Novel telemetric system for extraluminal measurement of gastrointestinal motility.

A frequency-modulated, telemetric system with a transducer sensitive to variation in distance between two points was developed and used to measure in vivo small intestinal motor function in unanesthetized dogs. The construction of the system and one application of it to the study of gastrointestinal motility is described. Data were recorded after fasting, 1 h after feeding a standardized meat meal, and after intravenous injections of pentagastrin. A significant increase in motility was seen after pentagastrin injections and feeding as compared to the motility pattern seen in a fasting animal, and the telemetric system was proven adequate for in vivo measurement of motility of the gastrointestinal tract.