MIT Develops Ingestible Temperature Sensor

Engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a tiny, ingestible sensor, shaped like a blueberry, that can continuously monitor core body temperature from the GI tract. This sensor, significantly smaller than existing devices, aims to provide more accurate temperature readings than traditional oral or forehead thermometers. The research, led by Saransh Sharma and senior authors Giovanni Traverso and Anantha P. Chandrakasan, was published in Nature Electronics. The device is designed for safety and efficiency, featuring a customized 1-square-millimeter silicon chip, low power consumption (10 nanowatts), and a backscattering communication strategy. Potential applications include early infection detection in at-risk populations, fertility tracking, monitoring patients during anesthesia, and use by athletes or soldiers. The team plans to integrate other vital sign sensors and begin clinical trials in the coming years, with Giovanni Traverso suggesting it could eventually replace all thermometers due to its accuracy.