Researchers have successfully developed a smart pill equipped with sensors that detect disease locations, with data transmitted to a computer for analysis by artificial intelligence (AI).
This study was conducted by the Khan Lab at the Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California (USC), led by Associate Professor Yasser Khan, and published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science. The smart pill is considered groundbreaking due to its ability to accurately locate disease sites and facilitate early detection.
Sensor location detection coil system developed by the Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California. (Photo: USC)
Professor Khan’s team collaborated with the Institute for Health System Innovation and Technology (ITEMS) at the Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience at USC to place a wearable coil on a t-shirt to create a magnetic field. Simultaneously, a capsule containing sensors is introduced into the body. The coil’s role is to locate the pill.
Inside the capsule, the team integrates extremely small biosensors to monitor each type of disease identified from the outset. The external layer is coated with an “optical sensor membrane that selectively detects gases” – a membrane composed of materials whose electrons change behavior in the presence of ammonia gas.
Inside the body, ammonia gas is produced by the gut bacterium Helicobacter pylori. When gas concentrations rise, it may indicate gastric ulcers, stomach cancer, or irritable bowel syndrome. “This type of gas is regarded as a ‘marker’ for the gut and can be utilized as a mechanism for early disease detection,” Khan explained.
Using the sensor material, the team tested its resistance to corrosion in the intestinal environment, initially simulating conditions with liquids and in bovine intestines. The coil enables doctors to accurately pinpoint areas of disease. The collected data is then transmitted to a computer for AI analysis before a final diagnosis is made.
“It’s like a GPS system within the human body,” according to Khan. “The digestible biosensors, combined with the compact coil, provide a clear direction for medical diagnostics.”
However, the pill has not yet been tested on humans. In addition to early detection of ulcers, inflammation, and stomach cancer, the team indicated that this device also aims to monitor brain health. “This will be a non-invasive method for detecting neurotransmitters related to Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease,” Khan added.
