A team of researchers at Tufts University has 3D printed a pill that when ingested samples bacteria found in the gut as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract. According to the researchers this is the first non-invasive device to accurately assess the profile of the bacteria (microbiome) found there. Moreover, its ability to profile bacteria species inhabiting the gut could help understand conditions affecting the intestinal microbiome.
This study was published in the Advanced Intelligent Systems journal, and according to it the device created is an ingestible, biocompatible, battery‐less, 3D printed micro‐engineered pill. More than 1,000 species of bacteria inhabit the healthy gut. The vast majority of these bacteria have a beneficial supportive role in digestion and protection against disease. When the natural balance of bacteria is disturbed, it can lead to complications.
It is in an attempt to understand and prevent this that researchers are creating this pill, “We are learning quite a lot about the role of gut microbiome in health and disease. However, we know very little about its biogeography. The pill will improve our understanding of the role of spatial distribution in the microbiome profile to advance novel treatments and therapies for a number of diseases and conditions” explained Sameer Sonkusale, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University’s School of Engineering and corresponding author of the study.
Tufts University Campus | Credits: Tufts University
Why was this pill 3D printed?
3D printing technologies can create complex structures, harder to manufacture using traditional manufacturing methods. This is one of the key benefits of this technology. The pill was manufactured using a 3D printer with microfluidic channels that can sample different stages of the GI tract. Also, the surface of the pill is coated with a pH sensitive coating, so that it does not absorb any samples until it reaches the small intestine (where by reaction, the coating dissolves). The pill has been engineered so that a membrane separates two chambers in the pill.
One chamber contains helical channels that take up the bacteria and the other is a calcium salt-filled chamber. The pill also contains a magnet and fluorescent dye, all so that it is easily trackable inside the body. Giovanni Widmer, co-author of the paper adds, “The design of this device makes it incredibly easy to use, posing little risk to the subject, yet providing so much information.”
This is definitely a very innovative way to use 3D printing technologies. We reported on Multiple Labs’ use of 3D printed pills to offer personalised treatments for patients that release in the body at specific times during the day. This segment of additive manufacturing is promising and many applications will become possible in the years to come. The researchers working on this project have expressed that they hope to better identify and understand the role of different intestinal bacterial species in health and disease, and this is just the beginning.
Multiply Labs’ 3D printed pill | Credits: Multiply Labs
You can find more information HERE.
*Cover Picture Credits: Nano Lab, Tufts University
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