Imagine swallowing a tiny pill-like microrobot that travels through the stomach, reaches the intestine, collects microbes and molecules, and then leaves the body. What once sounded like science fiction is now real. Researchers at IIT Delhi have developed an ingestible device that can sample bacteria directly from the small intestine, opening a new window into the human gut microbiome.
Not all bacteria are harmful. Nearly half of all cells in the human body are microbial. These organisms line our gut and help us digest food, regulate mood, and build immunity. Yet studying them has remained difficult. Existing tools are invasive, such as endoscopy or ileostomy, or indirect, relying on stool samples that do not truly reflect conditions higher up in the digestive tract.
Researchers at IIT Delhi, in collaboration with AIIMS New Delhi, have developed a groundbreaking ingestible microdevice that can collect bacterial samples directly from the small intestine — something that has never been possible non-invasively until now.
The innovation opens a new window into understanding the human gut microbiome, which plays a crucial role in digestion, immunity, mood regulation, and overall health.
Why This Device Is a Big Breakthrough
Studying gut bacteria has always been difficult. Current tools such as endoscopy or ileostomy are highly invasive, while stool tests cannot accurately show what is happening inside the upper digestive tract. This new device — a pill-sized capsule — changes that. Once swallowed, the device remains sealed in the stomach but automatically opens when it reaches the small intestine. It collects intestinal fluid and microbial samples, then safely seals itself again before exiting the body naturally. This allows scientists to obtain species-level microbial data without causing any discomfort or damage.
How the Microdevice Works
The prototype developed by IIT Delhi’s Medical Microdevices and Medicine Laboratory (3MLab) features:
- Swallowable, non-invasive design
A tiny pill-sized device that can be safely swallowed, replacing invasive gut-sampling procedures.
- Smart activation inside the body
It stays closed in the stomach due to acidic pH levels, and opens only in the small intestine where pH is higher.
- Autonomous sampling
The device collects luminal fluid and bacteria through a built-in inlet and then automatically reseals to protect the sample.
- Safe exit & detailed analysis
It passes naturally out of the body, allowing researchers to retrieve intact samples for precision microbiome analysis.
What Researchers Say
Prof. Sarvesh Kumar Srivastava, Principal Investigator at IIT Delhi, said that the project aims to explore the “hidden universe of microbes inside the human body,” comparing it to sending rovers into outer space.
Dr. Saamagra Agarwal from AIIMS, co-senior author of the study, said the device could revolutionise the understanding of diseases originating in the small intestine, helping with:
- early disease detection
- monitoring chronic gut disorders
- improved personalised treatments
The device has been validated in animals using a microcapsule no larger than a grain of rice, and showed successful sample collection without inflammation or tissue injury.
What’s Next?
Researchers plan to further advance the technology and begin human clinical trials after obtaining regulatory approvals. They hope this device will eventually help Indian patients receive “deep, real-time insights” into their gut health — without the pain or risks of invasive procedures.
