By Battery Power Online Staff
February 5, 2026 | MIT engineers have developed SAFARI, an ingestible pill sensor system designed to address medication nonadherence—a critical healthcare problem affecting 50% of patients with chronic diseases and costing the U.S. healthcare system over $500 billion annually, according to the World Health Organization.
The research team, led by Giovanni Traverso, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT and gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, published their proof-of-concept study in Nature Communications (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-67551-5). The work was conducted by Mehmet Say, Ph.D., an electrical engineer and research scientist now at Chalmers University in Sweden, along with co-author Peter Chai, M.D., an emergency medicine physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
SAFARI uses fully biodegradable materials and RFID technology to confirm when patients swallow their medication. The device incorporates a novel cellulose-metal particle Faraday cage coating that breaks down in the stomach, releasing both the drug and a bioresorbable antenna that transmits signals to a wearable receiver, such as a necklace.
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The current prototype faces a critical limitation in signal range and reliability. Testing in swine models positioned the receiver antenna about 20 centimeters (eight inches) from the stomach, but the signal strength isn’t sufficient for consistent real-world application.
Researchers are developing a purpose-built biodegradable battery to generate a more powerful and reliable signal. This battery has been under development in the Traverso lab for two years and leverages proven applications from cardiac pacemakers. The key engineering challenge is ensuring the battery remains stable in the harsh gastrointestinal environment while safely degrading over time.
According to Say, a paper demonstrating this enhanced capability with the integrated biodegradable battery is expected to be published within a few months. This advancement is crucial because most existing ingestible sensors use non-degradable components that must be excreted intact, posing safety risks and environmental concerns.
The team is also pursuing clinical trials with targeted patient groups, including HIV and tuberculosis patients, and seeking grant funding for additional studies at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
