MSAL students published their new research on capsule development in the GI system on the Advanced Materials Technologies

Professor Reza Ghodssi’s (ECE/ISR) MEMS Sensors and Actuators Laboratory (MSAL) has published new research in the Dec. 4, 2022 issue of the journal Advanced Materials Technologies. “Thermomechanical Soft Actuator for Targeted Delivery of Anchoring Drug Deposits to the GI Tract” was written by Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. student Joshua Levy, Bioengineering Ph.D. student Michael Straker, Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. student Justin Stine, University of Maryland Research Associate Luke Beardslee, alum Vivian Borbash (ECE B.S. 2022), and Ghodssi. Ghodssi is the Ph.D. advisor for Levy, Straker and Stine; all are associated with the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices.

This new research demonstrates a compact mesoscale spring actuator that can anchor the capsule, allowing it to deliver a drug deposit to locations in the GI tract mucosa. The new mechanism works with existing ingestible capsule-based sensing and communication technologies and enables treatment based on detected GI biomarkers and external commands. With the ability to stay in place for a sustained period of time, the capsule can deliver multiple doses of medication as needed. (5 - December / 2022)