A hard act to swallow: pill that’s really a thermometer
A NEW mini-thermometer that patients can swallow like a pill could improve survival rates in hospitals.
The e-Celsius is a wireless gadget the size of a typical drug capsule that acts as an early-warning system when a person’s temperature rises or drops to dangerous levels.
Experts predict that the ‘smart’ pill could prove lifesaving for frail people at risk of infection because of a weak immune system.
Those having hours-long surgery, such as organ transplants or heart operations, recovering in intensive care or suffering from infectious diseases could also benefit.
The mini temperature monitor may also transform how doctors manage chemotherapy drug side-effects.
Another use is in preventing patients developing hypothermia, where body temperature drops to below 35C.
‘It could save lives, improve patient care and save hospitals money by identifying problems before a patient becomes seriously ill,’ said Associate Professor Stephane Besnard, an expert in physiology at the University of Caen in Normandy, France.
‘In future, patients could also be given the smart pill, then be monitored at home, which cuts down on hospital stays.’
Instead of a nurse or doctor taking a temperature reading, the patient puts the electronic capsule in the mouth and swallows, and the smart pill passes down through the gut. As it travels through the body, the plastic-coated device measures body temperature with inbuilt sensors.
It sends information every 30 seconds to a hand-held computer monitor.
Measuring body temperature is a standard method for diagnosing illness and the smart pill can measure a range from 25 to 45C. For an adult, a normal temperature is about 37C.
Doctors pre-programme the device, before the patient swallows it, to send an alert when the temperature rises above normal. If the patient’s temperature becomes unsafe, data will show an alert on the monitor. The aim is to make this information available on a smartphone.
Elite athletes used the e-Celsius – a single-use device expelled from the body naturally after one to three days – at last year’s Rio Olympics.
Hospitals in the UK and the World Health Organisation are already using the gadget, and it has been approved for use in Europe and elsewhere.
Studies have shown that this method provides the most accurate temperature reading, compared to devices placed under the tongue or in an armpit.
Invented by French company BodyCap, the pill costs between £35 and £52.