Improvements in ingestible electronics with the capacity to sense physiological and pathophysiological states have transformed the standard of care for patients. Yet, despite advances in device development, significant risks associated with solid, non-flexible gastrointestinal transiting systems remain. Here, we report the design and use of an ingestible, flexible piezoelectric device that senses mechanical deformation within the gastric cavity. We demonstrate the capabilities of the sensor in both in vitro and ex vivo simulated gastric models, quantify its key behaviours in the gastrointestinal tract using computational modelling and validate its functionality in awake and ambulating swine. Our proof-of-concept device may lead to the development of ingestible piezoelectric devices that might safely sense mechanical variations and harvest mechanical energy inside the gastrointestinal tract for the diagnosis and treatment of motility disorders, as well as for monitoring ingestion in bariatric applications.

能够感知生理和病理生理状态的可摄取电子设备的改进已经改变了患者的护理标准。然而，尽管装置开发取得了进步，但是与坚固的，非柔性的胃肠道转运系统相关的重大风险仍然存在。在这里，我们报告可消化的，柔性的压电装置的设计和使用，该装置可感知胃腔内的机械变形。我们展示了传感器在体外和离体模拟胃模型中的功能，使用计算模型量化了其在胃肠道中的关键行为，并验证了其在清醒和行走的猪中的功能。