The rhythm of the heart and the rate of respiration are two of the basic vital signs to evaluate the physiological state of a person. In general, measuring them involves the use of electrocardiograms, pulse oximeters or various “wearable” devices that require contact with the patient’s skin, which they can annoy or damage. In addition, these devices sometimes alter the individual and modify his constants in deceptive ways .
In the search for less invasive methods, MIT doctors and bioengineers have developed an ingestible sensor the size of a pill that measures these vital signs and transmits them wirelessly. The device, which has been revealed in a work published in the journal PLOS One , calculates the heart and respiratory rate from the gastrointestinal tract from the sound waves produced by the heartbeat and the inhalation and exhalation of the lungs.
The device consists of a tiny microphone wrapped in a silicone capsule, and electronic elements that process sound and send it in the form of radio signals to an external receiver that should not be more than 3 meters away. Its inventors have created processing systems that distinguish the sounds produced by the heart and lungs from those of the digestive system and other parts of the body.
The sensor has been successfully tested in pigs and, according to the researchers, offers new possibilities for telemedicine , monitoring soldiers in the field, training athletes, monitoring chronically ill patients and urgent care of patients who have suffered. trauma that makes painless auscultation difficult.
Giovanni Traverso and Albert Swiston, two of the creators of the device, have confirmed to MIT News that they plan to design new sensors of this type that monitor respiratory problems such as emphysema or asthma, or arrhythmias. In the case of the latter, this requires the patient to put on a Holter monitor, which often causes misdiagnosis, since the person feels very uncomfortable wearing it for 24 hours.
Image: The sensor will remain in the digestive tract for two to three days. Prolonged monitoring would involve ingesting new devices. Credit: Albert Swiston / MIT Lincoln Laboratory
We leave you with a demonstration video (in English):
