BACKGROUND
Access to a patient’s GI tract, either for purposes of delivery of therapeutic agents or collecting samples for diagnostic purposes faces a number of challenges. For the former, oral administration, requiring transit through the stomach and upper GI, can impact the stability and solubility of therapeutic agents such as antibodies or probiotics. For the latter, current procedures for retrieving microbiome samples rely on the use of highly invasive endoscopic procedures. Consequently, many diagnoses of gut health (for example to monitor diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or cancer) rely on analysis of a patient’s stool, material that does not reflect the conditions that occur higher up in the GI tract. There is therefore an urgent need for both drug delivery and collection (GI sampling) systems for more effective and precise disease intervention.
TECHNOLOGY
Inventors at the University of Toronto have developed a magnetically actuated capsule which can open wirelessly on demand from within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This capsule has a sample chamber that is activated wirelessly using a safe low strength magnetic field. It can be used to either deliver material to (e.g. therapeutics) or collect material (e.g. microbiome samples) from the gut.
Figure 1. Microrobotic capsule struture and function. a. The microrobotic capsule is magnetically sealed in its native form protecing the contents contained in the chamber. b. Opening is induced by bringing an external magnet within close proximity of the device.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
- Simple
- The operation is simpler than other robotic capsule endoscopes and does not rely on complex control systems or mechanisms. Instead, it simply activates by bringing a permanent magnet close to the body.
- Biocompatible
- Can survive the harsh conditions in the stomach and intestine
- Low cost
- Flexibility
APPLICATIONS
- Microbiome Sampling for Diagnostic Studies
- Our new sampling capsule will be able to take samples on demand from specific regions in the GI track, for study and diagnosis of various illnesses, including IBD and cancer
- Targeted Drug Delivery
- The micro-robotic capsule can also be adapted for targeted delivery of biologics into a patient’s GI tract
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
- Provisional patent application filed (June 2020)
PROJECT STATUS
The inventors have shown that this capsule has robust sealing and reliable sampling activation, which has been tested in both laboratory and in vivo field conditions. In initial animal trials, they have shown the device can be wirelessly activated within the stomach of live pigs and sample contents. The researchers are further developing capsule localization, multi-chamber addressable actuation, and smaller capsule capabilities. The inventors are also initiating studies for the delivery of biological therapeutics to sites within the GI tract.
Figure 2. Closed capsule before sampling and open capsule after sampling from the GI tract of a pig model.
