Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The existed artificial anal sphincter cannot sense whether there are intestinal contents in the bowel and the state of intestinal contents, and the previous studies on the intestinal content signal did not included the different parts of colon and the signals of different intestinal content status.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the differences of ultrasound signals of different intestinal content status in different parts of New Zealand rabbits detected with transmission-type ultrasonic signal detection system. 
METHODS: Twenty healthy New Zealand rabbits were used; the rabbits were divided into groups according to distal part of proximal colon, distal colon and distal rectum. Five positions of solid stool particles were selected randomly as the detection point in each group. The voltage signals of stool were measured under solid, fluid, gaseous, and deflation status of the lumen.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In rectum, there were no significant differences in voltage signals between solid and gaseous conditions, while there were significant differences between fluid and deflation conditions (P=0.000). Multiple comparison showed there were significant differences between four conditions in distal part of proximal colon and distal colon (P=0). There were significant differences in voltage singles between rectum, distal colon and proximal colon under solid and fluid conditions (P=0). Multiple comparison showed there were significant differences in any part of large bowel for solid and fluid status (P=0). There were no significant differences in voltage singles between rectum, distal colon and proximal colon under gaseous and deflation conditions. There was interactive effect of intestinal contents between three parts of large bowel under the four conditions (P=0.000). Transmission-type ultrasonic detection system can distinguish artificial intestinal contents sensory nerves of various intestinal contents. And the application of ultrasonic detection system to detect the intestinal contents under different conditions can provide a new effective method for the research on artificial intestinal content sensory nerves.

Key words: ultrasonography, colon, rectum, gastrointestinal contents, gases