---
title: "Swallow a Small Device and It’ll Scrape Your Gut Bacteria for Signs of Trouble"
description: "A new edible device could supplement colonoscopies. Swallow it and it will make its way downtown, scooping up gut bacteria to study any problem areas."
date: "2020-08-12"
modified: "2020-08-12"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/swallow-device-scrape-gut-bacteria"
categories:
  - "Bacteria"
  - "Health & Medicine"
  - "Medical"
  - "Pathogens"
  - "Prosthetics and Devices"
tags:
  - "colonoscopy"
  - "edible technology"
  - "medicine"
---

# Swallow a Small Device and It’ll Scrape Your Gut Bacteria for Signs of Trouble

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/small-device-scrape-gut-bacteria-trouble.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Image via Purdue University. \</em\>*

Colonoscopies are crucial for investigating colorectal health, but doctors can only travel so far before they have to turn back.

To help them see the *rest* of the gastrointestinal tract, scientists from Purdue University built a small device that goes in the other end (to be clear: your mouth) and samples gut bacteria as it makes its way downtown.

The device, as [described in research](<https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/RA/C9RA10986B#!divAbstract>) published earlier this year in the journal *RSC Advances*, is capable of scraping bacteria from any trouble spots it encounters on its descent. It works by dissolving once it reaches the acidity level of a predetermined part of the gastrointestinal tract, revealing an absorbent, diaper-like material that sponges up bacterial samples before continuing onward.

That's an improvement over both traditional colonoscopies and even existing "[colonoscopy pills](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/poopbots-edible-tech-gastrable>)," the scientists say, because neither can actually examine bacteria beyond taking pictures.

"If a colonoscopy or camera pill sees blood, it can't sample that area to investigate further," Purdue engineer Rahim Rahimi [said in a press release](<https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200812161333.htm>). "You could just sample bacteria from a person's fecal matter, but bacteria can vary a lot throughout the GI tract. Our approach could be complementary."

To really drive that last point home: This new device, should it be approved for medical use, could serve as a supplement to colonoscopies. It's not by any means an excuse to skip one.

For instance, a doctor might spot a potential medical issue while performing a routine examination, take some images, and then use this new device to further check out what's going on at a microbial level. It could also fill in the blanks for the regions of the gastrointestinal tract (read: most of it) that a colonoscopy can't reach.

It's nothing if not a solid example of what great iterative technology should accomplish: Putting an ideal solution (in this case, a much better understanding of our own health) slightly further within reach without purporting to do away with everything that came before.

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)