Back in 2015 a Kickstarter campaign for a wearable bluetooth device called CH4 that could be paired with an iPhone made the rounds with the promise of being able to monitor the wearer’s gaseous output. The basic idea was a person would use CH4 to help avoid the foods that might fuel an overactive digestive system and in turn decrease the chances of tooting at inopportune times. The concept was a flatulent failure – of the $180,000 (U.S.) needed to get the project off the ground, only $3,827 was raised.
Jump ahead now to January, 2018. Researchers at Australia’s RMIT University and Monash University have published a paper outlining their human testing of a ingestible capsule that can transmit, in real-time, the levels of hydrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen gases in a person’s stomach to their smartphone. The pill, about the size of a large vitamin, was taken by seven participants on a mix of both low and high-fiber diets. Information was gathered as the pill made the journey through the gut to the colon, a territory that currently has to be invasively examined (colonoscopy, anyone?) in order to assess internal gut issues or concerns.
With approximately 20% of the world’s population suffering from digestive issues that can cause excessive and sometimes embarrassing flatulence, researchers are looking to a second phase of human testing and have paired up with Atmo Biosciences to bring the technology to market. Stay tuned for more potential breaking news and less breaking wind…
Story by Jay Moon
Sources
- A human pilot trial of ingestible electronic capsules capable of sensing different gases in the gut
- Fart-Tracking Capsule Sends Real-Time Data to Your Smartphone
- Swallowable sensors reveal mysteries of human gut health
- With ingestible pill, you can track fart development in real time on your phone
- Keep track of your gases with CH4!
