A self-powered ingestible wireless biosensing system for real-time in situ monitoring of gastrointestinal tract metabolites

Abstract

Information related to the diverse and dynamic metabolite composition of the small intestine is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. However, our current understanding of the physiochemical dynamics of metabolic processes within the small intestine is limited due to the lack of in situ access to the intestinal environment. Here, we report a demonstration of a battery-free ingestible biosensing system for monitoring metabolites in the small intestine. As a proof of concept, we monitor the intestinal glucose dynamics on a porcine model. Battery-free operation is achieved through a self-powered glucose biofuel cell/biosensor integrated into a circuit that performs energy harvesting, biosensing, and wireless telemetry via a power-to-frequency conversion scheme using magnetic human body communication. Such long-term biochemical analysis could potentially provide critical information regarding the complex and dynamic small intestine metabolic profiles.

Gelatin‐Based Ingestible Impedance Sensor to Evaluate Gastrointestinal Epithelial Barriers

“…This will extend the transit of the device, allowing for chronic monitoring and therapeutic applications. Additionally, we can consider moving beyond tethered electronic by integrating wireless data transmission capabilities, [76][77][78] energy harvesting or ingestible battery systems, [30,79,80] and transient integrated circuitry based on silicon nanomembranes. [81,82] Further exploration of electronics interfacing the gastrointestinal system can unlock a wide range of previously unavailable applications such as real-time internal physiological monitoring, disease diagnostics, active drug delivery, electrostimulatory therapies.…”

“…Beyond this, the impedance sensing capsules were tested using an acid-induced ex vivo damage model using porcine esophageal explants. While this work utilizes a tethered system to serve as a proof of concept, recent advances in ingestible power harvesting, [6,29,30] radio frequency and near field communication systems, [4,31,32] and ionic communication protocols could further advance impedance sensing via diagnostic capsules as the standard of care. [33,34]…”

Technology Roadmap for Flexible Sensors

“…, glucose, lactate, alcohol), they can be used as biosensors in addition to energy harvesters. ,, They have been integrated with piezoelectric nanogenerators for self-powered touch-based sweat sensing, and with TENGs and supercapacitors for textile sensing systems . Furthermore, biofuel cells have been integrated with near-field communication electronics, magnetic human body communication, and electrochromic displays to realize battery-free data communication and readout. Nonetheless, biofuel cell implementation is often limited by their operational lifetime, which is on the order of a few days, before enzyme degradation impairs power output.…”

“…Because their output power depends on the concentration of an analyte ( e.g. , glucose, lactate, alcohol), they can be used as biosensors in addition to energy harvesters. ,, They have been integrated with piezoelectric nanogenerators for self-powered touch-based sweat sensing, and with TENGs and supercapacitors for textile sensing systems . Furthermore, biofuel cells have been integrated with near-field communication electronics, magnetic human body communication, and electrochromic displays to realize battery-free data communication and readout.…”

Screen-Printable Functional Nanomaterials for Flexible and Wearable Single-Enzyme-Based Energy-Harvesting and Self-Powered Biosensing Devices

“…Motivated by the desire to realize the energy-sustainable concept, enzymatic biofuel cells (BFCs), which convert biochemical energy available in human biofluids into electricity, are among the most powerful alternatives for energy generation. This is due to their advantages for operation with enzymes that are active at ambient temperature and under mild physiological conditions, allowing on-body, implantable, and ingestible applications in biological systems [ 4 – 6 ].…”