Sonopill – Minimally invasive gastrointestinal diagnosis and therapy

Capsule endoscopy for medical diagnosis in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract has emerged only in the past 10 years. Now established in "pillcams", which have benefited more than 1 million patients worldwide, it is a clear candidate for further innovation. Most capsule endoscopy devices record and transmit video data representing the visual appearance of the inside of the gut, but work has begun on other diagnostic techniques, such as the measurement of pressure, pH, and there has been some research into the use of capsules for treatment as well. Sonopill, an EPSRC-funded project and a collaboration between Heriot-Watt, Glasgow, Leeds and Dundee Universities, aimed in exploring the development of a diverse family of ingestible capsule devices for the timely diagnosis and targeted therapy of medical conditions afflicting the small intestine, with core functionalities including relaying ultrasound images, as well as motility sensing and pH sensing, from inside the body after being swallowed by patients, thereby removing the need for uncomfortable endoscopic exams. According to the Wellcome Trust, “Sonopill could revolutionise the way gastrointestinal diseases like cancer and Crohn’s disease are diagnosed and treated”. In this seminar, the research work undertaken in Sonopill and specifically the HWU group is presented regarding the development of a minimally-invasive motility sensing capsule enabled by the use of innovative wirelessly-addressed flexible thin-film pressure sensor arrays functionalising the surface of the capsule in order to provide pressure profiling of the peristaltic motility within the small intestine in real time.