Overview of the manometry machine

Abstract

The manometry machine measures pressures from the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract using a catheter placed in the region to be studied. A number of types of manometry systems are available, but all record data digitally to a computer for analysis. The different systems utilize a variety of technologies to record pressure and to transmit the pressure signal to the computer. This determines the cost of the machine and ease of use, but in the end, all record intraluminal and wall contact pressure with acceptable accuracy for clinical diagnosis and physiological investigations, provided the properties of the machine and recording catheter are suited to the physiological and anatomical characteristics of the region to be studied. Factors to be considered include the spacing and orientation of the pressure sensors, the rate of rise of pressure to be recorded, accuracy of pressure measurement, and the rate of digitization of the signal (temporal resolution). In some situations it may be advantageous to record pressures in parallel with other data such as images or intraluminal impedance to allow correlation between pressure and transit.