Diagnosing gastrointestinal pathologies is complicated because the digestive system is difficult to access. Examinations are invasive and often require sedation as for endoscopy. In order to remedy this problem, researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) worked on a “micro-bioelectronic” capsule. Made up of bacteria and an electronic chip, the aim is to collect information throughout the digestive journey. Their work has been published in the journal Science.
The intestine is a biochemical environment that constantly produces all kinds of molecules. Some are indicative of disorders or diseases, and detecting them could greatly facilitate the diagnosis of gastrointestinal pathologies. “By combining artificial biological sensors with wireless electronics, we can detect biological signals in the body in near real time, enabling new diagnostic capabilities for human health applications,” said Timothy Lu, in a statement. associate professor of electrical engineering at MIT.
A device that works!
The principle is simple: bacteria (selected for their ability to detect such and such a molecule) are packaged in a membrane allowing said molecules to pass. The membrane is contained in a capsule made up of electronic circuits. During the journey of the capsule in the digestive system, the bacteria produce a light signal when they detect the desired molecule. This signal is picked up by the phototransistors, then transformed into an electrical signal. The latter is then transmitted, in real time, to an external device such as a cell phone. Everything works thanks to a button cell battery.
The first pathology that was tested is the search for gastrointestinal bleeding in pigs. The bacteria selected are therefore sensitive to heme, a blood compound. As a result, the capsule correctly detected the blood in the stomach. In order to adapt this device to humans, the first step is to reduce the size of the device. Indeed, the current capsule is 3 cm long and 1 cm in diameter, still too big for possible human use. Ultimately, the goal will be to develop capsules to detect other intestinal pathologies such as colitis or infections.
Read also :
Faecal transplant: a real treatment!
Several drugs or vaccines in a single injection!
