Enteric & 3D-printed hybrid package for sampling in digestive regions

Abstract

We present a packaging concept for an ingestible sensing capsule, which utilizes biodegradable polymers to target the sensors to specific areas of the gut. Interdigitated electrodes (IDE) are inserted into 3D-printed capsules with embedded gratings that are filled with pharmaceutical polymers tuned to dissolve at a specific pH threshold. Sensors, housed within a 3D-printed package accessible only by the gratings, are connected to a microcontroller capable of transmitting data to a smartphone via Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE). The system is tested with varying amounts and types of enteric coatings over the gratings, used toward optimizing control over timed polymer dissolution. This represents a minimally-invasive strategy toward in situ sampling and analysis at pH-targeted locations in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.