he capsules have been invented at the RMIT research institute by Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh. The capsules are approximately the size of a vitamin pill. They are intended to make the journey through the gastrointestinal tract and be resistant to the stomach acid and other bodily fluids that might impair their function. In trials the capsules have been used to measure the level of gas in the gastrointestinal tract, meaning that the pills function as a type of sensor. This development is different from other research where toughened capsules have been used as drug delivery systems.
Diseases of the gut are common and it is estimated that around 1 in 5 people suffer from a type of gastrointestinal disorder during their lifetime. Moreover, medical professionals estimate that a sizeable proportion of patients remain undiagnosed. RMIT is one of the leading universities in the world researching the development of ingestible sensors.
Not only have the new capsules been proven to resist the conditions of the body and to reach the target site they have also been successful in measuring the concentration of gas in the gastrointestinal tract to a level of sensitivity beyond that of conventional technology. Data can also be collected in ‘real time’ using smart technology, with the capsules sending a signal to a mobile device. The data can be used to construct a multidimensional picture of the human body.
Explaining this further to the magazine Controlled Environments, Professor Kalantar-zadeh said: “Currently, one of the only methods for diagnosing gut disorders, such as mal-absorption of carbohydrates, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammable bowel disease, is to measure hydrogen concentrations in the breath.”
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These methods are constrained by a lack of sensitivity and specificity, the researcher goes onto explain. This led to the idea of ingestible sensors. It is hoped that the technology can be expanded as a diagnostic tool for colon cancer. This would mean, should the technology prove to be reliable, that patients would not need to undergo unpleasant tests like colonoscopies.
The capsules also have a low toxicity and have been shown, through animal studies that they are safe to use. In addition the capsules are not retained by the body.
The technology has been described in the journal ACS Sensors. The research paper is simply titled “Ingestible Sensors.”
In related news, researchers have developed the first sensor capable of objectively identifying inflammatory bowel disease and distinguishing between its two subtypes. The sensor is a custom-developed endoscope that uses the chemical-fingerprinting technique Raman spectroscopy to detect molecular markers of inflammatory bowel disease in the colon.
