Engineers are developing a bowel sensor intended to fight incontinence

Engineers from Heriot-Watt, Stirling, Manchester and Sheffield Hallam Universities, as well as the Glasgow School of Art, are developing a bowel sensor intended to fight incontinence by alerting people when they need to go to the toilet.

The eighteen-month project, which has received five-hundred thousand pounds of funding from the Medical Research Council and EPSRC, will require close work with clinicians and patients on the platform and sensor to ensure it meets essential requirements.

Dr Michael Crichton, leader of the project team from Herriot-Watt, believes if the new approach to organ monitoring is prosperous, it could be applied to other illnesses and organs.

Dr Michael Crichton, leader of the project team from Herriot-Watt, stated: “The sensor will track the stool as it moves through the body and turn the data into an early warning system for the user. People’s lives are badly affected by faecal incontinence and it’s compounded by the fact that few people feel comfortable or confident to talk about the issue. Discreet digital technologies could help people monitor and manage their bowel condition and have more active confident lives.”

EPSRC Executive Chair, Professor Dame Lynn Gladden, stated: “Technologies and approaches pioneered by UK researchers have the potential to revolutionise treatment for a wide range of conditions, from bowel cancer to diabetes.”