Imagine finding your location without GPS. Now apply this to tracking an item in the body. This has been the challenge with tracking smart pills – pills equipped with smart sensors–once swallowed. At the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, innovations in wearable electronics and AI have led to the development of ingestible sensors that not only detect stomach gasses but also provide real-time location tracking. These capsules are tailored to identify gasses associated with gastritis and gastric cancers.
This breakthrough represents a significant step forward in ingestible technology, which could someday serve as a Fitbit for the gut and for early disease detection. While wearables with sensors hold a lot of promise to track body functions, the ability to track ingestible devices within the body has been limited. However, with innovations in materials, the miniaturization of electronics, as well as new protocols, researchers have demonstrated the ability to track the location of devices specifically in the GI tract.
More information: https://viterbischool.usc.edu/news/2024/06/from-wearables-to-swallowables-usc-engineering-researchers-create-gps-like-smart-pills-with-ai/