In hospitals or at home, body temperatures are typically measured using oral or forehead thermometers, which do not always accurately reflect core body temperature. Engineers at MIT have developed an ingestible sensor that can continuously send temperature updates from the GI tract, facilitating earlier detection of illness and fever risks. The sensor is shaped like a tiny blueberry, measuring 6 millimeters in diameter and 4 millimeters in height, significantly smaller than existing ingestible temperature sensors.
"This type of sensor gives us the ability to monitor infections and identify them early," says Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT. Ingestible sensors could also enable more accurate temperature measurements for fertility tracking and monitoring patients during anesthesia. The team aimed to design sensors that accurately measure temperature at a much smaller size by reducing the dimensions of the temperature-sensing circuit, antenna, and battery.
They created a customized circuit fitting onto a 1-square-millimeter silicon chip and designed an oscillator based on leakage current, which requires only about 10 nanowatts of power. The new design cuts energy consumption further by using a communication strategy known as backscattering, where an external antenna emits ultra-high-frequency radio waves modulated by an internal antenna in the sensor to relay temperature data. The sensor sends temperature readings every second for continuous monitoring.
The researchers envision this sensor being useful in various scenarios, including monitoring infections and observing patients during and after anesthesia. They are currently working on integrating the temperature sensor with other sensors to measure vital signs such as heart rate, with hopes to begin clinical trials in the coming years. If proven effective, these sensors could replace traditional thermometers, providing the most accurate means of measuring temperature.
Other authors include Yubin Cai, Injoo Moon, and others, with funding from DARPA and ARPA-H.
Blogger's Review: This research highlights the fusion of miniaturization and efficiency, suggesting that ingestible sensors could revolutionize medical monitoring, particularly in rapidly identifying infections and improving patient care. As technology advances, the widespread adoption of such sensors could transform our traditional understanding of temperature monitoring.