A novel scalable electrode array and system for non-invasively assessing gastric function using flexible electronics

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Physiology

Background:

• Gastric function disorders are common but difficult to diagnose non-invasively.
• Current diagnostic methods are often symptom-based and lack precision.
• Existing body surface gastric mapping techniques are not scalable or clinically practical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, scalable, high-resolution system for non-invasive body surface gastric mapping.
• To assess the system's ability to capture and quantify gastric electrophysiology and meal responses.
• To establish reliability and characterize normal gastric activity using the new system.

Main Methods:

• A custom-designed, stretchable, high-resolution sensor array (8x8 Ag/AgCl electrodes) was developed.
• A wearable data logger with custom electronics, accelerometer, and Bluetooth synchronized to a cloud-connected app was utilized.
• Automated algorithms processed data for biomarker extraction, including high-resolution propagation mapping in 24 healthy subjects.

Main Results:

• Successful non-invasive gastric mapping was achieved in all 24 healthy subjects.
• Gastric electrophysiology and meal responses were reliably captured and quantified.
• Spatiotemporal mapping revealed regular, consistent gastric wave activity with defined directional characteristics.

Conclusions:

• The developed body surface gastric mapping system is scalable and clinically ready.
• It offers improved or novel biomarkers for assessing gastric function.
• This technology represents a significant advancement in diagnostic tools for gastroenterology.