The Design, Operation, and Application of a Dynamic Gastric Model

Abstract

The mechanical functioning of the stomach has been well researched (1). The contractions that mix, break up, and propel the gastric bolus in the main body and antrum have been described in detail and have been partially modeled mathematically. Because the antral forces are particularly important in the mixing and break up of food, they have been measured using manometers, pressure transducers, MRI imaging of agar beads of differing strength (2), and other methods (3, 4). The chemical and biochemical environment of the stomach, its acid and digestive enzymes, and their production and activity rates under different conditions have been studied for many years, and reference ranges established mainly for diagnostic purposes. All these areas have been extensively reviewed (5-7).