A human pilot trial of ingestible electronic capsules capable of sensing different gases in the gut
What is an ingestible sensor?
Ingestible sensors have the capability of measuring and transmitting information and chemical composition of the gut in real time.
How is the information transmitted?
The sensor is connected via Bluetooth to a small receiver and mobile phone every 5 minutes.
What is special about this ingestible sensor?
This sensor can be a diagnostic step about your gut health without undergoing more invasive procedures. The capability of real-time sensing can give clues to exactly where in the gut the issue lies and what foods may trigger different amounts and types of gas. Currently, the best test for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is a lactulose hydrogen breath test which gives clues based on suspected timing that the lactulose hydrogen syrup is going through the gut. In contrast, this sensor uses gas profiles to measure gas and transmit information in association with the exact location of the sensor.
Why do I have these gases in my system and what does it mean?
The main gases in the digestive system are oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and in some people methane. Some gases in the GI tract originate through swallowing air, but most gases are created through metabolic activity by the intestinal microbiota. H2 is a by-product of bacterial fermentation making it the most important gas for understanding the gut microbiota. These cases produced by bacterial fermentation is known to account for IBS symptoms, abdominal pain, and visceral hypersensitivity.
Author
Kelsey Zuckerman
Patient Care Coordinator
