VM Pill (sensor for monitoring sleep disorders)

2023: Product Announcement

On November 17, 2023, US researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced the development of a swallowed VM Pill capsule to track vital signs of the body, such as breathing intensity and heart rate. A smart "pill" will help in monitoring sleep disorders and diagnosing potentially dangerous conditions.

Experts say that various sleep disorders, such as obstructive apnea syndrome, can lead to negative consequences. At the same time, respiratory depression provoked by opioids can cause death or cause complications associated with hypoxia. The VM Pill makes it easier to track these conditions.

VM Pill

A swallowed sensor from the gastrointestinal tract detects small body vibrations due to breathing and beating of the heart. The built-in wireless communication controller transmits the obtained indicators to an external device, for example, a computer. This allows you to monitor the patient's condition without using wired systems and traditional sensors. Moreover, a person can be in his natural environment, for example, at home, and not in a clinic, thanks to which maximum objectivity is achieved.

The researchers showed that VM Pill can correctly detect the moment of respiratory arrest in patients with apnea and track the respiratory rate with an accuracy of 92.7%. At the same time, the accuracy of heart rate counting is at least 96%. In addition, it has been established that the device is safely and naturally excreted from the body within a few days. In the future, the developers intend to endow a smart pill with additional functions, in particular, the ability to deliver drugs.^[1]

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