In a method and system for use with a ventilator for mechanical ventilation of a patient, a sensor arrangement registers at least one signal related to muscular activity of at least one muscle in the laryngopharyngeal region of the patient. This signal is provide to a computer, which controls the operation of the ventilator based thereon, and/or causes display of information related to the signal in order monitor the patient and/or operation of the ventilator.

A method for at least one of characterizing, diagnosing, and treating a condition associated with microbiome taxonomic features in at least a subject, the method comprising: receiving an aggregate set of biological samples from a population of subjects; generating at least one of a microbiome composition dataset and a microbiome functional diversity dataset for the population of subjects; generating a characterization of the condition based upon features extracted from at least one of the microbiome composition dataset and the microbiome functional diversity dataset; based upon the characterization, generating a therapy model configured to correct the condition; and at an output device associated with the subject, promoting a therapy to the subject based upon the characterization and the therapy model.

A method for at least one of characterizing, diagnosing, and treating a condition associated with microbiome taxonomic features in at least a subject, the method comprising: receiving an aggregate set of biological samples from a population of subjects; generating at least one of a microbiome composition dataset and a microbiome functional diversity dataset for the population of subjects; generating a characterization of the condition based upon features extracted from at least one of the microbiome composition dataset and the microbiome functional diversity dataset; based upon the characterization, generating a therapy model configured to correct the condition; and at an output device associated with the subject, promoting a therapy to the subject based upon the characterization and the therapy model.

A system and method is provided for measuring a mechanical property of a biological tube. The system and method operate to arrange a plurality of piezoelectric elements about the biological tube and apply a predetermined force or transduce an endogeneous or exogeneous force to the biological tube. The system and method also operate to receive a respective signal from each piezoelectric element in the plurality of piezoelectric elements responsive to the application of the predetermined force or a transduced endogenous or exogeneous force and calculate the mechanical property of the biological tube based on the signals received from the plurality of piezoelectric elements.

An esophageal catheter for dislodging food from a user is presented. The esophageal catheter has an elongated body that has a distal end and a proximal end. The esophageal catheter also has an inflation member, the inflation member has a distal end and a proximal end and is attached to the elongated body. Further, the esophageal catheter has a guide member positioned at the distal end of the elongated body. Also, the esophageal catheter has a cone-like member having a plurality of arms and positioned at the proximal end of the inflation member. When the cone-like member is in an expanded state, the cone-like member extends from one side of an esophagus of the user to a second side of the esophagus of the user. The esophageal catheter is an adjunctive instrument and technique and not as a replacement for other instruments or techniques to remove esophageal boluses.

A method for detecting disease using a manometry includes obtaining pressure values from each of the plurality of pressure sensors during a pre-set time, obtaining a three-dimensional pressure distribution showing the changes in the pressure values according to location and time by using the time, the pressure values, and locations in which the pressure sensors are disposed within the arbitrary location section, and calculating the volume integral value of the interest location which is predetermined in accordance with the disease, in the three-dimensional pressure distribution.

There is provided a system for measuring impedance at multiple locations within a body of a patient, comprising: an elongated probe sized and shaped for being disposed within a cavity of the body of the patient or in an extracorporeal position, at least one pair of parallel transmission wires disposed along a length of the elongated probe, a plurality of impedance elements, each connected to the at least one pair of parallel transmission wires at a respective spaced apart location along the length of the elongated probe in a ladder arrangement, a transmitter configured for injecting an electrical signal to the at least one pair of parallel transmission wires, a receiver configured for measuring a plurality of reflections of the electrical signal from the plurality of impedance elements, and a processor configured for computing an impedance value for each of the impedance elements according to the measured plurality of reflections.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to diagnostic device and system including a proximal balloon disposed along a length of a catheter and a distal balloon disposed at a distal end of the catheter, with at least one camera disposed at the distal balloon and a pH sensor deployable via inflation of the proximal balloon and configured to engage a patient's esophagus wall to attach the pH sensor to the patient's esophagus wall. In an illustrative example, the pH sensor may be releasably retained to the catheter adjacent to the proximal balloon. The pH sensor may include a tissue engaging feature configured to engage a patient's esophagus wall to attach the pH sensor to the patient's esophagus wall. The diagnostic device may improve upon existing processes by providing a single device to perform a multi-purpose diagnostic procedure.

An esophageal device is used to recognize, diagnose, characterize, or relieve an impact of an abnormal or defective UES anatomy, physiology, or functionality. In one implementation, the esophageal device measures a UES response to esophageal fluid infusion to detect or characterize an abnormality or defective UES anatomy, physiology, or functionality. An Upper Esophageal Sphincter compression device is used to increase intra-luminal pressure within the Upper Esophageal Sphincter of a patient in order relieve an impact of an abnormal or defective UES anatomy, physiology, or functionality.

A system for producing surface temperature estimations of a tissue surface is provided. A first optical assembly receives infrared light emitted from multiple tissue surface areas. A fiber receives the infrared light from the first optical assembly, and a sensor that is optically coupled to the fiber proximal end produces a signal that correlates to an average temperature of each of the multiple tissue surface areas.