Medical System Laboratory

논문 초록 (Abstract)

This paper presents an implantable pH measurement electrode for wireless gastroesophageal reflux measurement. Usually, gastroesophageal reflux is diagnosed by a catheter-type wire connection between the esophagus and the diagnostic device which brings many side effects such as restriction of daily living, pain, and discomfort in the nasal cavity and pharynx of patients. In order to solve these issues, researchers have been studied a wireless measurement method and a micro-sized pH electrode for human body insertion is necessary. Commercial glass packaged pH meter is formed by a sensing and a reference electrodes in a KCl solution. However, if the glass meter is inserted into the human body, there are risks of leakage of the solution, breakage of the glass package, injury of the body elements. Therefore, the solution should be solidified on the micro-sized noble metal wire which has a characteristic of biocompatible. After solidified wire fabrication, the designed meter was tested for feasibility of measurement and the result was well agreed with pH values of commercial pH meter. Potentials in pH 1 to 12 solution was measured to obtain the sensitivity of the sensor with linearity. And we have designed a simulation of gastroesophageal reflux with symptom frequency, interval, and duration time in pH 2 solution. The proposed sensor has capable to get the same potential for 24 measurements in 3 days, and it has sensed same pH values of 2 for one hour with every 10 minutes. Furthermore, the sensor was survived for 48 hours with reasonable potentials in the acid solution.