Micro medical capsule could be life changing
12/22/15 A micro medication capsule could be life-changing for people with large intestine ailments like Crohn’s disease and irritable bobwel syndrome. Most medications are absorbed into the body through the stomach and small intestine before they make it to the large intestine, this micro capsule will open at a specific location in the GI tract, according to researchers at Purdue. The capsule is about an inch long with two compartments. One side holds the drugs. The other side contains a magnetic switch and an electrical component known as a capacitor that releases an electric charge to power the device.
The patient would either wear a small magnet or have one implanted near where their large and small intestine meet. When the capsule comes within range of this magnet, it triggers the capsule to open and release the drug. As of right now this process has been tested in a simulated digestive tract and researchers hope to see it move on to human clinical trials soon. Once the device is perfected, it could help a host of GI-tract problems.
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