Swallowable-Capsule Technology

Swallowable-capsule technology, which has been evolving for decades, looks set to enter the realm of pervasive patient monitoring. Early capsules, developed for simple sensing applications, are providing a platform for current and future designs to exploit. Intelligent microsystems placed inside the human body are offering a practical alternative to many common procedures that are invasive and often traumatic for the patient. The medical field, once largely skeptical about swallowable capsules, is becoming more open to them as they’re being approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Physicians use modern capsules, which are mostly imaging devices, to diagnose digestive ailments and to help detect cancer or precancer tumors. Research is leading toward advanced sensing functions and novel capsule locomotion systems. Swallowable capsules’ future looks bright; as electronic and mechanical technology advance, so too will the capsules, becoming more miniaturized and offering more complex diagnostic and therapeutic functions. This article is part of a special issue on implantable electronics.