New “smart capsules” could deliver medicines directly to the large intestine, bypassing the normal digestive process of being broken down before getting there, according to a report from Futurity.
This would be useful in treating conditions that require pinpointed targeting, including irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease.
“Usually, when you take medication it is absorbed in the stomach and small intestine before making it to the large intestine,” said Babak Ziaie, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University. “However, there are many medications that you would like to deliver specifically to the large intestine, and a smart capsule is an ideal targeted-delivery vehicle for this.”
Tech in the tract
The device would be powered by a capacitor, charged before use. A magnet on the patient’s waist would activate a switch, as it eventually approached it through the intestines, prompting a spring-loaded mechanism to open the capsule and deliver the medication.
Researchers working at Purdue University’s Birck Nanotechnology Center tested the capsule with a “fluidic model” that mimics the gastrointestinal tract. They also used an experiment that imitates the changing acidity and muscle contractions of the stomach and intestines as food passes through.
“It takes up to 12 hours to get to the large intestine, so we wanted to make sure the smart capsule can withstand conditions in the gastrointestinal tract,” Ziaie said.
Replacing poop transplants
Another condition which could be better treated with the hi-tech device is a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection called Clostridium difficile, in which the body loses natural microorganisms needed to fight infection.
One current treatment for the illness involves transplanting feces from another person into a patient’s large intestine (ah yeah, that seems like a good idea …sorry, what?!), which apparently provides vital microbes.
However, Ziaie explained, it might be possible to convert the microbes into a powder through freeze-drying, and then deliver them with smart capsules – as a no doubt preferable alternative for all involved.
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