title: A pilot study of endoluminal US for stool liquefaction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a need to cleanse patients who are poorly prepared for colonoscopy safely and efficiently during the procedure to minimize rescheduling. US is already being used in catheter-based intravascular thrombolysis, and time-reversal acoustic (TRA) has been explored in assisting drug delivery to the brain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the efficacy and safety of a miniaturized endoluminal US device in stool dissolution as a means to salvage poor bowel preparation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Proof of concept experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animal laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Low-frequency US and TRAs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Feasibility, efficacy, and safety of US to liquefy stools ex vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depending on parameters, such as pulse rate, acoustic intensity, and duration, increases in liquefaction speeds by a factor of 50 and 100 times were obtained. There was a significant difference in weight change between the 20-kHz-treated sample compared with controls (P ≤ .0001). There was no difference in sloughing of mucosa and mechanical injury among the US, water spray, and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Animal model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endoluminal US can liquefy stools at acoustic exposure levels that do not damage ex vivo colonic mucosa. Endoluminal US should be able to dissolve stools more rapidly than water spray alone, thereby optimizing colonoscopic evaluation in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Wisconsin, GI Associates, LLC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: Lyndon V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Triadafilopoulos
authors.affiliation: Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kost
authors.affiliation: Minnesota Gastroenterology, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ganz
authors.affiliation: ZetrOz, LLC, Trumbull, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fleshman
authors.affiliation: Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klyve
authors.affiliation: Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ton
authors.affiliation: ZetrOz, LLC, Trumbull, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005243:Feces; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000293:injuries; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013010:Sonication / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine; D014159:Transducers; D014465:Ultrasonics