American scientists develop a capsule that collects data inside the body. This is a new sensor in the form of an ingestible device that measures the heart and respiratory rates of patients with sleep apnea. It could also be used to monitor people at risk of opioid overdose. The capsule contains two small batteries and a wireless antenna that transmits data. The ingestible sensor, which is the size of a vitamin capsule, traveled through the gastrointestinal tract and picked up signals from the device while it was in the stomach. Participants stayed in a sleep lab overnight while the device recorded breathing, heart rate, temperature, and gastric motility.
This group of researchers from the University of West Virginia, in the United States, is developing this test in humans for the first time with ingestible sensor technology.
