-Medical Products Development since 1984


EnteroTachogram Analysis

A New Tool for Gastroenterologists and Primary Care Physicians

Enterotachogram analysis involves a quantitative computer analysis of gastrointestinal sounds recorded from the abdomen in a digital format. The sounds are recorded using an electronic stethoscope. This type of analysis provides more information than traditional auscultation.

The increase in amount of information obtained is due to several main factors including:

  1. Electronic stethoscopes detect more sounds than traditional auscultation
    -- About 5x more sounds
    -- More information
  2. High digitization rates (8,000 to 11,025 Hz) provides accurate analysis
    -- Improved bowel sound recognition
    -- Better sound characterization
  3. Quantitative Analysis
    -- More precise patient categorization
  4. Objective measurements
    -- Avoid patient bias

Enterotach® software uses sound frequency parameters to recognize bowel sounds, which are typically in the 150-450 Hz range. Enterotach® also employs effective digital processing to reduce extraneous sounds (e.g. heart sounds).

Sound recordings are analyzed to determine average metrics describing a patient’s bowel sound patterns, which include:

  • Average sound-sound (SS) interval
  • Standard deviation of the SS interval
  • Sounds per minute
  • % Sound
  • Average sound duration
  • Average sound frequency
  • Average sound amplitude
  • Sound Index

Individual bowel sound can be evaluated for several characteristics:

  • Amplitude envelope
  • Duration (msec)
  • Mean Frequency
  • Start and Stop times
  • Time Series
  • Power Spectra (frequency domain)

Key Advantages to use of computerized auscultation include:

  • Simple to perform
  • Non-invasive
  • Time efficient
  • Quantitative and Objective measurements

Enterotachogram Analysis has a number of clinical research applications which include:

  • Management of patients suspected to have Irritable        Bowel Syndrome
  • Earlier detection of patients with Crohn’s disease
  • Drug trials for functional bowel therapeutics
  • Evaluation of surgical patients (obstruction,
         recovery of bowel function post-operatively)
  • Numerous areas for innovative clinical research

Enterotachogram analysis is particularly suited for large clinical drug trials due to the speed and simplicity of use. Quantitative and objective measurements can be obtained. Furthermore, these data can be easily obtained on large populations of patients in contrast to traditional means of assessing gastrointestinal motility. For these same reasons Enterotachogram analysis provides a simple and noninvasive measurement that is ideal for future clinical studies with pediatric populations

Enterotachogram Analysis: System Components

  • Enterotach® Analysis CD software for Windows®
  • Electronic Stethoscope
  • Voice-it® Hand-held digital recorder

Enterotach® Software is broadly compatible:

  • Enterotach® analyzes industry standard WAV sound files
  • Enterotach® can analyze sounds directly recorded into a
         computer sound card
  • Enterotach® can analyze sounds recorded using handheld
         digitizers
  • Enterotach® can analyze sounds recorded with the Meditron®
         electronic stethoscope

Advantages of EnteroTach® Bundled System include:

  • Consistency in recording quality (especially compared to
         computer sound cards)
  • Portability and clinical ease of use
  • Optimal sound sampling frequency
  • EnteroTach® software offers specific software support for use of
          the Voice-it® recorder