Abstract: The present disclosure describes various aspects of devices, and methods of making and using the devices, for in vivo sensing of luminal concentration of a compound of interest within a gastrointestinal (GI) tract of a subject. An ingestible housing has an outer profile to pass through the subject's GI tract. A battery and a communication module are contained inside of the housing. A sensor is disposed on an outer surface of the housing. The sensor comprises one or more electrodes configured to contact luminal contacts of the subject's GI tract while the sensor is in motion traversing through the subject's GI tract. A plurality of electrical signals is controlled, and comprises attributes relating to a property of the compound of interest. A continuous output signal is received from the sensor, indicating an extent to which the compound of interest is present in the luminal contents.

Abstract: Ingestible capsule devices and methods of making these devices are presented. The device and method provide a capsule with embedded actuator for triggerable delivery of drug loaded structures, a freestanding region responsive bilayer (FRRB) comprising a rigid polyethylene glycol (PEG) layer under a flexible pH-responsive layer of methacrylic acid copolymers which protects capsule content until arrival in their target environment of the intestines. The actuator may be fabricated with a flexible cantilever to store mechanical energy and deploy when released using a heater and meltable polymer. The FRRB may be fabricated to form a multitude of shapes that provide functional packaging mechanisms for an underlying ingestible capsule with one or more features, such as openings or seams.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes various aspects of various devices, and methods of making and using the devices, for measuring bioimpedance of tissues within a patient's body, such as GI tract tissue. The devices entail using various implementations of capsules or other housings that allow for ingestion or other insertion into a body of the device, equipped with microfabricated sensors and embedded circuitry enabling wireless communication. Among other benefits, this approach addresses a gap in conventional GI tract monitoring devices and methods to non-invasively access the small intestine and directly measure the inflammatory state of intestinal tissue, including ischemia, edema, and mucosal abnormalities.

Abstract: A protective pad for mounting on a bicycle pedal provides comfort to a barefoot rider. The protective pad includes a pad member having a substantially flat surface for contact by the rider's foot and also includes a coupling extending from the pad member for detachable mounting of the pad member on at least one of the pedal's side members. The coupling includes a channel member formed of somewhat resilient material having opposed legs spaced-apart to define a slot. The slot receives the pedal side member with the opposed legs of the channel member frictionally engaging opposed surfaces of the side member.