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Updated: May 31, 2026

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Autonomous and Rechargeable Microneurostimulator Endoscopically Implantable into the Submucosa
Published on: September 27, 2018
Design, implementation and testing of an implantable impedance-based feedback-controlled neural gastric stimulator
A J Arriagada1, A S Jurkov, E Neshev
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Physiological Measurement
|June 23, 2011
Summary
A new feedback-controlled neural gastrointestinal electrical stimulation (NGES) system was developed for gastric disorders. This implantable system, using tissue impedance, shows promise for effective, long-term human treatment.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Gastroenterology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Functional neural gastrointestinal electrical stimulation (NGES) is a potential treatment for obesity and gastroparesis.
- NGES can induce contractions for gastric content movement.
- Existing NGES lacks adaptive control, leading to energy inefficiency and accommodation issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, implement, and test a feedback-controlled implantable NGES system.
- To utilize gastric tissue impedance changes for adaptive stimulation control.
- To reduce battery energy consumption and manage tissue accommodation.
Main Methods:
- Developed a feedback-controlled implantable NGES system.
- Tested the system in an acute animal model (4 mongrel dogs).
- Used subserosal electrodes, serosal force transducers, and a wireless impedance acquisition system.
Main Results:
- The feedback system successfully detected increasing/decreasing gastric tissue impedance changes.
- Mechanically induced contractions generated detectable impedance variations.
- The system demonstrated the ability to trigger therapy based on impedance feedback.
Conclusions:
- The implantable feedback system represents a significant advancement for NGES.
- This technology moves NGES closer to a viable long-term treatment for gastric motility disorders.
- Adaptive control via impedance feedback enhances NGES potential for human application.
