As a child I watched a truly compelling cartoon: a handful of little heroes "traveled" inside the human body monitoring every contraction, every movement, every potential problem. Imagination does not create the future, but often ends up inspiring it. Today, medical technology is perfecting sensors that are increasingly smaller and more precise, to the point of making them ingestible. The signaling "pills" that diagnose gastrointestinal diseases, and perhaps treat them in good time? It's becoming reality.
A window into the intestine
Developed by a team of scientists from Heriot-Watt, Birmingham and Edinburgh Universities, the latest innovative capsule promises to give doctors unprecedented understanding of patients' digestive tract movement, or lack thereof. Instead of just capturing images of the inside of the intestine, the system can detect whether contractions are occurring, how much pressure is being exerted, and exactly where there might be inactivity.
Professor Marc Desmulliez, a specialist in ingestible medical device technologies and leader of the project, highlights the transformative potential of this invention. “It could help revolutionize the way we detect gastrointestinal diseases and conditions.”
A less invasive and more complete approach
Currently, the traditional way to examine the intestine isendoscopy. You know what it is, don't you? A procedure that involves inserting a camera attached to a tube with the hope of identifying any visible blockages or problems. Ingestible endoscopic capsules have recently become more common, offering patients a less invasive alternative. A small capsule travels along the intestine and transmits images wirelessly to a screen.
However, these techniques also have limitations. As Desmulliez explains, “We wanted to find a way to detect when the digestive tract isn't working properly, when it isn't contracting and relaxing as it should during pushing waste, and when there isn't a visible problem.” This was not possible until yesterday. And today?
Swallow, hair-thin sensors for comprehensive monitoring
The capsule developed by the team is 3 cm long and 1 cm in diameter, and is studded with up to five very thin sensors, the thickness of one or two human hairs. These pressure sensors measure movement and activity along eight or nine meters of the gastrointestinal tract, identifying regions where there is absolutely no bowel movement, where the bowel is working as expected, or if there is something unexpected going on in terms of movement.
Doctor Gerard Cummins, assistant professor at the University of Birmingham, highlights the resilience of these new ingestible devices:
It is extremely resistant thanks to the number of sensors and their flexibility: it will continue to work even if it is damaged.
Accessibility and sustainability at the center of the project
A crucial aspect of this innovation is its accessibility. As Dr Cummins points out, “A new medical technology is only useful if healthcare providers such as the NHS can afford to provide it to patients.” For this reason, the team designed the prototype at the Scottish Microelectronic Center at the University of Edinburgh, using semiconductor manufacturing processes similar to those used to make low-cost microchips. This allows for the large-scale production of “ingestible” sensors, making them very cost-effective.
The team is now creating a spin-out company to take the innovation forward and a patent for the device is pending. It is estimated that at least another five years of clinical trials will be needed to bring the product to market, but the prospects are exciting.
Ingestible sensors, a bright future for gastrointestinal diagnosis
These next-generation ingestible capsules could dramatically improve the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases, and make the process much more comfortable for patients. Imagine being able to simply ingest a capsule and get a complete overview of your gut health, without having to go through invasive or painful procedures. This system represents a huge step forward in understanding and treating intestinal dysfunction. Thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of these scientists, we are on the brink of a new era in gastrointestinal diagnosis, an era in which the secrets of our gut will finally be revealed, one “journey” at a time.
