California Medical Innovations Institute, San Diego, CA, United States.
Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
J Adv Res. 2021 May 19;35:1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jare.2021.05.005. eCollection 2022 Jan.
Defecation is a complex process that is difficult to study and analyze directly. In anorectal disease conditions, the defecation process may be disturbed, resulting in symptoms including fecal incontinence and constipation. Current state-of-the-art technology measures various aspects of anorectal function but detailed analysis is impossible because they are stand-alone tests rather than an integrated multi-dimensional test.
The need for physiologically-relevant and easy-to-use diagnostic tests for identifying underlying mechanisms is substantial. We aimed to advance the field with integrated technology for anorectal function assessment.
We developed a simulated stool named Fecobionics that integrates several tests to assess defecation pressures, dimensions, shape, orientation and bending during evacuation. A novelty is that pressures are measured in axial direction, i.e. in the direction of the trajectory. Using this novel tool, we present new analytical methods to calculate physiologically relevant parameters during expulsion in normal human subjects.
Data are reported from 28 human subjects with progressively more advanced versions of Fecobionics. A new concept utilizes the rear-front pressure (preload-afterload) diagram for computation of novel defecation indices. Fecobionics obtained physiological data that cannot be obtained with current state-of-the-art technologies.
Fecobionics measures well known parameters such as expulsion time and pressures as well as new metrics including defecation indices. The study suggests that Fecobionics is effective in evaluation of key defecatory parameters and well positioned as an integrated technology for assessment of anorectal function and dysfunction.
排便是一个复杂的过程，难以直接进行研究和分析。在肛肠疾病的情况下，排便过程可能会受到干扰，导致粪便失禁和便秘等症状。目前最先进的技术可以测量肛肠功能的各个方面，但由于它们是独立的测试，而不是综合的多维测试，因此无法进行详细分析。
对识别潜在机制的具有生理相关性且易于使用的诊断测试的需求非常大。我们旨在通过用于评估肛肠功能的综合技术来推动该领域的发展。
我们开发了一种名为 Fecobionics 的模拟粪便，它集成了多项测试，以评估排便时的压力、尺寸、形状、方向和弯曲度。新颖之处在于压力是在轴向方向上测量的，即沿着轨迹的方向。使用这种新工具，我们提出了新的分析方法来计算正常人体在排出过程中生理相关的参数。
报告了来自 28 名人类受试者的数据，他们使用了越来越先进的 Fecobionics 版本。一个新概念利用了前后压力（预加载-后加载）图来计算新的排便指数。Fecobionics 获得了当前最先进技术无法获得的生理数据。
Fecobionics 可测量已知的参数，如排空时间和压力，以及新的指标，包括排便指数。该研究表明，Fecobionics 可有效评估关键排便参数，并且是评估肛肠功能和功能障碍的综合技术的理想选择。
