Patent ID: 7962225

Claim:
A system for testing the function of a gastric vagal nerve comprising: an elongate device adapted to be inserted into an esophagus; and an energy delivery device located on the elongate device, the energy delivery device being adapted to deliver energy from within the esophagus to a vagal nerve branch, wherein the energy delivery device is adapted to deliver energy at two or more energy levels including a high energy level sufficient to disrupt the vagal nerve branch and a low energy level sufficient to stimulate the vagal nerve branch without disrupting the vagal nerve branch, a pressure transducer adapted to be inserted into the stomach and to measure the pressure in the stomach; and a processor adapted to compare the pressure measured by the pressure transducer in the stomach before the energy delivery device delivers the low energy level to the vagal nerve branch with the pressure measured by the pressure transducer in the stomach after the energy delivery device delivers the low energy level to the vagal nerve branch.