New project aims to revolutionise digestive disease diagnosis with wireless technology

8 Oct 2024

Researchers at University College Cork (UCC) and Tyndall National Institute are spearheading a pioneering new project named SaorTrack, designed to enhance the diagnosis of digestive diseases through more precise intestinal tract examination technology.

SaorTrack aims to make capsule endoscopy the standard of care for digestive disease diagnostics in Europe by solving the problem of capsule localisation. Its innovative wireless tracking technology overcomes the limitations of existing capsule endoscopy leading to improved patient outcomes.  

The team, led by Professor Pádraig Cantillon-Murphy, School of Engineering and Architecture, UCC and Tyndall National Institute, includes experts in engineering and circuit design from Tyndall.

In Europe, over 332 million people live with a digestive disorder, accounting for 10% of all hospital discharges. Consequently, demand for digestive disease screening is predicted to increase as Europe's population ages.

Digestive diseases are typically diagnosed by CT scan followed by diagnostic endoscopy or colonoscopy. Both endoscopy and colonoscopy are tethered and limited by the length of the instrument leaving large lengths of the gastrointestinal tract inaccessible.

Capsule endoscopy, which uses a small swallowable camera pill to visualise the patient's gut, is popular with patients but has not replaced diagnostic endoscopy due to insufficient location accuracy and video coverage. As a result, most capsule endoscopy patients still undergo subsequent endoscopy or colonoscopy.

SaorTrack addresses this by using the first on-chip sensor for magnetic navigation with advanced wireless communication to provide real-time location tracking inside the intestines.

Professor Pádraig Cantillon-Murphy explains: 

“High-accuracy wireless tracking can transform existing clinical applications of magnetic tracking such as electrophysiology (EP) mapping of the beating heart by dramatically reducing wire clutter in the Operating Room and simplifying the clinical workflow.

Our wireless position navigation design can seamlessly integrate with existing technology solutions to provide highly accurate localisation of abnormalities within the colon, resulting in more precise and faster diagnosis”.   

Unlike current capsules that provide video feeds without mapping to the patient’s anatomy, SaorTrack’s technology promises faster and more accurate diagnoses of abnormalities, enhancing patient care and transforming clinical workflows. 

The project has secured €150,000 in funding from the European Research Council (ERC). A business advisory team, specialising in medtech navigation and diagnostics, is leading SaorTrack’s commercial strategy and aiding in technology licensing. Additionally, a clinical advisory team of leading experts in gastroenterology and surgery will provide clinical direction throughout the project.