Implantable oesophageal prosthesis comprising a feeding tube, which feeding tube is at least partially surrounded by a housing in which a pressurising member is applied, which pressurising member comprises a pressure application element provided for generating a peristaltic pressure against an outer wall of the feeding tube, which pressurising member is applied in such a manner as to be movable along the feeding tube over a predetermined distance starting from an initial position, which pressure application element is provided for generating the peristaltic pressure continuously during its movement along the feeding tube in a first direction extending towards the stomach of a body in which the prosthesis is to be implanted, said pressurising member comprises a return member provided for applying a return force extending in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, in order to return the pressure application element towards its initial position.

The present invention relates to a system device and method for monitoring infant oral motor kinetics (OMK), which can be used to assess the functional significance of the different sucking components, i.e., the plasticity of infant sucking skills in relation to their oral feeding performance, at a particular time, during the developmental period and/or during preventive or therapeutic intervention programs. It is a unique system and apparatus that provides a means to study the nonnutritive and/or nutritive sucking skills, i.e., the Suction and/or Expression components of sucking, of infants in the natural setting, i.e., during a normal feeding session. OMK sensors, tracked in real-time by the monitoring system, include miniature pressure transducers, or pressure sensitive pads, attached to the nipple for measuring intraoral pressure pulses during Suction, and for measuring compression/stripping pressure pulses during Expression; and a miniature flow sensor for measuring fluid flow rate, which can be integrated over time to determine the volume of milk removed (bolus) per suck. Other signals, such as respiration, swallowing, thermal, optical, and acoustic signals can be recorded and compared along with the instrumented-nipple signals, in an OMK monitoring system.

The present invention resides in one aspect in a device for monitoring luminal esophageal temperatures in a patient. The device includes a probe adapted to be inserted into an esophagus of the patient. The probe extends between a proximal end and a distal end. A first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor are coupled to the probe. An electrode is also coupled to the probe. The second temperature sensor is displaced from the first temperature sensor along a longitudinal axis of the probe. A controller processes information received by the electrodes and the temperature sensors. The controller generates a live and continuously updating three dimensional anatomic map and three dimensional thermal map of the esophagus based at least in part on the information received from the temperature sensors and the electrodes. The thermal map and the anatomic map are displayed on a video monitor.

A device includes an orally-administrable capsule and a tissue capture device coupled to the orally-administrable capsule. The tissue capture device is configured to connect to gastrointestinal tissue within a body. The tissue capture device is configured to detach from the orally-administrable capsule after the tissue capture device connects to the gastrointestinal tissue. A device includes an orally-administrable capsule, a tissue capture device coupled to the orally-administrable capsule, a chamber within the orally-administrable capsule, and an actuator. The tissue capture device includes multiple fasteners configured to connect the tissue capture device to gastrointestinal tissue within a body. The chamber is configured to draw gastrointestinal tissue towards the fasteners when a fluid pressure of the chamber is decreased. The actuator is configured to cause a decrease of the fluid pressure of the chamber.

The invention relates to a diagnostic system for the simultaneous long-term registration of heart rate variability as well as the pressure value and/or the impedance and, if so desired, further measured values of a patient with a measuring probe system suitable for deriving data for electrocardiogram generation, a catheter for insertion into the esophagus of the patient, the catheter being provided with several measuring probes each for pressure determination and/or for impedance measurement, and, if required, further measuring probes for determining further measured values, a recording apparatus having a voltage source and a plurality of channels for the registration and recording of the measurement data originating from the measuring probes, at least one memory for time-dependent storage of the measurement data and means for data transmission from the measuring probes to the recording apparatus for use in the diagnosis of motility disorders influenced by the autonomic nervous system and the use of this system in the differential diagnosis of motility disorders.

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.

A system is provided for measuring and assessing hemodynamics in an anatomical structure of a subject, along with a method for image processing hemodynamics in at least a part of an anatomical structure in video images acquired from a subject. The system and method relates to measuring and assessing hemodynamics in, around and near the surface, in particular the gastrointestinal wall, of the gastrointestinal tract of a subject. A method for image processing hemodynamics in at least a part of an anatomical structure in video images acquired from a subject may performing image analysis of at least one video sequence acquired after a fluorescent contrast agent has been supplied to the subject, calculating intensity values in one or more regions of interest based on the image analysis, and determining the perfusion slope of the flow of the fluorescent contrast agent through at least one of said regions of interest.

Heat sensors can be positioned within the esophagus of a patient so as to monitor temperature changes during ablation procedures in the heart. Some heat sensors can include a wire that defines an extended heat sensing region capable of detecting a change in the local temperature. Some heat sensors can be conformable to an inner surface of the esophageal wall to maintain contact therewith or to be in close proximity thereto.

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.

Disclosed is an NGT system, the system comprises a nasogastric tube having a diameter and length configured to pass through an esophagus such that the lumen of the NGT maintains fluid communication with a portion of the digestive tract, and a digestive tract sensor operatively associated with the NGT, the digestive tract sensor configured to sense from inside the body and transmit signals in response to one or both of conditions relating to nourishment states of the digestive tract, and positioning of the NGT.