A more acceptable endoluminal implantation for remotely monitoring ingestible sensors anchored to the stomach wall

Abstract

Several types of implant devices have been proposed and introduced into healthcare and telemedicine systems for monitoring physiological parameters, sometimes for very long periods of time. To our disappointment, most of the devices are implanted invasively and by surgery. We often have to surgically remove such devices after they have finished their mission or before the battery becomes worn out. Wearable devices have the possibility to become new modalities for monitoring vital parameters less-invasively. However, for round-the-clock monitoring of data from sensors over long periods of time, it would be better to put them inside the body to avoid causing inconvenience to patients in their daily lives. This study tested a less invasive endoluminal approach and innovative tools (developed during our research into therapeutic capsule endoscopy) for remotely anchoring ingestible sensors to the stomach wall. Preliminary investigations are also described about wireless communication (NFC, ZigBee, and Bluetooth) for low power consumption and inductive extracorporeal power feeding wirelessly to the circuits in a phantom lined with swine gastric mucosa. Electrocardiogram and pH were monitored and those parameters were successfully transmitted by wireless communication ICs to the Internet via a portable device.

The Human Microbiome and Obesity: Moving beyond Associations

“…However, further expansion on innovative approaches that combine microscopy with sophisticated computational image processing would allow for visualization of spatiotemporal host-microbiota interactions, which are needed in the context of the microbiome and obesity (Earle et al, 2015). Furthermore, because fecal microbiome composition may not accurately reflect regional microbiota composition, development of technologies that allow bio-sampling of microbiota along the entire length of the gut would allow for characterization of region-specific microbial community structure/function-associated host interactions (Kotula et al, 2014;Ohigashi et al, 2013;Ohta et al, 2015). Finally, effective methods to tease out the host effects from microbial effects in response to weight loss interventions are also needed.…”

A Smarter Health through the Internet of Surgical Things

“…Ranging from the awe-inspiring telesurgical procedures [1,2] to complex AI machine learning applications that aid in medical decision making [3], to a simple email containing a preoperative CT scan, the Internet of Surgical Things (IoST) is here to stay. A representative example of the IoST is a smart ingestible sensor (pill) that is activated after being swallowed [4], "travels" in the body through the colon and sends data to outer devices such as computers and smartphones when it detects a threat for cancer. Such a device can be used instead of colonoscopy for people who cannot obtain a colonoscopy due to psychological and physiological problems.…”