Measurement of electrical activity of the human small intestine using surface electrodes

Electrical activity of the human small intestine is usually measured by implanted or intraluminal electrodes. The application of these invasive techniques is, however, very limited. In this paper, a noninvasive technique is introduced to measure electrical activity of the small intestine by placing electrodes on the abdominal skin over the small intestine. Surface recordings were obtained in 10 healthy volunteers, 3 patients with total gastrectomy and 5 gastroparetic patients with implanted electrodes on the serosa of the duodenum. An omni-present 9–12 cpm electrical activity was observed in all surface recordings. Our findings from the surface electrodes were consistent with those reported in the literature via implanted or incubated electrodes. It is concluded that the technique described in this paper provides a noninvasive way to measure electrical activity of the small intestine. It may have potential application in medical research and clinical diagnosis.