Development of a disposable probe for the evaluation of acid-induced damage of the oesophageal mucosa

The development of a disposable probe to measure the acid burden over an extended period of time is reported. The probe consists of a screen-printed matrix that shows decomposition as a function of pH and exposure time. The concept development and realisation of the probe is discussed, and experimental results, both in vitro and under pre-clinical in vivo conditions, are presented. The in vitro experiments prove the validity of the concept and the feasibility of the approach. The in vivo experiments indicate that there is a good correlation between the probe response and the oesophageal epithelial cell damage produced by oesophageal acid perfusion of the feline oesophagus.