Hospital Launches GutCheck System Clinical Trial

El Camino Hospital is First Site to Study Device Designed to Measure
Electrical Signals in the Digestive Tract

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–El Camino Hospital is pleased to announce it is a site for a medical
device trial of the GutCheck System by G-Tech Medical, which records the
electrical signals that naturally occur in the digestive tract (also
called the gastrointestinal or GI tract) and patterns of intestinal
contractions and movements in individuals who undergo surgery.

The pilot/feasibility study “Measurement of Gastrointestinal Myoelectric
Activity in Patients At Risk For or Who Have a Post-Operative Ileus”
uses the GutCheck System, comprised of a wireless, wearable, disposable
patch and app, to measure the electrical activity from the stomach,
small intestine and colon. The study will retrospectively look for
differences in the patterns of patients who develop an ileus (also
called an intestinal pseudo-obstruction) and patients who have normal
return of GI activity following surgery that could be used to predict
who might develop ileus.

El Camino Hospital will be the first site to study the GutCheck System
by G-Tech Medical, a company in residence at the Fogarty Institute for
Innovation located on the hospital’s campus. The two-year trial is
expected to enroll 80 study participants at El Camino Hospital.
Participation in the trial is open to adult patients who undergo an open
or laparoscopic GI surgery. During the participant’s hospital stay, a
GutCheck patch will be placed on the abdominal skin to measure the
natural electrical activity in the GI tract following surgery. The
electrical activity will be transmitted to a mobile device and cloud
server for frequency analysis.

“Post-op ileus is a common problem following abdominal surgery that can
cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and other morbidities in
patients. It extends their hospital stays and adds thousands of dollars
of cost to their care, while increasing the risk of readmission,” said
Steve Axelrod, PhD, President and CEO of G-Tech Medical. “If proven
effective, the GutCheck system’s ability to monitor stomach and
intestinal motor activity continuously and non-invasively could help
physicians detect the onset of ileus at an early stage and help minimize
these highly undesirable effects.”

The National Institutes of Health estimates between 60 and 70 million
Americans experience diseases that affect the digestive system.
Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGID) constitute a majority of
all GI problems, which lead to over 40 million office visits annually.
Although they are not life threatening, FGIDs often greatly impact the
lives of those afflicted and cannot be diagnosed with existing tests
like colonoscopy, CT scans or other imaging. The GutCheck System hopes
to analyze the electrical activity frequencies of the digestive organs
under normal conditions to help pinpoint the source and nature of
dysfunction to help physicians better target therapies and provide
faster relief and at a lower cost for patients.

“The testing of the GutCheck System at El Camino Hospital showcases our
leadership in innovative care and provides our patients with the latest
options in digestive care,” said George Triadafilopoulos, MD, principal
investigator for GutCheck System trial at El Camino Hospital. “We
continuously seek new devices and procedures to help us provide
leading-edge, personalized care for our patients.”

About El Camino Hospital

El Camino Hospital is an acute-care, 443-bed, nonprofit and locally
governed organization with campuses in Mountain View and Los Gatos,
California. Key medical specialties include cancer, heart and vascular,
men’s health, mental health, neuroscience, orthopedic and spine, senior
health, urology, and the first Women’s Hospital in Northern California.
The hospital is recognized as a national leader in the use of health
information technology and wireless communications, and has been awarded
the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke
Center as well as three consecutive ANCC Magnet Recognitions for Nursing
Care. To learn more visit www.elcaminohospital.org.

About G-Tech Medical

G-Tech Medical, Inc. is an early-stage medical device company developing
a low-cost, non-invasive, diagnostic solution for patients with
gastrointestinal motility issues. G-Tech’s wearable patch-based “EKG for
the Gut” will initially be used to monitor the return to function of the
stomach, small intestine and colon following surgery. The information
will help to reduce length of stay, decrease the chances of developing
an ileus, and potentially lower readmission rates to both improve
patient outcomes and lower the cost of health care. The company is
headquartered at the Fogarty Institute for Innovation, 2490 Hospital
Drive, Suite 310, Mountain View, CA 94040. For further information,
please visit www.GTechMedical.com
or email info@gtechmedical.com.

Contacts

El Camino Hospital
Jennifer Thrift, 650-988-7435
jennifer_thrift@elcaminohospital.org