Wireless bioDevices

The company's first product, SensaPill, is set to revolutionise the early diagnosis of bowel cancer.

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer. Every year over half a million people die from the disease around the world. And yet, if caught early enough, it can be successfully treated.

SensaPill is a pill device containing a biosensor, electronics and a wireless transmitter. Once swallowed, the capsule is able to detect conditions inside the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract as it travels through, transmitting the real time measurements to a small external module attached to the body, before being excreted and discarded. The biosensor detects any bleeding inside the GI tract, which can be associated with a range of diseases, including ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cancer. By locating the source of bleeding, SensaPill is able to distinguish between these different conditions and, in particular, to detect the early signs of bowel cancer.

SensaPill overcomes two of the major problems with testing for bowel cancer. It does not require sample collection so is easy to use, making it more acceptable to patients. And by detecting any bleeding at source the device is highly sensitive.