Magnetic Colonoscopy Sensor
Vera Aksionava @ stock.adobe.com
This ingestible sensor with tiny-dimensions can be swallowed to assess humans' and other animals' gut health, being a non-invasive solution for current colonoscopy procedures, which are complex, costly, and pain-inducing. The sensor is designed in the shape of a pill that contains an internal magnet, a wireless transmitter, a camera, and a microprocessor, which require a Spherical Actuator Magnetic Manipulator (SAMM) to locate and move the magnetic colonoscopy sensor through the gastrointestinal tract.
After the sensor is ingested, the SAMM, which is comprised of robotic arms with a powerful magnetic device, is used to carefully and contactlessly locate the sensor inside the body and guide it through the digestive tract at the necessary speed, instead of relying on the natural peristalsis like current capsule endoscopy. The data and footage collected are exported to a machine learning platform that allows for closer analysis of internal crevices and potential malignant tissue growth.