Ingestible robotics has been a fascinating and growing field for the past few years. We’ve already seen a handful of startups working to commercialize a technology that could enable internal monitoring, drug delivery and more, without the need for an invasive procedure.
This new project from a joint Caltech and MIT team highlights a slightly more basic approach to the category, stuffing sensors into an ingestible pill-shaped module filled with sensors. The system is based on electromagnetic fields, using a coil operated outside the body to detect the progression of the mechanism through the gastrointestinal tract. Effectively, the external system can determine the location of the pill based on the strength of the electromagnetic reading relative to its position.
The researchers have begun testing the system in non-human large animal models. They note that they were able to accurately determine the position of the systems to within 5-10 millimeters.
“Using an external reference sensor helps solve the problem that whenever an animal or human is next to the coils, there’s a chance they won’t be in exactly the same position as the previous time,” says co-author, Jalil Ramadi. “In the absence of X-rays as a basis, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where this pill is unless you have a consistent reference that it’s always in the same location.”
Early applications of the technology include the ability to detect things like constipation, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and gastroparesis early on. The idea here is to offer a system that can be used at home, without having to go to a doctor’s office or hospital.
“I think the ability to characterize motility without the need for radiation or more invasive device placement will lower the barrier to testing people,” says MIT Associate Professor Giovanni Traverso.
There is no specific timeline for the system. The next steps involve testing it on animals and then, ideally, human clinical trials, before partnering with manufacturers to bring it to market.
