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Here comes the “electrocardiogram of the intestines” – a sensor that is swallowed, unfolds in the stomach and non-invasively records signals from the nervous system to decipher a person’s intestinal health.
A new ingestible sensor promises to revolutionize the way we monitor gastrointestinal health.
Developed by a team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), this sensor can be swallowed like a pill and unfolds in the stomach.
Once unfolded, this sensor will measure the electrical activity of the cells that control digestion.
This technology – comparable to an electrocardiogram for the heartbut destined for the gastrointestinal tract – was revealed in a study recently published in Nature Electronics.
As New Scientist explains, the device – called “MiGUT” – consists of a 25 centimeter ribbon with gold electrodes, housed inside a 3D printed resin capsule. A soluble adhesive tape keeps the capsule closed until, when it comes into contact with gastric fluids, it dissolves, allowing the sensor to expand.
Initial testing in pigs demonstrated that MiGUT can be precisely implanted through endoscopysuccessfully monitoring electrical activity during different states, such as rest and feeding, without causing obstructions in the gastrointestinal system.
This technology could help diagnose diseases such as gastroparesis and chronic indigestion – which currently require invasive procedures such as the implantation of electrodes through surgery.
But it is not limited to diagnosis
This technology is not limited to just diagnosis. The MIT team is also exploring the therapeutic potential of MiGUT.
The researchers hope that adding electrodes to the sensor will allow electrical stimulation treatments directly into the stomach, opening new fronts in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.
Additionally, this technology could have future applications in the investigation of neurodegenerative diseases – particularly in degenerative disease. Parkinson’s – because relationship between intestinal function and the central nervous system.
