The pill is a small, swallowable sensor that can be monitored as it moves
Scientists have created a smart pill that can help doctors identify digestive problems.
According to the study, which was conducted in collaboration with New York University Tandon, in the journal “Nature Electronics”, this pill is a small swallowable sensor that can be monitored as it moves through the digestive system in diagnosing digestive disorders.
This includes conditions such as constipation, gastroesophageal reflux disease (where acid leaks from the stomach into the esophagus), and gastroparesis (where food passes through the stomach more slowly than it should).
These conditions are referred to as gastrointestinal motility problems.
The small sensor works by detecting the magnetic field generated by an electromagnetic reel located outside the body.
In the new study, engineers at MIT and Caltech used the sensor to track its movement through the digestive system of pigs.
According to the British “Independent”, scientists say that such a device could provide an alternative to more invasive procedures in humans, such as endoscopy, which is currently used to diagnose movement disorders.
The researchers hope that the swallowable pills will be used by patients at home and used in place of more invasive surgical procedures.
Giovanni Traverso, assistant professor of career development in mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in America, said: “Many people around the world suffer from gastro-intestinal (GI) dysmotility, or poor motility of the gastrointestinal tract, and having the ability to monitor the motility of the gastrointestinal tract Without having to go to the hospital is important to understand what is really happening to the patient.”
Gastrointestinal motility disorders can occur in any part of the digestive system, and lead to failure of food movement in the digestive system.
X-rays, imaging or catheters are usually used to diagnose conditions.