Patent ID: 8702617
Filing Date: 2014-04-22
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method for diagnosing respiratory diseases related to gastroesophageal reflux disease in a patient, the method comprising: (a) providing a catheter having sensors for detecting esophageal or pharyngeal impedance, pH, and oxygen saturation in the patient; (b) inserting the catheter into an esophagus or pharynx of the patient; (c) detecting the esophageal or pharyngeal impedance and the pH in the patient, using the sensors; (d) detecting the oxygen saturation in the patient, using the sensors; (e) importing the esophageal or pharyngeal impedance and the pH detected in step (c) and the oxygen saturation detected in step (d) into a computing device; and (f) processing the esophageal or pharyngeal impedance and the pH detected in step (c) and the oxygen saturation detected in step (d) in the computing device to determine a time of a reflux event and a time of an oxygen desaturation event, to determine a reflux-desaturation association if the oxygen desaturation event occurs within a given time period of the reflux event, and to diagnose the respiratory diseases from the reflux-desaturation association.