About the episode
A sensor in the form of a pill that you can swallow and that comes out automatically: researchers from MIT, among others, have been working hard on this. And with success.
Similar applications have been used for some time. For example, there are cameras the size of a pill that someone can swallow and with which the intestine can be examined in a non-invasive way.
This new design is more intended for taking measurements. More specifically, the device measures subtle vibrations in the body that say something about breathing and heart rate. From inside the digestive tract, the sensor pill can indicate whether someone is still breathing or not.
The pill has already been tested in 10 people who participated in a study into sleep apnea. This made it possible to accurately monitor breathing and heart rate while sleeping. At the end of the study, the device was also safely excreted by the participants.
The idea is that people are already used to taking pills, this can easily be prescribed by doctors and it does not require expensive medical intervention. It also makes research possible in a much more natural setting than a lab, clinic or hospital.
The researchers, who all have an interest in the company that wants to produce this medical application – it is worth mentioning – think that in the future it should also be possible to leave the pill in the body for a little longer.
Medicines could also be added. This is interesting, for example, if the pill were used for intensive use of painkillers. In the event of an overdose, an aid could then be administered immediately.
Read more about the research here: First human clinical trial for pill-sized device that monitors breathing from the gut
2023-11-18 10:04:12
#Swallowing #pill #measures #breathing #heart #rate #body
