Toot Tracker Could End Horror Of Breaking Wind In Public

If unexpected gassy outbursts are a problem, a new ingestible electronic capsule could save you the horror of breaking wind in public. A group of researchers in Australia are conducting their first human tests on the capsule, which pairs with a pocket-sized receiver and a mobile phone app to track your toots in real time. So, basically, if you’re about to blow, you’ll know.

This isn't a junior high joke. The invention could make its way into your doctor's office in the near future, according to a team of researchers led by Kourosh Kalanter-Zadeh of RMIT University and Peter Gibson of Monash University. They announced their invention Monday in the journal Nature Electronics on Monday.

The readings from the device, previously tested on animals, could not only warn of the onset of flatulence, but also what foods are the most likely culprits.

“Being able to accurately measure the gastrointestinal gases should provide unique insight into the functionality of microbiota, and may enable the development of new diagnostic, therapeutic and monitoring procedures,” the researchers wrote in the abstract. “Food intake has been strongly linked to gas production and an accurate gas-sensing device could help in designing functional foods, leading to better colonic health and understanding of the of food on our bodies.”

Cracking the flatulence code was previously limited to cumbersome and messy methods that required the insertion of a tube, whole body calorimetry, in vitro incubation of fecal samples and beath tests, “each of which has its own advantages and drawbacks,” they wrote.

The researchers are encouraged about early results from the human trials.

“Our pilot trial illustrated the significant potential role for electronic-based gas-sensing capsules in understanding functional aspects of the intestine and its microbiota in health and in response to dietary changes,” they wrote. “The capsules provide a potentially powerful diagnostic technique, and could offer unique insights into the effects of diet and medical supplements. This might also translate into a monitoring tool that can be used to help develop individualized diets.”

Benjamin Terry, an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, wrote in an editorial accompanying the scientific publication that doctors could soon ask patients to pop the pill to measure the level of flatulence-producing gases.

“As the size and cost of electronics continues to decrease, it might not be too long before a routine healthcare visit involves a check of your vital signs and a request to swallow a tiny electronic monitoring device,” Terry wrote.

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