Recently, researchers in China developed a novel, swallowable capsule that is magnetically guided within the gut to perform liquid biopsies. How the Capsule Robot WorksThe robot design is simultaneously simple and effective. By changing the orientation and strength of the applied magnetic field, researchers can direct the capsules and trigger the mechanism that draws in a liquid sample. “This mechanism would then expand the internally compressed flexible membrane chamber, creating negative pressure within the chamber that draws liquid into the capsule robot,” Song explains. In an isolated pig intestine, they show that the capsule can be effectively guided to desired locations using the magnetic field.