal probe including a first longitudinal member connected to a first camera and a semi-rigid longitudinal member inserted in an ET tube such that the first camera is aligned with a tip of the ET tube; an OG probe including a second longitudinal member configured to be inserted in an oral gastro (OG) tube, the second longitudinal member including a side camera, configured to be placed facing a window of the OG tube, wherein the side camera includes a tapered side; an enhanced OG probe, including a second camera and a motion sensor placed at the tip of the enhanced OG tube; a device communicatively coupled to the endotracheal, OG and enhanced OG probes, and having a screen configured to display images from any of the first camera, the side camera, and the second camera.

A method, apparatus, and system for delivering an optical sensor. A capsule is placed into a tube system, wherein an optical fiber is stored within the capsule. The capsule is moved through the tube system. The optical fiber is unfurled as the capsule travels through a tube system. Optical signals are sent through the optical fiber from a proximal end of the optical fiber. Response optical signals occurring in response to the optical signals sent through the optical fiber are detected. Sensor data is transmitted based on the response optical signals detected by the optical system.