Five students from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) have researched the stomach using Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) to monitor stomach acidity levels in GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) patients.
This research was conducted under the Student Creativity Program in Exact Science Research (PKM-RE).
The PKM-RE team consists of Chenaniah, Muhammad Fathur Rohman, Prima Nafisman, Habib Fabian Fahlesi (Faculty of Engineering/FT UGM), and Dheandy Keriswasiat (Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing/FK-KMK UGM). Guided by Dr. Ridwan Wicaksono and funded by the Ministry of Education, this team named themselves GASTREIT.
“Through our research titled ‘Real-Time Stomach Acidity Monitoring System for GERD Patients Based on Electrical Impedance Tomography Integrated with Mobile Apps,’ GASTREIT aims to monitor the stomach acidity of GERD patients comfortably without inserting instruments into the body,” said Chenaniah, the research coordinator for GASTREIT, at UGM campus on Wednesday (Jul. 17).
Chenaniah explained that GASTREIT’s research is a significant step forward in telemedicine. With a real-time monitoring system integrated with a mobile app, patients can monitor their stomach acidity levels non-invasively and take necessary preventive actions more quickly and easily.
“This solution offers more comfort and efficiency than traditional invasive methods,” she explained.
She also mentioned that GASTREIT was developed in response to concerns from GERD patients. GERD is a medical condition characterized by repeated reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus. Data from 2023 shows that around 27.4 percent of Indonesians have experienced GERD, with cases increasing by 4 percent annually.
According to Chenaniah, there is no effective early screening method for detecting GERD symptoms, so invasive methods remain the gold standard for GERD diagnosis. These methods offer accurate diagnosis and direct visualization of the esophagus.
“Unfortunately, these methods often cause discomfort or complications such as esophageal strictures,” she said.
With the advent of GASTREIT, there is now an alternative solution that detects stomach acidity through changes in electrical impedance sensors outside the body. This system eliminates the need for inserting instruments into the body, reducing the risk of discomfort and complications often associated with invasive methods.
Chenaniah added that the current research is focused on stomach phantoms (models), hoping it can soon be implemented directly on patients. This will allow patients to feel safe and comfortable when checking their stomach acidity levels, a key early risk factor for GERD.
Author: Agung Nugroho