A device smaller than rice will examine the stomach
What seemed like science fiction till now has now become reality. Scientists of IIT Delhi have created such a small device, which after being swallowed, will go inside the body and take samples of bacteria and essential elements from the small intestine. After this it again comes out of the body.
Not all bacteria present in our body are harmful. In fact, almost half of the cells in the human body consist of microbes. These help in our digestion, keep the mood balanced and strengthen the immune system. But till now it was difficult to understand them, because for investigation one had to depend on painful procedures like endoscopy or examination of stool, which could not give accurate information about the inside of the intestine.
The size of the device is smaller than a grain of rice
Professor Sarvesh Kumar Srivastava of IIT Delhi told that there is a whole world of microorganisms living inside our body, which we call human microbiome. Just as we send rovers to understand space, similarly such small devices are needed to understand the world inside the body. He told that when this micro device is swallowed, it automatically collects bacteria from specific parts of the small intestine. With this, the bacteria present there can be accurately identified, which is not possible through stool test.
The device will work like this
This pill remains closed in the stomach and opens only when it reaches the intestine. After taking the sample, it closes again and comes back out with the stool. But the sample remains safe in the device, so after coming out, it will be sent to the lab and tested. The size of this device is smaller than a grain of rice. Scientists have successfully tested it on animals and a patent has also been filed for it. This research has received financial assistance from ICMR. In the coming time, after getting the necessary approvals, work will be done to use this technology in the treatment of patients.
Research published in international journal
This research has been published in the international journal Small. In this research, Anshul Nema, Debjit Dhar, Venkat Sai Reddy, Kumari Priyam, Samagra Agarwal and Prof. Sarvesh Srivastava is included. Dr. Samagra Aggarwal of the Gastroenterology Department of AIIMS Delhi said that the small intestine is very important for the body. Understanding the bacteria and chemicals present there can help in early identification of many diseases, monitoring of chronic diseases and better treatment.