Gut Probe in a Pill

By: Tara K
Inventor of the gut probe
- Guillermo Tearney, the inventor of the gut
probe created the device in order to better
diagnose gastrointestinal disorders in 2010.
- His technology was invented as a result of
his research using high resolution imaging
methods within the body.
- His findings has allowed him to create this
technology and eventually develop a
foundation dedicated to his research.
What is a gut probe?
- The pill sized probe was created as a result
of groundbreaking research at MIT in 2018.
- The gut probe is a pill sized device that can
be swallowed in order to monitor EED
(environmental enteric dysfunction) within a
person’s gut.
- EED is a disease in which a person’s
intestines become inflamed and can no
longer absorb nutrients, often leading to
malnutrition.
- This issue is prevalent in third world
countries.
How does the gut probe work?
- The pill sized probe is an alternative to both endoscopes and
fibre optic cables used during surgery to detect and treat
diseases within the gut.
- Unlike, an endoscope, patients do not need to be placed
under general anesthesia before swallowing the device.
- Once swallowed, the pill acts as a microscope that monitors
and captures videos of the intestines to better treat EED
- The pill sends the footage to a console with a monitor for
doctors to observe during the procedure.
- Doctors are able to pause the footage to better observe areas
of concern as well as diagnose patients.
- The pill is then pulled out using the thin cable attached.
Why use the gut probe?
- A pill sized gut probe causes relatively less
pain than an an endoscope or a fibre optic
cable as it can be done while the patient is
conscious.
- The probe is readily accessible to patients in
third world countries as it can be done without
the use of general anesthesia.
- Affordable for doctors in third world countries
that do not have access to medical resources
needed to treat gastrointestinal diseases.
- Probe has smaller models that can be used on
infants.
Additional purposes
- Tearney's probe has been beneficial
in diagnosing early stages of
esophageal cancer.
- Technology is also being geared
towards detecting crohn's disease.
- The foundation is currently working
on developing a model that can travel
through deeper layers of the intestinal
tissue.
Implications of the probe
- This invention has altered the way that
institutions such as healthcare go about
diagnosing and treating particular
diseases. They now have new technology
available to them in different countries.
-
- Impacts the institution of the economy as
it costs less to perform the procedure
using the pill sized gut probe as opposed
to undergoing surgical procedures. It acts
as an accessible tool for countries with
struggling economies.
Accessibility
- Once the probe has been removed from the
clinical trial period it will become accessible to
doctors in many different countries. As a result it
will become a common tool used for diagnosing
and treating EED, allowing for social change to
take place.
- Organizations such as doctors without borders
may be able to adapt the use of this technology
in the future.
- Tearney’s work should be made available to
healthcare institutions on a global level as it is
an efficient way to save lives.
Factors of Change
- According to the cultural lag theory the pill like probe
is currently in its beginning stages of phase three
regarding the acceptance model.
- The device is being recognized as a tool that can
treat disease however has not yet been diffused to all
areas of society; still needs to be integrated into
additional third world countries.
- Once the probe becomes a well-known method of
treating EDD it will have successfully been integrated
into society
Factors of Change cont.
- Technological Determinism acts as a factor of a
social change. The invention of this technology has
been has been used purposes beyond its intended
purpose.
- Despite being invented for EDD it has
unintentionally created a new method of diagnosing
cancer. In addition, the probe will soon be able to
detect crohn's disease. This proves that the
equipment has taken on its “own life” since being
invented and is now out of the individual’s control.
Video

https://youtu.be/Qp96XDyOtBU
Works Cited

10 breakthrough technologies 2019. (2019, February 27).

Retrieved July 26, 2019, from
https://www.technologyreview.com/lists/technologies/201
9/

502 Bad Gateway. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2019, from

https://giving.massgeneral.org/helmsley-tearney-grant/

About Prof. Tearney. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2019, from

https://www.tearneylab.org/about-prof-tearney.html

The Tearney Lab. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2019, from

https://www.tearneylab.org