Researchers at the University of Southern California have created a system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to track small devices that monitor signs of disease in the gut. These devices could potentially allow high-risk individuals to keep an eye on the health of their gastrointestinal (GI) tract at home, eliminating the need for invasive hospital tests.The article, which appears in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science on June 12, discusses a new method for monitoring gastrointestinal gases without the need for invasive tests in hospital settings. Yasser Khan, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Southern California, compares ingestibles to Fitbits for the gut, noting that tracking them once swallowed has been a significant challenge. The gas formed in the intestines when bacteria break down food can provide valuable insights into a person’s health. Currently, physicians use direct methods such as flatus collection and intestinal tube collection to measure GI tract gases.The article discusses different methods for sensing gases in the stomach, such as breath testing and stool analysis. It also introduces the concept of ingestible capsules as a potential solution for gas sensing. The researchers have developed a system that includes a wearable coil that creates a magnetic field, which interacts with sensors embedded in an ingestible pill. AI analyzes the signals received by the pill to locate the device in the gut with high precision. This technology offers a promising alternative for precise gas sensing in the body.The system keeps track of the real-time concentrations of ammonia in 3D, which is a proxy for a bacteria associated with ulcers and gastric cancer, using the optical gas-sensing membranes of the device.
Prior attempts to monitor ingestibles as they move through the gut have relied on large desktop coils, but the wearable coil can be used anywhere, according to Khan. The technology may also have additional uses aside from measuring GI tract gases, such as detecting inflammation in the gut caused by Crohn’s disease and delivering drugs specifically to these areas.
The researchers tested the system’s performance in various simulated environments that mimic the GI tract, rnrnThe device, including a simulated cow intestine and liquids meant to imitate stomach and intestinal fluids, was able to show its ability to pinpoint its location and measure levels of oxygen and ammonia gases during tests, according to Khan. Khan also mentioned that any ingestible device could make use of the technology they have developed. However, Khan also acknowledged that there are still improvements needed for the device, such as making it smaller and more energy-efficient. Moving forward, Khan and colleagues intend to test the device in pigs to assess its safety and effectiveness in an organism with human-like biology.”We anticipate that the results of these trials will move the device closer to being ready for human clinical trials,” Khan explains. “We are hopeful about the feasibility of the system and are confident that it will soon be suitable for human use.”
