Scimex: Researchers have developed high-tech gas sensing capsules that can
send data from inside the gut direct to a mobile phone, opening new
possibilities for diagnosis, treatment and health analysis.
Intestinal
gases have been linked to colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome and
inflammatory bowel disease, and could potentially be used as key
biomarkers for assessing overall health.
The new technology –
developed by researchers from RMIT University and Monash University –
measures the concentration of selected intestinal gases through a
swallowable capsule with a built-in gas sensor, microprocessor and
wireless high-frequency transmitter.
Lead investigator, RMIT's
Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, said current non-invasive methods of
measuring intestinal gas – such as breath testing – were unreliable.
"We
know gut microorganisms produce gases as a by-product of their
metabolism, but we understand very little about how that affects our
health," he said.
"Being able to accurately measure intestinal
gases could accelerate our knowledge about how specific gut
microorganisms contribute to gastrointestinal disorders and food intake
efficiency, enabling the development of new diagnostic techniques and
treatments.
"But these high-tech capsules could also help people work out precisely how particular foods affect their guts.
"With
nearly half of Australia's population complaining of digestive problems
in any 12 month period, this technology could be the simple tool we
need to methodically tailor our diets to our individual bodies and
improve our digestive health."
Animal trials have demonstrated
the effectiveness and safety of the capsules, which transmit data as
they move through the gut to a handheld device such as a mobile phone,
before passing out of the body.
The researchers from RMIT's
MicroNano Research Facility and Monash have detailed the technology in
an article published in Trends in Biotechnology on 12 March, which also
describes a second novel method of analysing intestinal gases, using "in
vitro fermentation".
"The capsule has a strong Australian origin," Professor Kalantar-zadeh said.
"The
CSIRO has developed different gas capsule technologies for ruminants –
animals such as cows and sheep that can acquire nutrients from
plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialised stomach prior to
digestion – but the RMIT-Monash research is focused on capsules suitable
for humans."