has designed an ingestible, expanding pill

設計了一種可攝取進體內的膨脹藥丸，

that can monitor the stomach for up to a month,

它可以監控胃部達一個月的時間，

potentially tracking cancers, ulcers

可能可以追蹤癌症、潰瘍

and other GI conditions.

和其他胃腸道疾病。

Soft and squishy, it's made from two types of hydrogels,

藥丸既柔軟又濕黏，以兩種水凝膠製成，

the combination of which enables the pill to quickly swell

而水凝膠的組合使藥丸迅速膨脹，

while remaining impervious

同時能在胃部的酸性環境中

to the stomach's acidic environment.

保持不受影響。

If the patient needs to remove the pill,

如果患者需要取出藥丸，

they can simply drink a solution of calcium ions

他們只要飲用比全脂牛奶

containing more calcium than whole milk

鈣含量更多的鈣離子溶液，

that triggers the pill to quickly shrink back

這會觸發藥丸迅速收縮回

to its original size and pass safely out of the body.

原來的大小並安全地排出體外。

This hydrogel based design is softer, more bio-compatible

這種以水凝膠為基底的設計比目前

and longer lasting than current ingestible sensors,

可攝取進體內的傳感器更柔軟、更俱生物相容性並且更耐用，

typically made of hard plastics or metals

而一般的傳感器是由硬塑料或金屬製成，

which are quite stiff in comparison

與胃腸道相比顯得

to the gastrointestinal tract.

十分堅硬。

The inner material of the design

這款設計的內部材料

are super absorbent hydrogel particles

是具有極強吸水力的水凝膠顆粒，

that are used in commercial products such as diapers

這種顆粒因其迅速吸收液體的能力，

for their ability to soak up liquid quickly.

會被用於像是尿布這類的商品。

The second protective hydrogel layer was designed

第二層的保護性水凝膠層是設計用來

to encapsulate the fast swelling particles.

把快速溶脹的顆粒封進內部的。

The outer membrane is made from a multitude

膜的外層由多個

of nanoscopic crystalline chains, each folded over another

奈米級晶體鏈製成，每個晶體鏈皆以幾乎不可穿透的網格狀

in a nearly impenetrable gridlock pattern.

彼此摺疊著。

To test the inflatability of the design,

為了測試此款設計的膨脹性，

researchers dumped the material in various solutions

研究人員將其材料倒進各種

of water and fluid resembling gastric juices.

類似胃液的水和液體溶液中。

They found the pill inflated

他們發現藥丸

up to a hundred times its original size in about 15 minutes,

在大約15分鐘內膨脹到其原始大小的一百倍，

much faster than existing expandable hydrogels.

速度比現有的可膨脹水凝膠快得多。

To test the pill's toughness,

為了測試藥丸的堅韌度，

the researchers mechanically squeezed it thousands of times

研究人員用比藥丸可能會在胃部經歷的常規收縮

at forces greater than the pill would ever experience

大上一千倍的力量

for regular contractions in the stomach.

機械式地去擠壓它。

They found the design is both soft like tofu or jello

他們發現這款設計像豆腐或果凍一樣柔軟，

but extremely robust.

卻極度堅固耐用。

Finally, to show their ability

最後，為了要展現其

to track environmental changes in the stomach,

追蹤胃部環境變化的能力，

the researchers embedded

研究人員在設計中嵌入了

within their design a small commercial temperature sensor

一個小型工業用溫度傳感器，

which allows them to accurately

這能讓他們準確

and remotely track activity patterns within the body

並遠程追踪身體內的活動模式，

for up to 30 days.

最久可達30天。

Down the road, the researchers envision the pill

在未來，研究人員預期這款藥丸

may safely deliver a number of different sensors

可以安全地傳遞許多不同的傳感器

to the stomach to monitor for instance pH levels

到胃部去監測像是酸鹼值

or signs of certain bacteria or viruses.

或者某些細菌或病毒的徵兆。

Tiny cameras may also be able to be embedded into the design

隨著時間的發展，微型相機也許可以嵌入此款設計，

to image the progress of tumors or ulcers over time.

以令腫瘤或潰瘍的進程成像。