EAGER: Gut-Nav: A Gut Navigator for Real-Time Diagnostic Reporting on Gastro-Intestinal Health

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Recent advancements in the field of micro- and nano-electronics have enabled the development of patient-friendly systems, for diagnostics and treatment of diseases. They also bypass the need for invasive sample extraction and labor-intensive laboratory analysis. Along these lines, this proposal demonstrates a capsule-microsystem with sensors and integrated electronic components for monitoring and wirelessly sharing the diagnostics on pancreatic health. The sensors will be fabricated by standard lithographic processes and integrated with bio-materials, sensitive to the pancreatic secretions. The two biomaterials of choice will be (i) single-strand microRNA (Ribo-Nucleic Acid) sequences that bind to microRNA markers secreted by pancreatic cells; and (ii) thin films of naturally-derived macromolecules, such as starch, polypeptides, and triglycerides, that can be digested by pancreatic amylase, protease, and lipase. These biomaterials will be interfaced with capacitance and impedance based electrical sensors, encapsulated within the ingestible capsule. The capsule skeleton will be 3D printed with a bio-compatible polymer. As the sensors are exposed to pancreatic secretions in the gut, they will collected diagnostic data in real-time and transmit it wirelessly to the connected devices. The fabrication of sensing systems utilizing these technologies can provide location specific data on an array of analytes for a better understanding of the complex biological interactions triggering a disease process. This knowledge will lead to effective early detection strategies for the pancreatic health and other pathological disorders of the gut. In addition to co-advising and training one graduate student, this capsule technology and its parallels to the film the Fantastic Voyage will be used to capture general public's imagination, serving as a basis for many stimulating and educational outreach activities. The proposed research aims to demonstrate an ingestible wireless capsule system capable of in situ sensing of enzyme and microRNA biomarkers in the gastrointestinal tract for pancreatic health monitoring. Capsule technologies do exist, but no ingestible technology is currently available that allows for sensing of specific biomolecular analytes within targeted regions within the gut. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma manifests in the form of chemical and biomolecular changes in pancreatic secretions. However, these secretions are difficult to access as they are emptied into the duodenum via the pancreatic duct, and there is currently no method for effectively indicating early stages of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The proposed device involves impedance and capacitive sensing of material degradation or marker probe functionalization over electrodes in response to analyte exposure and specific reactivity. The materials consist of naturally-derived macromolecules, such as starch, polypeptides, and triglycerides, that have been deposited in the form of thin films that are digested by pancreatic amylases, proteases, and lipases, respectively. The probes are single-strand microRNA sequences functionalized on an electrode surface that bind to microRNA markers secreted by pancreatic cells. The electrical signals described above are read and transmitted via a network of components, including an analog-to-digital converter, a Bluetooth low-energy chip, a low power timer integrated circuit, and a lithium polymer battery. The packaging consists of a 3D-printed biocompatible capsule, with micromesh structures for retaining polymers that dissolve at a specified pH, thereby allowing for GI location targeting. This tool represents a foundation for sensing systems based on the biodegradation of polymer coatings, biomarker detection, microelectronics integration, and packaging. The developed system serves as a platform for a variety of other sensing applications and paves the way for the design of smaller ingestible or implantable systems for use in various segments within the body.