Patent ID: 9005122
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: A61B,A61J,A61M,G16H

Abstract:
1. A system for diagnosing a physiological abnormality in a patient, comprising: a tube insertable into the esophagus; a valve carried by the tube and comprising a flexible sheath having an upper circumferential edge secured onto the tube and an unsecured lower circumferential edge and configured such that upon contact with emesis and/or reflux from the stomach, the flexible sheath opens in a concave configuration towards the stomach and the unsecured lower circumferential edge engages the esophageal wall and blocks emesis and/or reflux from the stomach passing into the esophagus past the valve to protect a patient's airway during an involuntary reflex cough event; a port through which medication is delivered for administering the involuntary reflex cough event; a pressure sensor carried by the tube and configured to measure intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) during the involuntary reflex cough event; an electromyogram (EMG) pad configured to obtain an EMG from involuntary cough activated paraspinal muscles; and a processing device connected to the pressure sensor and the EMG pad and configured to receive the IAP and EMG and correlate the IAP and EMG with the involuntary reflex cough event to determine a physiological abnormality.