UNIQUE MECHANISMS OF DIFFERENT INGESTIBLE SENSORS

 UNIQUE MECHANISMS OF DIFFERENT INGESTIBLE SENSORS

 

INTRODUCTION:

•  Ingestible   sensors   are actually designed in the form of pill which helps to estimate pH, pressure and temperature and it also helps in monitoring of intake of medicine by patient as prescribed by the physician.

•  The sensors are implanted in the pill which have the capability to record signals  and are been sent to the wearable patch  worn by the patient which helps in transmitting information to the smart phone of patient and also to the physician by using a web based portal.

•  Ingestible Sensors Can Be Used As Diagnostic Tools For Gut Related Issues, GI Hyper motility, Dysmotility, Preventive Inspection Of Eating Habits , Schizophrenia And Depression Etc.

FIRST INGESTIBLE SENSOR:

•  The first ingestible sensor (imaging and sensing capsules) was discovered in 1957 by Jacobson & MacKay by using radiofrequency of internal temperature & pressure readings.

• In 2002, FDA has approved ingestible sensors to treat schizophrenia and in 2012 abilify mycite was first permitted for marketing of ingestible sensors.

• Ingestible sensors are used to treat depression in adults   & acute maniac treatment.

⁷

MECHANISM OF INGESTIBLE SENSORS:

•  In the pill ingestible sensor is implanted.
• After intake of pill, it can record the following process ….
•  Mechanical movements
•  Muscle contractions which are conducted by electrical stimuli
•  All the chemical process including   hormones and enzymes which are involved in digestion of food particles.
•   A wearable patch/device   is worn by the patient which may have some necessary fundamental innovations. Which are as follows…
•  Tiny electrochemical sensors with high specificity.
•  Physicians/doctors will get medication information by a wearable patch which is worn by patient.
•  Signals are sent to wearable patch when medication was taken which are in turn sent to mobile app. By use of which patients can track their medications.
•  This allows physicians/doctors to ingress adherence of data by a web-based portal which can only be done by authorization of patient.
•  Imec have been working on an ingestible pill which works by the following ways…..
•  Ultra low power miniature interfaces & signal processing electronics   which are co-build with sensors.
•  Volume constrained wireless power & data communication technology.
•  Biocompatible thin & safe packaging.
•  Ingestible sensors are used in diagnosis of the following…..
•  Indigestion
•  GI hyper motility
•  Dysmotility

CHARACTERISTICS OF INGESTABLE SENSORS DEVELOPED BY IMEC 

Are As Follows….

•  Ingestible sensors are small enough to support palatability.
•  They are packed with   sensor technology.
•  Ingestible sensors can be used for preventative inspection of eating habits.
•  After ingestion, sensor finds its way through digestive system.
•  It collects all the necessary information like   how much nutrients in our body have absorbed. Which makes individual to have nutrition coaching ability.

•  Another type of sensor is been developed by a group of researchers at RMIT university of Melbourne, Australia. 
•  This   is used for examining micro biome activity & gases in gut.
•  Gas sensors are used to estimate   levels of hydrogen & oxygen and as well as temperature sensors are implanted in capsules.
•  Through radio, sensor   data is transmitted to receiver which is worn by the ingestor.
•  The data is transmitted to smartphone through Bluetooth for analysis.
•  This trial is conducted on multiple trails on pigs & 7 human volunteers.
•  The study revealed that technology is both safe & effective and it can be applied as diagnostic tool for gut related diseases.

 This study also revealed the following…..

1.   High amount of oxygen is present in colon.
2.   An oxidizer is been used by stomach to fight against foreign bodies in gut.
3.  Oxidizing chemicals are released by stomach to beat/ fight against foreign compounds that are present in stomach for longer time period than usual.

•  This signifies a gastric protection system in-opposition to foreign bodies.
•  HYDROGEL TYPE INGESTIBLE SENSOR
•  A Unique Pill Called Ingestible Hydrogel Device Is Been Developed By Mit Engineers.

CHARACTERISTICS OF HYDROGEL TYPE INGESTIBLE SENSOR:

•  It is a pill which is small in size before reaching stomach.
•  It has a soft texture and squishy in nature.
•  It is used to track ulcers, carcinogenicity (cancer), and GI conditions.
•  It is designed in away called Jell-O-like pill.
•  It can be swollen quickly in to size of Ping-Pong ball which is big, soft and have the capacity to stay in stomach for an extended period of time.
•  The pill is implanted with a sensor which constantly tracks the temperature of stomach for at least 30 days.
•  Patient would need to drink calcium solution in-order to remove pill from the body.
•  After consumption of calcium solution, the pill gets to shrink to its normal size quickly.
•   This calcium solution would actually help to trigger the pill so that it can excrete out of the body safely.
•  Polymer mixtures and Jell-O consistency resembled water were used to make pill.
•  The blend of above two substances would help the pill in-order to swell in stomach and impermeable to stomachs agitated acidic environment.
•  This hydrogel type of pill design is more bio-compatible and enduring than other ingestible sensors.
•  Multitude of nanoscopic, crystalline chains, enfolded on other in a gridlock pattern and are inaccessible.
•  Once the pill is inflated, pill contains nature of softness of tofu or Jell-O and also with a strong nature.
•  Apart from what the pill would experience in stomach , the researchers have used even more methods of mechanical squeezing which is way harder than in stomach  for at least 1000 times.
•  The design is sturdy in nature and the cut appeared during mechanical methods didn’t grow much larger.

CONCLUSION:

I would like to conclude that in future, ingestible sensors will soon be tribute by medical experts. Because   the ingestible sensors have the advanced capability to provide multiple essential information without undergoing multiple scanning and x-ray tests. 

By-
Saranya Chandaka
Clinosol Research Pvt. Ltd...