Scalable Balloon Catheter Assisted Contact Enhancement of 3D Electrode Array for Colon Electrophysiological Recording

The clinical diagnosis of functional gastrointestinal disorders primarily relies on symptom assessment and physical examination, methods that are inherently limited due to undetermined specific biomarkers and susceptibility to subjective judgment. Electrophysiological techniques offer a clinically practical approach by precisely recording the electrical activities of the intestines, providing deeper biophysical insights. However, in vivo electrophysiological investigation of the intestines remains challenging, such as the stability of the electrode-tissue interface, high-frequency signal transmission, motion artifact, and signal interpretation. This study developed an endoscopic-based high spatiotemporal electrophysiological recording device, by integrating balloon catheters and flexible three-dimensional electrode arrays with a mapping function. We integrated the 3D electrode array on a scalable balloon catheter and deployed this device in rabbits, achieving a stable collection of multiphasic electrophysiological signals from the intestinal mucosa. In vivo electrophysiological recordings identified observable spike bursts associated with intestinal motility, as well as coordinated periodic pulses potentially related to intestinal pacemaker activities, revealing their activation modulation patterns. Further, longer-duration non-periodic spike bursts were also observed to link to spontaneous non-periodic peristaltic contractions. This technique realized through minimally invasive procedures, achieves a high spatiotemporal resolution in electrophysiological recording, providing a powerful tool for the diagnosis and research of functional bowel diseases.