A new Brazilian magnetic tracking technology aims to provide real-time, radiation-free evaluation of gastrointestinal transit in outpatient settings, potentially expanding access to functional testing for common digestive disorders.

The evaluation of gastrointestinal motility continues to pose a clinical challenge. Scintigraphy, capsule endoscopy, and manometry are expensive, are concentrated in major centers, and, in some cases, rely on ionizing radiation. As a result, patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders often remain insufficiently evaluated despite the high prevalence of these conditions.

Speaking with Medscape’s Portuguese edition, Fabiano Paixão, PhD, professor at the Federal University of São Paulo in São Paulo, Brazil, said there is frustration with currently available methods. The current gold standard relies on nuclear medicine, which is costly, involves radiation, and is unavailable to most patients. “Our goal has always been to make this type of diagnosis possible in the outpatient clinic without sacrificing accuracy.”

With this objective, their team developed a magnetic tracer system capable of tracking gastrointestinal transit in real time without radiation exposure.

The technology was developed by the startup PaixMEDICAL with support from the São Paulo Research Foundation’s Innovative Research in Small Businesses Program. It may soon become a commercial product with the potential to reach international markets.

How the System Works

The system functioned as a tracking device. The patient swallows a capsule containing a small magnetic marker made of an inert ferromagnetic material without batteries or electronic components. As the capsule moves naturally through the digestive tract, sensors placed on the abdomen detect the magnetic field generated by the marker and calculate its position in real time.

The key innovation lies not simply in identifying the marker’s location but in analyzing how it moves. This allows the measurement of transit velocity, segmental residence time, and progression patterns, which are the core parameters required to assess motility and gastric emptying.

After completing its function, the capsule is naturally excreted in the stool. No adverse effects have been reported to date.

Overcoming a Long-Standing Barrier

The concept of tracking magnetic markers in the gastrointestinal tract is not new. Since the 1990s, researchers have explored this approach for evaluating motility and transit. However, cost has been a major obstacle.

Earlier systems required superconducting magnetometers, complex equipment dependent on cryogenic cooling, and expensive infrastructure, which limited their use in research laboratories.

The distinguishing feature of Brazilian technology is its ability to bypass this barrier. “We reduced the cost from thousands of dollars to a few dozen dollars per sensor while maintaining detection sensitivity,” Paixão said. The system was designed to be portable and functional without specialized infrastructure, opening the possibility of its use in outpatient clinics and ambulatory care settings.

Additional practical advantages include the ability to repeat examinations as often as needed without radiation exposure; adapt the magnetic marker to different formulations such as tablets, capsules, or liquid solutions depending on the clinical question; and monitor patients longitudinally with serial functional measurements.

Clinical Impact and Caution

The innovation has generated cautious enthusiasm among gastroenterologists. Maria do Carmo Friche Passos, MD, specialist in gastroenterology, member of the Brazilian Federation of Gastroenterology, and retired associate professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, who completed a postdoctoral fellowship in gastroenterology at Harvard Medical School, said the technology addresses a long-standing gap.

“Today, we face major difficulties in studying intestinal motility. Scintigraphy is largely restricted to gastric emptying; capsule endoscopy does not assess motility; and intestinal manometry is complex, time-consuming, insufficiently sensitive, and limited to research centers,” she said.

If the diagnostic performance is confirmed, the impact could be substantial. “If safety, sensitivity, and specificity are validated, this would represent a major advance in the study of motor disorders throughout the digestive tract,” Passos said. However, she emphasized the need for caution. “Digestive motility varies widely between individuals. Interpretations must be extremely precise, which is why I still consider it premature to recommend the device for routine clinical use.”

Tomaz Massayuki Tanaka, MD, PhD, professor at the State University of Western Paraná in Cascavel, Brazil, sees a specific role for the magnetic marker within gastrointestinal diagnostics. “I see applications mainly in neuromotor esophageal disorders, evaluation of gastric emptying, and colonic inertia,” he said. “The major advantages are that it does not require radiation or oral contrast, offers good accessibility, and is likely to be low cost. It is a functional method. It does not provide morphological assessment, which limits its standalone use.”

Accordingly, the new tool is not intended to replace structural imaging studies but may complement them strategically, particularly when the clinical question is functional, such as transit time and motility patterns, and when reducing reliance on complex infrastructure is desirable.

Next Steps

The system is in the final stages of development, and clinical studies are expected to begin this year in accordance with the regulatory requirements of Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency and the FDA.

“It is essential that the studies are methodologically rigorous, include a substantial number of patients, and that results are replicated across different regions of Brazil and internationally,” Passos said. “If that is achieved, I have no doubt the device will be incorporated into both Brazil’s public health system and private healthcare.”

Daniela Barros is a journalist from Brazil, specializing in social journalism at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, and a master’s student in the Department of Social Medicine at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. She has been involved in medicine for 23 years and has contributed to several specialized publications.

This story was translated from Medscape’s Portuguese edition.