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Biomedical subjects

P Z Rashev

Publications and source records attributed to P Z Rashev.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Microprocessor controlled movement of solid colonic content using sequential neural electrical stimulation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Invoked peristaltic contractions and movement of solid content have not been attempted in normal canine colon. The purpose of this study was to determine if movement of solid content through the colon could be produced by microprocessor controlled sequential stimulation. METHODS: The study was performed on six anaesthetised dogs. At laparotomy, a 15 cm segment of descending colon was selected, the proximal end closed with a purse string suture, and the distal end opened into a collecting container. Four sets of subserosal stimulating electrodes were implanted at 3 cm intervals. The segment of bowel was filled with a mixture of dog food and 50 plastic pellets before each of 2-5 random sessions of non-stimulated or stimulated emptying. Propagated contractions were generated using microprocessor controlled bipolar trains of 50 Hz rectangular voltage having 20 V (peak to peak) amplitude, 18 second stimulus duration, and a nine second phase lag between stimulation trains in sequential electrode sets. RESULTS: Electrical stimulation using the above mentioned parameters resulted in powerful phasic contractions that closed the lumen. By phase locking the stimulation voltage between adjacent sets of electrodes, propagated contractions could be produced in an aboral or orad direction. The number of evacuated pellets during the stimulation sessions was significantly higher than during the non-stimulated sessions (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Microprocessor controlled electrical stimulation accelerated movement of colonic content suggesting the possibility of future implantable colonic stimulators.

Animals↗

Misinterpretation of human electrogastrograms related to inappropriate data conditioning and acquisition using digital computers.

Despite the fact that digital techniques for data acquisition and processing were widely used in electrogastrographic (EGG) research during the last decade, inappropriate signal conditioning and digitization are still potential pitfalls threatening the reliability of the experiments. The aim of this paper was to review: (1) the importance of the antialiasing low-pass filtering for reducing recording artifacts and interferences, (2) the advantages brought by the proper choice of filter cutoff frequency and the slope for the decrement of the minimal required sampling frequency, (3) the impact of incorrectly selected sampling frequency on data interpretations, with particular attention to the percent distribution ranges, and (4) the "leakage effect" related to the finite number of samples processed simultaneously in frequency domain representation of the recordings. A model of electrogastrographic (EGG) recording was mixed with a model of electrocardiographic (ECG) artifact. The resulting finite-duration signal was low-pass filtered and then digitized with a sampling frequency of 1 Hz. The cutoff frequency of the first-order low-pass filter was altered from 0.5 to 0.1 Hz. Amplitude frequency spectra of the digitized recordings were investigated. An example with a real human electrogastrogram in which an ECG artifact was present confirmed the simulation results. When a first-order anti-aliasing filter is utilized at least a fivefold difference between the filter cutoff frequency and the sampling frequency is recommended for compliance with the Nyquist theorem of digitization. Leakage effects associated with the finite-time duration of the recordings and the use of the discrete Fourier transform should be considered when frequency domain analysis is performed. Misinterpretation of the "bradygastric" and "tachygastric" ranges in the percent distribution of EGG frequency components is possible if inappropriate signal conditioning and digitization are employed.

Artifacts↗

Application of an object-oriented programming paradigm in three-dimensional computer modeling of mechanically active gastrointestinal tissues.

The aim of this study was to develop a novel three-dimensional (3-D) object-oriented modeling approach incorporating knowledge of the anatomy, electrophysiology, and mechanics of externally stimulated excitable gastrointestinal (GI) tissues and emphasizing the "stimulus-response" principle of extracting the modeling parameters. The modeling method used clusters of class hierarchies representing GI tissues from three perspectives: 1) anatomical; 2) electrophysiological; and 3) mechanical. We elaborated on the first four phases of the object-oriented system development life-cycle: 1) analysis; 2) design; 3) implementation; and 4) testing. Generalized cylinders were used for the implementation of 3-D tissue objects modeling the cecum, the descending colon, and the colonic circular smooth muscle tissue. The model was tested using external neural electrical tissue excitation of the descending colon with virtual implanted electrodes and the stimulating current density distributions over the modeled surfaces were calculated. Finally, the tissue deformations invoked by electrical stimulation were estimated and represented by a mesh-surface visualization technique.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

Three-dimensional static parametric modelling of phasic colonic contractions for the purpose of microprocessor-controlled functional stimulation.

The study aimed at creating an integrated electromechanical model of invoked phasic contractions in canine colon during direct high frequency voltage stimulation. The model utilized data obtained from two large anaesthetized dogs that underwent laparotomy and serosal implantation of two circumferential electrode pairs into a distal segment of the left colon. The strength distribution of the stimulating electric field was analysed over a cylindrical mesh-surface grid modelling the interrogated colonic segment. Recordings of the stimulating current were utilized to model smooth muscle depolarization using linearized macroscopic tissue conductivity. The invoked contractile stress was related to the stimulating electric field strength using an exponential sigmoid function. Artificially produced occlusion of the lumen was derived for a pair of 5mm electrodes positioned on a cylindrical mesh-surface of 2 cm diameter and 15 cm length. The model simulated contractions invoked by stimuli of different amplitude (up to 12 V) with 98.6% accuracy of approximation. Macroscopic tissue conductivity was modelled as a combination of two first-order exponential terms involving a 3ms time constant. Real-time simulation of the current drawn by the smooth muscle during 10 V/50Hz bipolar voltage stimulation was performed. The integrated electromechanical model facilitates the quantification of microprocessor-controlled phasic colonic contractions.

Action Potentials↗