Key points from article :
Ingestible sensor's location can be monitored as it moves through the digestive tract.
Could help doctors more easily diagnose gastrointestinal motility disorders.
Position calculated by strength of magnetic field produced by an electromagnetic coil located outside the body.
Electromagnetic coils could be placed in the patient’s backpack or jacket, or the back of a toilet, to take measurements whenever the device is in range.
Device could offer an alternative to more invasive procedures, such as endoscopy.
“The ability to characterize motility without the need for radiation, or more invasive placement of devices, I think will lower the barrier for people to be evaluated” - Giovanni Traverso, senior author.
Image: Courtesy of MIT researchers
