Engineers at MIT have collaborated to develop a robotic drug delivery capsule that is specially designed to administer delicate protein drugs, such as insulin, through the wall of the intestine. Proteins are not suited for oral delivery, as they are typically destroyed by the low pH in the intestine and they can’t pass through the […]
Tag: GI
Soft Robot Grows Like a Plant to Travel Through Tight Spaces
At the University of Minnesota, researchers have developed a soft robotic system that can ‘grow’ like a plant. The mechanism allows it to travel through difficult-to-access areas, such as the tortuous gastrointestinal tract or vasculature. The system works by extruding a liquid through an opening in the device, and at the same time a ph (Read more...)
Carbon Monoxide-Loaded Foam as Inflammatory Disease Treatment
Researchers at MIT have created a carbon monoxide-loaded foam intended for therapeutic use against inflammatory disease. While the gas is toxic if inhaled in large quantities, in small doses it has potent anti-inflammatory effects. However, delivering it to the gastrointestinal tract to treat inflammatory diseases, such as colitis, is a challenge. (Read more...)
Microfluidic Chip Models Inflammatory Intestinal Disease
Researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute have modeled Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED), a childhood inflammatory intestinal disease, on a microfluidic chip and gained new insights into the genetic changes underlying the condition. This is the first in vitro model of the disease, and highlights the power of organ on a chip systems to pro (Read more...)
Gastrointestinal Pressure Sensor Inspired by Incan Communication Technology
Researchers at MIT have designed a gastrointestinal pressure sensor that is inspired by the ancient Incan practice of quipu, which involves adding knots to a length of string to record information. The knotted string approach has been put to good use by these MIT researchers, who discovered that introducing knots into an inexpensive gastrointestina (Read more...)
Surgical Duct Tape Quickly Seals Intestinal Leaks
Researchers at MIT have created a surgical tape that can seal leaks and tears in the intestine. The off-the-shelf product has been designed to replace sutures, which are difficult to sew in the gut and can cause scarring or leaking. The adhesive patch is biocompatible, and the researchers designed it so that it will biodegrade […]
Laparoscopic Robot Performs First Autonomous Surgery
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University developed and now successfully tested the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), a self-guiding surgical robot that can perform challenging laparoscopic procedures in gastrointestinal surgery, including intestinal anastomosis. The robot can adjust its surgical plan in real time, just as a human surgeon would, (Read more...)
Self-Assembling Coating Protects Bacteria for Therapeutic Delivery
Scientists are beginning to appreciate the importance of the gut microbiome in health and disease, and administering microbes that can enhance our health or prevent disease is the next logical step. However, bacteria are delicate and require protection. Researchers at MIT have now engineered a method to coat bacteria so that they are protected from (Read more...)
Catheter-Deliverable Biomaterial Sealants: Interview with Natalie Artzi, Co-founder of BioDevek
BioDevek, a medtech company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has developed a biomaterial adhesive that acts to seal internal wounds and incisions. The material is designed to be sprayed through a catheter, and the primary application for the technology so far is to act as a sealant following colonic polyp resection. At present, following polyp re (Read more...)
Chip for Investigation of Coronavirus Intestinal Infection
At Harvard’s Wyss Institute researchers used an intestine-on-a-chip to study the way a coronavirus infects the intestines, and the influence of various drugs and immune cells on this process. The intestine chip revealed that remdesivir, a drug that received FDA emergency use authorization for COVID-19 treatment, actually damaged the intestina (Read more...)
Optical Fiber Imaging for Next-Generation Endoscopes
Researchers at the University of Exeter in England have developed a technique to image tissues through an ultrathin optical fiber, potentially allowing for high-resolution imaging of single cells within the body. The optical fibers are as thin as a human hair, and could lead to tiny endoscopes that can be inserted into human tissues to […]
Kirigami Stent for Localized Drug Delivery
Researchers at MIT have developed a kirigami-style stent that can provide localized drug delivery through needle-like projections that pop out when the stent is extended. The ‘spines’ on the stent’s surface deliver drug-loaded microparticles into the surrounding tissue, allowing for sustained drug release for an extended period. T (Read more...)
GI Genius Polyp Detection System: Interview with Giovanni Di Napoli, President, Gastrointestinal at Medtronic
We recently reported on the de novo FDA clearance received by Medtronic for its GI Genius AI polyp detection system. The product is hugely flexible as it works with any video colonoscope and provides AI powered assistance for clinicians in identifying colorectal polyps during colonoscopies. Medtronic reports that the system has significantly improv (Read more...)
3D Printed Shields Protect Guts During Radiotherapy
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and MIT have developed 3D printed shields to protect the gastrointestinal tract from the side effects of radiotherapy. Using CT scans, the devices can be custom printed to suit each patient’s anatomy. The materials they’re made of contain high atomic number elements that help to shield t (Read more...)
Non-Surgical Solution for Fecal Incontinence: Interview with Miles Rosen, CEO of Pelvalon
Fecal incontinence can be extremely challenging for those who suffer it. The condition can be embarrassing, making it difficult for people to tell others or even their doctor about it, and it is more common than you might think. Fecal incontinence can affect anyone, but a key group of patients includes women during menopause, in […]
FDA Clears First AI Polyp Detection System for Colonoscopies
Medtronic won FDA de novo clearance for its GI Genius endoscopy technology that can spot suspicious lesions during routine colonoscopy exams. The system works with any video colonoscope and can even process pre-recorded colonoscopies. Even highly experienced gastroenterologists can miss a polyp while navigating through the colon. Computer vision te (Read more...)
Tendon-Inspired Sutures Protect Fragile Tissues
Researchers at McGill University in Canada have developed bioinspired sutures that mimic the structure of human tendons. The gel-covered sutures are slippery and tough, reducing the damage caused by conventional sutures when used on soft tissues. Interestingly, the gel surface of the sutures may allow for advanced applications such as drug delivery (Read more...)
Mussel Protein Bioglue to Seal Fistulas Inside Body
Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology in Korea have developed a bioglue, containing a mussel adhesive protein and hyaluronic acid, that can seal fistulas within the body. It works even on fistulas present in particularly challenging areas, such as the wall of the bladder. The researchers delivered the glue using a thin syring (Read more...)
Endoscopic Surgery Using Steerable Lasers
Applying an energy source, such as a laser, to cut through or cauterize tissue is already widely used in external surgeries, such as laser eye surgery, but using this technology safely and accurately during minimally invasive internal procedures is difficult. Current endoscopic technology does not permit lasers to be steered and manipulated with su (Read more...)
Tiny Robots Walk Through Colon to Deliver Drugs, Sample Tissue
Delivering drugs to internal organs and tissues is usually achieved through ingested medications, but these are often diluted and intercepted before enough can reach the intended destination. Targeted delivery is preferred but usually very difficult to accomplish, particularly when there’s a lot of fluids and movement. This is the case with t (Read more...)