A

Assembly: term used to describe a manometric catheter.

Autoclave: a machine that sterilises instruments or materials with pressurised steam.

C

Channel: an individual pathway within a manometric catheter that leads to a single pressure recording point at a specified level on a manometric catheter.

Cleaning: to use detergent and water to remove biological matter from the exterior and if necessary, from the interior, of a manometric catheter immediately following use, in preparation for sterilisation or disinfection.

Customised catheter: a catheter made to specifications supplied by customer. Usually used for research.

D

Disinfection: to cleanse so as to reduce the number of disease-carrying micro-organisms to an acceptable level.

E

Extrusion: Silicone rubber tubing comprising a number of channels, used in manometry.

I

Intubation: to insert a catheter into the gastrointestinal tract to the required recording point.

M

Manometry: the measurement and interpretation of pressures in the gut.

Micro-manometry: measurement of pressures with channels smaller than 0.4 mm in diameter.

P

PVC: polyvinyl chloride. A material commonly used in manometry catheters.

R

Resistor: a device used to control water perfusion rate to a calibrated rate.

S

Sensor: A device designed to respond to physical stimuli such as temperature, light, magnetism, or movement, and transmit resulting impulses for interpretation, recording, movement, or operating control. On manometry catheters the sensors are the side holes and sleeve sensors which respond to pressure.

Sidehole catheter: conventional water perfused manometry catheter featuring directional sensors Sidehole sensors are holes in the side of the catheter from which changes in pressure can be sensed from a very localised region at the axial and radial position of the sidehole.

Silicone rubber: a synthetic, flexible rubber like material that is highly heat resistant, durable and free of allergens or leachable chemicals.

Sleeve sensor: device used to obtain continuous measurement of sphincter pressure that is sufficiently long to retain contact with sphincters as they move relative to the recording catheter.

Sphincter: A ringlike muscle that normally maintains constriction of a body passage or orifice and that relaxes as required by normal physiological functioning.

Sterilisation: the complete destruction or elimination of all living microorganisms.