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Smart inflatable pill that monitors the stomach

In the stomachs of pigs these smart pills lasted for one month

30-Jan-2019

Key points from article :

Puffer fish like inflatable smart pill can be the next generation of ingestible monitoring devices.

Made from two layers of hydrogels, inner layer of absorbent particles and an outer protective layer.

In 15 minutes it expands to the size of a ping-pong ball in the stomach and stays there.

Can survive strong contractions and acidity inside the stomach.

Drinking a calcium solution shrinks the ball to its original pill size that can be passed out with stools.

Could monitor the progress of gastric tumours or ulcers over weeks.

Research by Massachusetts Institute of Technology published in the journal Nature Communications.

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Private land-grant research university

Nature Communications

Journal covering all topics in physics, chemistry, and biology.

Xuanhe Zhao

Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT

Topics mentioned on this page:
Ingestible Sensors