Non-invasive Continuous Measurement of the Intra-Abdominal Pressure

Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) is characterized by progressive intra-abdominal organ dysfunction resulting from elevated intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). Measuring the IAP with periodic intervals is essential for timely intervention, i.e., for keeping the IAP at normal levels. The current clinical method is invasive and offers only intermittent assessments, limiting its effectiveness in continuously monitoring the IAP. Here, we present a continuous multimodal IAP monitoring system (IAP-CMM), which is non-invasive and provides continuous readings. The IAP-CMM device is equipped with bioimpedance measurement (BioZ) and a mechanical muscle contraction force (MC) sensor. Electrical measurements are performed via dry electrodes. Following performance and safety verifications, the device was tested on 4 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery. The preliminary results suggest MC has a high linear relationship with IAP (r = 0.99; r2 = 0.987) and the BioZ exhibits a second order relationship with IAP (r2 = 0.95). An extensive clinical study recruiting more patients is needed to draw statistically meaningful conclusions.