According to the AFP report on February 14, scientists have recently invented a new method to better treat intestinal problems. Instead of using any drugs, they use swallowable micro-robots - a rapidly developing research field. In the United States, according to the data of the health authorities, about 16 out of every 100 adults have constipation problems (less than three times a week), which increases with age. A research paper published in the British journal Nature Electronics on the 13th detailed the function of a pill: after the pill is swallowed, researchers can track its entire movement process, with an accuracy of 5 to 10 mm. Such a device can be used to identify which part of the digestive tract causes the intestinal transport speed to slow down, which is much simpler than going to the hospital for X-ray or colonoscopy. The co-author of the research paper and researcher of the California Institute of Technology, Saransh Sharma, said: "If such a small robot can be used to check the intestinal health, it will greatly help the gastrointestinal doctors who need to conduct a large number of invasive tests." Sharma explained that this will enable these doctors "to obtain a lot of information that is critical to the diagnosis process and treatment plan". The device consists of a cylindrical pill with a length of 20 mm and a diameter of 8 mm and a coil left in the body, which will emit electromagnetic fields. After the pill is swallowed, researchers will intercept unique electromagnetic values according to its distance. The value is then transmitted to the computer or mobile phone via Bluetooth, and the researchers can accurately determine the position of the pill. Finally, the researchers imagined that the coil could be placed in the patient's jacket or at the back of the toilet. Researchers tested the device on pigs. The anatomical structure of pigs is similar to that of humans. Sharma said that researchers hope to conduct human clinical trials "within a few years". Sharma believes that in addition to helping constipation patients, this method can also help the elderly with incontinence. The patient can swallow the pill together with food, and inform the patient to go to the toilet when the pill reaches the colon. These studies show that people are increasingly interested in the role of swallowable robots in the field of health. Sharma confirmed that this is "a very hot field". Last summer, the US Food and Drug Administration approved another pill for use. This pill is suitable for constipation patients who have not improved after taking laxatives for one month. This pill is called Vibrant, and its movement process cannot be tracked, but it has its own characteristics: it will vibrate in the colon. After being swallowed, the pill will be shut down for several hours, and will be activated only after reaching the correct position, producing intermittent small vibration, and then discharged with the stool. According to the design, this pill should be taken once a day. The treatment method was tested in a clinical trial involving about 300 people. The results showed that people who took this pill went to the toilet more often. The Israeli company that sells the product said that since the beginning of 2023, Vibrant has been listed in some states of the United States and is expected to be promoted in more places within the year. (New