The project involves the design and construction of a prototype multi-channel phased gastric pacemaker. This device offers a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of gastric motor disorders. Traditionally, the following methods are used to treat patients with gastric motor disorders: 1) medication therapy - The prokinetic agents, metoclopramide, erythromycin, cisapride and domperidone, are used to treat these patients. However, there are a number of patients who are refractory to these therapies. 2) Nutritional support - using total parenteral nutrition or tube feeding via jejunostomy. This only provides nutritional support and does not cure the disease: 3) surgical treatment -as a last resort, antrectomy or total gastrectomy is performed to resolve the problem or relieve gastrointestinal symptoms. Electrical stimulation of the gastrointestinal organs is a promising approach for the treatment of gastric motility disorders. These organs, like the heart, have natural pacemakers and the myoelectrical activity they generate can be entrained by electrical pacing. The successful entrainment of the gastric slow wave is believed to be essential in normalizing gastric myoelectrical dysrhythmias. Although most research in gastrointestinal pacing has involved single point stimulation, recent studies have shown that multi-channel stimulation provides better performance in terms of gastric slow wave entrainment and energy consumption.
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