To address the challenges of capturing micro-strains in detecting esophageal motility disorders and the limitations of existing high-resolution manometry and functional intraluminal imaging probes in directly measuring esophageal tissue electrical impedance, this study proposes a novel flexible balloon sensor structure that integrates a piezoelectric film assembly with a distributed impedance electrode array. Using the electrical analysis module in the finite element analysis (FEA) software, simulations of the forward problem for esophageal impedance detection were conducted to optimize the excitation source parameters, and a physical prototype was fabricated. Under a relative excitation mode with a voltage sensitivity of 2.059%, the voltage output characteristics of the impedance electrode array were analyzed during linear changes in the balloon filling volume. Based on the performance variation of the piezoelectric film assembly, 80% was selected as the optimal filling volume. Force-electric coupling tests were conducted on the balloon sensor using a pressure testing platform, revealing that both the piezoelectric film assembly inside the balloon and the impedance electrodes outside the balloon exhibited significant load differentiation characteristics as the force application point shifted. In summary, this balloon sensor facilitates the localization of force application while simultaneously analyzing esophageal tissue properties, offering a novel diagnostic approach and objective tool for esophageal disease detection.
Esophagus/physiology* ; Electric Impedance ; Humans ; Finite Element Analysis ; Manometry/methods* ; Electrodes ; Esophageal Motility Disorders/physiopathology* ; Equipment Design

Child ; Humans ; Manometry ; Esophagus/physiology*

Animals ; Brain ; embryology ; Ear ; embryology ; Esophagus ; embryology ; Fallopian Tubes ; embryology ; Female ; Heart ; embryology ; Humans ; Kidney ; embryology ; Liver ; embryology ; Lung ; embryology ; Male ; Organogenesis ; physiology ; Penis ; embryology ; Rabbits ; Stomach ; embryology ; Vagina ; embryology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Disturbances of esophageal motility have been reported to be more frequent the aged population. However, the physiology of disturbances in esophageal motility during aging is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of age on esophageal motility using high-resolution esophageal impedance manometry (HRIM). METHODS: Esophageal motor function of 268 subjects were measured using HRIM in 3 age groups, < 40 years (Group A, n = 32), 40–65 years (Group B, n = 185), and > 65 years (Group C, n = 62). Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressures, integrated relaxation pressure, distal contractile integral, contractile front velocity, distal latency, and pressures and duration of contraction on 4 positions along the esophagus, and complete bolus transit were measured. RESULTS: Basal UES pressure was lower in Group C (P < 0.001) but there was no significant difference in the LES pressure among groups. Contractile duration on position 3 (10 cm from proximal LES high pressure zone) was longer in Group C (P = 0.001), and the contractile amplitude on position 4 (5 cm from proximal LES high pressure zone) was lower in Group C (P = 0.005). Distal contractile integral was lower in Group C (P = 0.037). Contractile front velocity (P = 0.015) and the onset velocity (P = 0.040) was lower in Group C. There was no significant difference in impedance values. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease of UES pressure, distal esophageal motility, and peristaltic velocity might be related with esophageal symptoms in the aged population.
Aging ; Electric Impedance* ; Esophageal Sphincter, Lower ; Esophageal Sphincter, Upper ; Esophagus ; Humans ; Manometry* ; Physiology ; Relaxation

Dysphagia incidence can be up to 90% of patients after CVA disease and most of the patients demonstrate speech problems as well as dysphagia. The term of swallowing includes the entire process of deglutition from the placement of food in the mouth until the food enters to the esophagus through the oral and pharyngeal cavities. Swallowing functions share common anatomic structures and characteristics of physiology with speech in many aspects. Therefore, speech-language pathologists can help people with swallowing disorders. Herein the approaches and rationales for improving speech and swallowing functions in patients with stroke need to be discussed depending on the lesion sites of the brain.
Brain ; Deglutition Disorders ; Deglutition* ; Esophagus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mouth ; Physiology ; Stroke*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Supragastric belching (SGB) is a phenomenon during which air is sucked into the esophagus and then rapidly expelled through the mouth. Patients often complain of severely impaired quality of life. Our objective was to establish the prevalence of excessive SGB within a high-volume gastrointestinal physiology unit, and evaluate its association with symptoms, esophageal motility and gastresophageal reflux disease. METHODS: We established normal values for SGB by analyzing 24-hour pH-impedance in 40 healthy asymptomatic volunteers. We searched 2950 consecutive patient reports from our upper GI Physiology Unit (from 2010-2013) for SGB. Symptoms were recorded by a standardized questionnaire evaluating for reflux, dysphagia, and dyspepsia symptoms. We reviewed the predominant symptoms, 24-hour pH-impedance and high-resolution esophageal manometry results. RESULTS: Excessive SGB was defined as > 13 per 24 hours. We identified 100 patients with excessive SGB. Ninety-five percent of these patients suffered from typical reflux symptoms, 86% reported excessive belching, and 65% reported dysphagia. Forty-one percent of patients with excessive SGB had pathological acid reflux. Compared to the patients with normal acid exposure these patients trended towards a higher number of SGB episodes. Forty-four percent of patients had esophageal hypomotility. Patients with hypomotility had a significantly higher frequency of SGB compared to those with normal motility (118.3 +/- 106.1 vs 80.6 +/- 75.7, P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Increased belching is rarely a symptom in isolation. Pathological acid exposure and hypomotility are associated with more SGB frequency. Whether SGB is a disordered response to other esophageal symptoms or their cause is unclear.
Deglutition Disorders ; Dyspepsia ; Electric Impedance ; Eructation* ; Esophageal Motility Disorders ; Esophagus ; Gastroesophageal Reflux* ; Humans ; Manometry ; Mouth ; Physiology ; Prevalence* ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reference Values ; Volunteers

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the only known precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), whose incidence has increased sharply in the last 4 decades. The annual conversion rate of BE to cancer is significant, but small. The identification of patients at a higher risk of cancer therefore poses a clinical conundrum. Currently, endoscopic surveillance is recommended in BE patients, with the aim of diagnosing either dysplasia or cancer at early stages, both of which are curable with minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. There is a large variation in clinical practice for endoscopic surveillance, and dysplasia as a marker of increased risk is affected by sampling error and high interobserver variability. Screening programs have not yet been formally accepted, mainly due to the economic burden that would be generated by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Screening programs have not yet been formally accepted, mainly due to the economic burden that would be generated by widespread indication to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. In fact, it is currently difficult to formulate an accurate algorithm to confidently target the population at risk, based on the known clinical risk factors for BE and EAC. This review will focus on the clinical and molecular factors that are involved in the development of BE and its conversion to cancer and on how increased knowledge in these areas can improve the clinical management of the disease.
Adenocarcinoma/*etiology ; Animals ; Barrett Esophagus/*complications/diagnosis ; Diagnostic Imaging/methods ; Disease Models, Animal ; Epigenesis, Genetic/physiology ; Esophageal Neoplasms/diagnosis/*etiology ; Esophagoscopy/methods ; Forecasting ; Genetic Markers/physiology ; Humans ; Mice ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Risk Factors

The basement membrane (BM) is crucial in regulating the physical and biological activities of esophageal epithelial cells which attach to the underlying BM. In order to simulate the natural construction of BM, we prepared the fibrous scaffolds using biodegradable polylactide (PLA) and silk fibroin (SF) as the materials via electrospinning technology. BM's proteins containing collagen (IV), laminin, entactin and proteoglycan were extracted from porcine esophagus and coated on the eletrospun fibers. Morphology, mechanical strength, biodegradability and cytocompatibility of the coated and uncoated scaffolds were tested and evaluated using scanning electron micrography, mechanical test system, immunofluorescence assay and western blotting with CK14 as the primary antibody. The fibrous scaffold PLA or PLA/SF, generated from the present protocol had good formation and mechanical and biodegradable properties. After coating with BM's proteins, the scaffold could enhance the growth and differentiation of esophageal epithelial cells, which would contribute to remodel and regenerate the tissue engineered epithelium and further contribute to engineer the whole esophagus in future.
Absorbable Implants ; Basement Membrane ; Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Epithelium ; Esophagus ; physiology ; Fibroins ; chemistry ; Humans ; Nanostructures ; chemistry ; Polyesters ; chemistry ; Regeneration ; physiology ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Tissue Scaffolds ; chemistry

Obesity is prevalent in Korea. An increase in food intake and a decrease in energy expenditure are responsible for obesity. Gut hormones play a role in controlling food intake. Obesity is suggested to be linked to common gastrointestinal functional disorders. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Epidemiologic studies indicate that obesity is associated with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms. This association suggests the possibility that obesity and functional gastrointestinal disorders may be pathophysiologically linked. However, data on the relationship between obesity and functional gastrointestinal disorders are inconsistent. In this paper, we review the role of gastrointestinal hormones in food intake and the relationship between obesity and functional gastrointestinal disorders.
Barrett Esophagus/*etiology ; Energy Intake ; Energy Metabolism ; Esophageal Neoplasms/*etiology ; Gastroesophageal Reflux/*etiology ; Humans ; Obesity/*complications/pathology ; Peptide Hormones/metabolism/physiology

This paper is aimed to investigate the signal source and influential factors in signals of trans-esophageal pulse oxygen saturation (SeO2). The red light of the SeO2 probe was faced directly to the descending aorta (DA) of the mongrel dogs. The readings and waveform of SeO2 signals were recorded under following conditions: before and after DA was shield; before and after the blood supply of esophagus was cut off; under the different touch pressures between the SeO2 probe and the esophageal wall. The readings and waveform of SeO2 signals were also recorded respectively at both different esophageal depth and directions when mechanical ventilation was on and off. The tongue oxygen saturation (StO2) was recorded simultaneously as control. The waveform of SeO2 signals disappeared after DA was shield (P < 0.001). No significant difference was found in the SeO2 signals before and after the blood supply of esophagus was cut off (P > 0.05). Compared with the StO2 readings when the SeO2 probe was placed at different esophageal depth, the waldeyer ring, cervical area and thoracic inlet,the readings of SeOz significantly decreased (P < 0.05) while mechanical ventilation was on and off. However, there was no significant difference in the readings between SeO2 signals from DA, aortic arch (AA) and left subclavian artery and the StO2 signals recorded simultaneously. Mechanical ventilation had a remarkable effect on the SeO2 signals at different esophageal depth (P < 0.05), but the StO2 signals lay in its insensitivity to its influence. The readings of StO2 signals were significantly different from that of StO2 signals when the touch pressure between the SeO2 probe and the esophageal wall below 40 mmHg (P < 0.01). The directions of the optimum SeO2 signals acquired at different esophageal depth were not the same. The SeO2 signals were primarily derived from deeper arteries around the esophagus. All of Mechanical ventilation, location of the SeO2 probe in the esophagus and the touch pressure between the probe and esophageal wall can influence SeO2 signals.
Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; physiology ; Biosensing Techniques ; instrumentation ; methods ; Blood Gas Analysis ; instrumentation ; methods ; Dogs ; Esophagus ; blood supply ; Female ; Male ; Oximetry ; instrumentation ; methods ; Oxygen ; blood ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted