In Vivo Wireless Sensors for Gut Microbiome Redox Monitoring

TL;DR

This paper introduces a wireless implantable sensor for real-time, in vivo measurement of gut redox states, enabling better understanding of microbiome-related health and disease processes.

Contribution

It presents a novel, robust, ultrasonic-powered implant capable of long-term gut redox monitoring in live animals, advancing in vivo microbiome research tools.

Findings

Successfully measured gut ORP for 12 days in rats

Engineered durable sensor electronics and encapsulation

Demonstrated potential for disease diagnosis and treatment

Abstract

A perturbed gut microbiome has recently been linked with multiple disease processes, yet researchers currently lack tools that can provide in vivo, quantitative, and real-time insight into these processes and associated host-microbe interactions. We propose an in vivo wireless implant for monitoring gastrointestinal tract redox states using oxidation-reduction potentials (ORP). The implant is powered and conveniently interrogated via ultrasonic waves. We engineer the sensor electronics, electrodes, and encapsulation materials for robustness in vivo, and integrate them into an implant that endures autoclave sterilization and measures ORP for 12 days implanted in the cecum of a live rat. The presented implant platform paves the way for long-term experimental testing of biological hypotheses, offering new opportunities for understanding gut redox pathophysiology mechanisms, and facilitating translation to disease diagnosis and treatment applications.