A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RUPTURING AND DETECTING RUPTURING OF A MUSCLE, A MUSCLE FIBRE, A FIBRE MATERIAL OR A COATING IN OR ON A LUMEN, VESSEL OR SPHINCTER IN A HUMAN OR ANIMAL SUBJECT
Apparatus (1) for rupturing muscle fibres in a lower oesophageal sphincter (2) comprises a balloon catheter (4) having a catheter (5) and a balloon (8) located at the distal end (7) of the catheter (5). A multi-electrode impedance planimetry measuring system (10) comprising a pair of stimulating electrodes (11) and sensing electrodes (12) is located on the catheter 5 within the balloon (8) for monitoring the diameter of the balloon (8) when the balloon (8) is inflated by a pump (25) with a liquid saline solution from a reservoir (26) through a flowmeter (33) under the control of a microprocessor (20). With the balloon (8) located in the sphincter (2) as the balloon (8) is being inflated, the microprocessor (8) computes the minimum diameter value of the balloon (8) from signals read from the sensing electrodes (12) each time the cumulative volume of the liquid saline solution in the balloon (8) increases by a predefined unit volume. The microprocessor computes a curve (40) of a plot of the minimum diameter values against the corresponding cumulative volume values of the liquid saline solution in the balloon (8) and determines the slope of the curve at each computed minimum diameter value. Rupture of the muscle fibres of the sphincter (2) is determined at the point of inflection (42) of the curve (40).
