MIT Engineers Develop Vibrating Ingestible Capsule to Combat Obesity

Animal studies show a 40% reduction in food intake, paving the way for potential human clinical trials.

MIT engineers have developed an ingestible vibrating capsule that could potentially help treat obesity by creating a feeling of fullness.
The capsule works by vibrating within the stomach, activating stretch receptors that signal the brain to create a sense of satiety.
In animal studies, this treatment stimulated the release of hormones that signal fullness and reduced food intake by about 40 percent.
The capsule is designed to vibrate for about 30 minutes after arriving in the stomach, and passes through the digestive tract within four or five days.
The researchers plan to scale up the manufacturing of the capsules, which could enable clinical trials in humans.