Experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology have found that a smart pill can help doctors identify digestive problems.
A swallowable sensor that can be monitored as it moves through the digestive tract can help diagnose digestive disorders. This includes conditions such as constipation, gastroesophageal reflux disease (where acid leaks from the stomach into the esophagus), and gastroparesis (where food passes through the stomach more slowly than it should).
These conditions are referred to as gastrointestinal motility problems.
The small sensor works by detecting the magnetic field generated by an electromagnetic reel located outside the body.
In the new study, the engineers used the sensor to track it as it moved through the pigs' digestive tracts.
According to experts, such a device could provide an alternative to more invasive procedures in humans, such as endoscopy, which are currently used to diagnose movement disorders.
Experts hope that swallowable pills will be used by patients at home, and used in place of more invasive surgical procedures.
Gastrointestinal motility disorders can occur in any part of the digestive system, and lead to failure of food movement in the digestive system.
X-rays, imaging or catheters are usually used to diagnose conditions.