Discover your next big idea for life sciences at PACK EXPO Las Vegas
Experience a breakthrough in life sciences packaging—explore solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries, all in one place this September.

MIT Develops Digestible Origami Surgeon

A new medical device made from pig gut could be used to patch wounds, deliver medicine, or dislodge a foreign object in the stomach.

Origami Robot / Photo: Massachutes Institue of Technology Facebook
Origami Robot / Photo: Massachutes Institue of Technology Facebook

A Newsweek article dated July 19th introduced a medical device that could be the answer to retrieving foreign objects from a person’s stomach. The ingestible robot was developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the latest installment of their “origami robots."

Patients with stomach problems swallow the magnetic device, which is folded up and encapsulated in ice. When the ice melts in the stomach, the robot is released and unfolds to move about the stomach, controlled by joysticks that change the magnetic field. After performing the desired task, the robot dissolves and passes through the digestive system. Scientists tested several materials for the robot including rice paper and sugar paper before landing on the same pig intestine used for sausage casing, which has ideal structural properties for the application.

The robot has only been tested in a fabricated silicone stomach, and will need to pass animal and human trials before gaining approval from the FDA.

List: Digitalization Companies From PACK EXPO
Looking for CPG-focused digital transformation solutions? Download our editor-curated list from PACK EXPO featuring top companies offering warehouse management, ERP, digital twin, and MES software with supply chain visibility and analytics capabilities—all tailored specifically for CPG operations.
Download Now
List: Digitalization Companies From PACK EXPO
Researched List: Blister Machines for Life Sciences
Need a blister machine for life sciences packaging? Our curated list features companies serving pharmaceutical, medical device, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. Download to access company names, locations, machine specifications, descriptions, and more.
Download Now
Researched List: Blister Machines for Life Sciences