Communications of the ACM
Ingestible Capsule Can Be Controlled Wirelessly
Researchers have designed an ingestible sensor that can lodge in the stomach for weeks and communicate wirelessly with an external device.
Credit: Xingyu Zou et al.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brigham and Women's Hospital have designed an ingestible capsule that can be controlled wirelessly via Bluetooth.
The three-dimensionally-printed capsules, which can be customized to dispatch drugs, sense environmental conditions, or both, can remain in the stomach for at least a month, transmitting information and responding to instructions from a smartphone.
The capsules also could be used to communicate with other wearable and implantable devices, transmitting their pooled information to the patient or doctor's smartphone.
Within the capsule is a device with six arms that fold up before encasement; once swallowed, the capsule dissolves and the arms expand so the device can lodge in the stomach.
Said former MIT postdoc Yong Lin Kong, "The self-isolation of wireless signal strength within the user's physical space could shield the device from unwanted connections, providing a physical isolation for additional security and privacy protection."
From MIT News
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