Gastroparesis is a debilitating disorder characterized by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction, leading to nausea, vomiting, early satiety, bloating, and abdominal pain. Existing drugs have failed to demonstrate efficacy or have limited symptomatic relief that becomes resistant over time. The celiac ganglion and celiac plexus innervate the stomach and their dysfunction is at the root of gastroparesis. The celiac ganglion has been a discrete and effective target for blocks and neurolyses for diseases including intractable abdominal pain from chronic pancreatitis or unresectable pancreatic cancer and therefore presents a promising target for precise gastric neuromodulation. However, there are no simple procedures to target and place recording and stimulation leads in deep anatomical structures. Current approaches require open surgical approaches to place nerve cuff electrodes, carrying significant surgical and infection risk. Furthermore, autonomic nerves are typically embedded non-uniformly among visceral and connective tissues, requiring a sophisticated interface to adequately contact the plexus.

This project aims to develop a hardware platform to sense nerves and place and secure electrodes in a minimally-invasive fashion. Additionally, we will acquire detailed knowledge of the neural signaling patterns at the celiac ganglion to optimize stimulation parameters for effective reanimation of the paretic stomach and potential metabolic neuromodulation.