The Surprising Tiny Sensor: Stomach Acid Powers Device To Sense Important Psychological Conditions

A team of researchers recently discovers that stomach acid powers a unique tiny sensor. The team has invented a way to use the acid to run the small device.

According to Popular Mechanics, a team of researchers from the MIT or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Bringham and Women's Hospital has designed this tiny sensor. Actually, they have developed a tiny generator that can run by the stomach acid and can perform like a sensor. This unique invention creates a new dimension in medical science.

Earlier the research team developed tiny swallowable devices that also included a tiny sensor. Those devices can perform several important works like the detection of blood pressure, heart rate, and others. The crucial fact is the battery is the only source of power for these devices.

It is well known that the battery is very hazardous, so the team tried to invent something new that can run with other sources of energy. The new technology developed a unique tiny sensor that can perform without battery. The device contains a small voltaic cell, which is powered by the stomach acid.

The acid produces a small amount of electric charge, which is sufficient to power the electronics of the device. The researchers have performed tests and the result has clearly shown that the tiny sensor can create a small amount of temperature. This temperature actually activates the sensory system of the device.

The activation helps the tiny sensor to send back data to a monitoring station. The interesting thing the small device can send the data at a regular interval of 12 seconds. In a word, it can sense some psychological conditions, like heart rate, breathing rate, temperature.

The MIT News reports that the whole system can generate sufficient power to run the tiny sensors or the drug delivery devices. This device easily resides in the gastrointestinal tract for a long time. It is true that this alternative process saves energy and cost both.

Robert Langer, an important member of the research team, opines that this new tiny sensor can lead to inventing new electronic indigestible pills. He also utters that the pills may create new ways to monitor and treat health disease. Truly, this invention may one day change the perception of modern treatment.