Ever wondered how things like core body temperature and concentration of micronutrients are measured in the human body?
Researchers at MIT have now devised a method to wirelessly power small electronic devices that linger in the digestive tract after being swallowed. Such devices could also be used to deliver drugs into the human body. Finding a safe and efficient power source is the most critical step to enable ingestible electronics. The new strategy devised is based on the wireless transfer of power from an antenna outside the body to another one inside the digestive tract. This method yields enough power to run sensors to monitor heart rate.
To power these devices researchers have been exploring various options, including a galvanic cell that is powered by interactions with the acid produced in the stomach. They have also come up with ideas using near-field transmission and mid-field transmission to power these devices which are based on power transfer between small distances and long distances respectively. A temperature sensor that wirelessly transmits a temperature reading every 10 seconds would require about 30 microwatts, as would a video camera that takes 10 to 20 frames per second. They have also come up with antennas that do not require usage of batteries.
Researchers have built a flexible sensor that can be rolled up and swallowed. The flexible devices are based on piezoelectric materials, which generate a current and voltage when they are mechanically deformed. They also incorporate polymers with elasticity similar to that of human skin, so that they can conform to the skin and stretch when the skin stretches. They demonstrated that the sensor remains active in the stomachs of pigs for up to two days.
To make the new sensor, they first fabricated electronic circuits on a silicon wafer. The circuits contain two electrodes: a gold electrode placed atop a piezoelectric material called PZT, and a platinum electrode on the underside of the PZT. Once the circuit is fabricated, it can be removed from the silicon wafer and printed onto a flexible polymer called polyimide.This sensor is 2-2.5 cms long and can be rolled up and placed in a capsule that dissolves after being swallowed. In future versions of the device, the researchers plan to harvest some of the energy generated by the piezoelectric material to power other features, including additional sensors and wireless transmitters. Such devices would not require a battery, further improving their potential safety.
Ingestible Electronics is a budding field of technology that is sure to have vast applications in the future.
– Shipica
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