Researchers have developed an early-stage robotic device designed to examine the small intestine more easily than current methods allow. Inspired by the movement of snakes, the soft robot successfully moved through sections of small intestine in laboratory testing while carrying out imaging, tissue sampling and fluid delivery. The technology could eventually help doctors investigate and treat conditions such as Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as bleeding and small growths in the small intestine.
Why the small intestine is hard to examine
The small intestine is around six metres long, tightly coiled and lined with a slippery inner surface, which makes it one of the most difficult parts of the digestive system to reach with standard instruments. Doctors currently use a technique called double-balloon enteroscopy, which involves inflating small balloons on a long tube to gradually move the device through the intestine. According to the research team, this method works but is technically demanding, takes a long time to perform, and relatively few specialists are trained to carry it out, which limits how many people can be examined.
What the researchers reported
The research, published in the journal Science Robotics and led by scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), describes a prototype called BIOSENTER. The device is a flexible, hollow tube just under nine centimetres long. Air-filled chambers inside it allow the robot to bend and extend in a way that mimics snake muscle movement, while textured outer sleeves, inspired by snake skin and a paper-folding technique called kirigami, grip gently onto the intestinal lining to help the robot move forward without needing to stretch the tissue as much as current balloon-based devices do.
In laboratory testing, the device was guided by researchers using a hand-held controller and travelled through almost two metres of small intestine tissue in around eleven minutes. During this test, the team reported that the robot carried out imaging, took a tissue sample and delivered fluid to a specific point, all without causing visible damage to the tissue.
The researchers noted that the device has not yet been tested in humans, and that this work remains preclinical, meaning it was carried out using intestinal tissue rather than in patients.
Why this matters for people with digestive conditions
If this technology can eventually be developed further, the researchers suggest it could make it easier for clinicians to reach and examine parts of the small intestine that are currently difficult to access, which may be relevant for people living with Crohn’s disease, unexplained bleeding, or small growths that need to be checked or removed. The research team said their long-term aim is to make these examinations safer, quicker and more widely available.
What to keep in mind
This remains early-stage research, and considerable further work is needed before the device could be tested in people. The study authors said future steps will include testing the robot over longer distances, assessing its safety and ease of use, and comparing it directly with current enteroscopy methods. It is not yet known whether the technology will prove suitable, safe or effective for use in patients, and it is not currently available as a clinical option.
Reference
Ying B, et al. Bioinspired soft enteroscopic robot for intestinal locomotion, steering, and intervention. Science Robotics. 2026. doi:10.1126/scirobotics.adt2230.
This article is a journalistic summary for informational purposes only. It does not constitute clinical advice or a recommendation to alter treatment decisions.