UC San Diego

Information related to the diverse and dynamic metabolite composition of the small intestine is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. However, our current understanding of the physiochemical dynamics of metabolic processes within the small intestine is limited due to the lack of in situ access to the intestinal environment. Here, we report a demonstration of a battery-free ingestible biosensing system for monitoring metabolites in the small intestine. As a proof of concept, we monitor the intestinal glucose dynamics on a porcine model. Battery-free operation is achieved through a self-powered glucose biofuel cell/biosensor integrated into a circuit that performs energy harvesting, biosensing, and wireless telemetry via a power-to-frequency conversion scheme using magnetic human body communication. Such long-term biochemical analysis could potentially provide critical information regarding the complex and dynamic small intestine metabolic profiles.