A groundbreaking innovation from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) is poised to revolutionize the treatment of gastrointestinal injuries. Researchers have created the first pill-sized, ingestible bioprinter that can be guided through the digestive tract to directly repair damaged tissue. This technology promises a future where complex internal wounds can be healed non-invasively, without the need for traditional surgery.
The problem: The limits of current GI tract treatments
Injuries to the soft tissues of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as ulcers, perforations, or hemorrhages, are notoriously difficult to treat. The current standard of care often involves:
Endoscopic Procedures: Using a flexible tube threaded down the throat, which can be uncomfortable and has limited capability for complex repairs.
Laparoscopic Surgery: Minimally invasive keyhole surgery through the abdomen, which still requires incisions and anesthesia.
Open Surgery: A highly invasive last resort with significant recovery times.
These methods are not only intrusive but may also fail to provide a permanent, scaffolded solution that encourages natural tissue regeneration.
The convergence of two technologies: A new solution emerges
The EPFL team's breakthrough comes from merging two cutting-edge fields of medical technology.
In-Situ Bioprinting: This technique involves depositing a biocompatible "bio-ink"—typically made from natural polymers like alginate (from seaweed) or gelatin—directly onto a wound. This ink forms a 3D scaffold that protects the injury and promotes new cell growth. However, traditional bioprinters are large, external machines used in operating rooms.
Untethered Smart Capsules: Inspired by pill cameras, these ingestible devices can be guided through the body using external magnets to deliver drugs to a specific site. Yet, their movement becomes unreliable when they need to make direct contact with tissue walls, a requirement for printing.
"By combining the principles of in-situ bioprinters with the drug release concepts of smart capsules, we can envision a new class of device: a pill-sized, swallowable bioprinter," says Vivek Subramanian, head of the Laboratory for Advanced Fabrication Technologies at EPFL.
Introducing MEDS: The pill that prints
The team's solution is the Magnetic Endoluminal Deposition System (MEDS). This ingestible device is the culmination of their innovative approach.
Design and Mechanism: MEDS is designed like a miniature, high-tech ballpoint pen. It contains a chamber filled with bio-ink and a spring-plunger mechanism. With no onboard electronics needed, the release is activated by an external near-infrared laser beam that safely penetrates body tissues to trigger the mechanism.
Guidance and Control: Once activated, the capsule is steered with remarkable precision by an external magnet mounted on a robotic arm, allowing a clinician to "paint" the bio-ink directly onto the wound site.
The Bio-Ink: The living gel is more than just a filler. It can be loaded with a patient's own cells, growth factors, or medication to actively accelerate the healing process.
As detailed in their recent publication in Advanced Science, the EPFL team has successfully demonstrated MEDS's capabilities:
In-Lab Success: The device effectively repaired artificial ulcers of various sizes and sealed simulated hemorrhages on gastric tissue models.
In-Vivo Validation: In experiments conducted at an accredited US animal research facility, researchers used MEDS to deposit bio-ink within the gastric tracts of rabbits. The capsule was tracked and guided using x-ray fluoroscopy and could be retrieved orally after the procedure.
A "Micro-Bioreactor": The printed bio-ink structure was shown to be durable. PhD student Sanjay Manoharan notes, "In our controlled lab experiments, our cell-laden bio-ink retained its structural integrity for over 16 days, suggesting its potential as a 'micro-bioreactor' that can release growth factors and recruit new cells for wound healing."
The future of non-invasive medicine
The implications of this technology are profound. MEDS represents a foundational step towards a new modality of medical intervention where repairs are performed from inside the body with minimal disruption.
The research team is already planning the next steps. Future work will focus on validating the long-term healing effects in living models and extending the device's capabilities to navigate and repair tissues in other areas, such as blood vessels and the abdominal wall (peritoneum).
While more research is needed before human trials can begin, the ingestible bioprinter stands as a powerful symbol of a future where the most advanced medical repairs come in a simple, swallowable form.
References
S. Manoharan and V. Subramanian, “A Pill That Prints-An Ingestible Bioprinter for Non-Invasive Structured Bioink Deposition.” Advanced Science (2025): e12411. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202512411