Researchers from the University of Buffalo are developing a unique and safe method to examine the intestines using nanoparticles.
The new technique will use nanoparticles suspended in liquid form or 'nanojuice' that patients would drink. After the liquid reaches the small intestine, researchers would strike the nanoparticles in the juice with laser light, which would give a more clear and real-time view of the organ.
"Conventional imaging methods show the organ and blockages, but this method allows you to see how the small intestine operates in real time," corresponding author Jonathan Lovell, PhD, UB assistant professor of biomedical engineering, said in a press release. "Better imaging will improve our understanding of these diseases and allow doctors to more effectively care for people suffering from them."
The small intestine in humans is around 23 feet long and 1 inch thick and is located between the stomach and the large intestine making it difficult to examine.
Researchers said the technique will help diagnose irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, Crohn's disease and other gastrointestinal illnesses.
Although the tests were done on mice models, researchers said they plan to refine the technique to suit human subjects in clinical trials.
At present, doctors tell patients to drink a thick liquid called barium for small intestine examination. They then use X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasounds to examine the organ. However, these techniques are inadequate, with some illnesses still not being diagnosed. Peristalsis, which is contraction of muscles that pushes food through the small intestine, cannot be imaged. Dysfunction of these movements might also be due to thyroid disorders, diabetes and Parkinson's disease.
The study findings were published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
