I-Corps: Non-invasive capsule for direct sampling of the gastrointestinal tract

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将改变人类和动物胃肠道微生物学领域，并大大增加我们对其微生物组的了解。目前的采样技术仅限于降解的粪便样本和侵入性内窥镜采样，在人类中，无法到达远端小肠。这里开发的技术提供了一种非侵入性系统，用于在局部环境中对胃肠道微生物进行采样，以进行前所未有的发现，表征，医学研究，诊断和治疗。在人类和动物健康方面，微生物组研究和商业应用可能会有一个新的范例。 最初的应用重点将是人类胃肠病学和人类微生物组的未满足的需求。这个I-Corps项目进一步开发了一种用于消化道微生物组采样的非侵入性可摄入、不可消化的胶囊。 它被放置在立即或延迟释放的外胶囊内。当外囊根据其规格溶解时，肠溶液和内容物通过其端口进入采样囊，触发亲水止动件以释放拉力，关闭端口，捕获样品，保持密封直到其完成通过消化道，并从粪便中回收用于分析。这种新型胶囊装置具有竞争优势，因为它可以在局部环境中采集样本，并且可以进入小肠的限制性区域。胶囊技术有可能成为人类和动物胃肠道微生物学和微生物组领域的颠覆性技术。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project will transform the fields of gastrointestinal human and animal microbiology and vastly increase our knowledge of their microbiome. Current sampling technology is limited to degraded stool samples and to invasive endoscope sampling that, in humans, cannot reach the distal small intestines. The technology developed here offers a non-invasive system for sampling gastrointestinal microbiota in their localized environment for discovery, characterization, medical research, diagnostics, and treatment never before possible. There will potentially be a new paradigm in human and animal health for microbiome research and commercial applications. Initial application focus will be on the unmet needs of human gastroenterology and the human microbiome.This I-Corps project further develops a non-invasive ingestible, non-digestible capsule used to sample digestive tract microbiome. It is placed inside an immediate or delayed release outer capsule. When the outer capsule dissolves according to its specifications, enteric fluid and content enters the sampling capsule through its ports triggering a hydrophilic stop to release a pulling force, closing the ports, capturing the sample, holding it sealed until it completes passage through the digestive track, and recovered from the feces for analysis. The novel capsule device has a competitive advantage because it can take samples in their localized environment and it can access the restrictive areas of the small intestines. The capsule technology has the potential to be a disruptive technology for the field of gastrointestinal human and animal microbiology and the microbiome.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.