One of the leading centers in gastroenterology in the world has concluded a clinical trial to investigate the use of a remote monitoring device and app to help clinicians in the diagnosis of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
The trial was conducted at the John Hopkins Medicine led by Prof Jay Pasricha M.D., who sought to validate using FoodMarbles portable hydrogen breath tester to aid in diagnosing SIBO. They are also trying to know if the collection of real-world longitudinal data can assist in attaining a more accurate diagnosis of SIBO.
FoodMarble AIRE is a personal digestive tracker. It is a commercially available personal hydrogen test device that connects through Bluetooth to a smartphone app that provides instant results and assists users in optimizing their diet with the use of long-standing clinical technology but in a handheld personal device.
This shift toward patient-centered, technology-driven solutions is paving the way for a future where medical diagnostics are not only more efficient but also more convenient for both clinicians and patients. Similarly, advancements in patient safety technologies, such as those developed by RightBio Metrics, are transforming critical care. Accurate NG tube placement remains a significant challenge in healthcare, with misplacement leading to severe complications, including lung injury and improper medication administration.
RightBio Metrics addresses this issue with its RightSpotpH® Indicator, an FDA-cleared device that ensures accurate tube positioning through pH testing. By integrating innovative, non-invasive technologies into routine clinical practice, healthcare providers can enhance patient safety while reducing reliance on outdated methods like auscultation, which have been linked to misdiagnoses and adverse outcomes.
AIRE is a portable device that allows users to collect huge amounts of valuable data from the comfort of their homes. Digital health and data collection can be of assistance to doctors’ diagnosis, treatment, and the continuous management of the health of a patient.
SIBO is a very common disorder where excessive bacteria is resent in the small intestine. Colonic fermentation occurs naturally during the digestive process, however, for people with SIBO, the bacteria that are not properly laced start to rapidly ferment the contents of most of the meals that are recently eaten. This causes a variety of debilitating symptoms which include altered bowel movements, bloating, nausea, and abdominal pain. The real prevalence of SIBO in the general population is not known. Some studies estimate that it occurs in u to 15% of healthy individuals. It is also highly linked with a lot of other common clinical conditions which include irritable bowel syndrome, where 40-80% of IBS patients have SIBO.
Results
The AIRE test shows a performance that exceeds that of the mail-in LHBT kit and it’s said to be superior. The AIRE test showed positive results in every instance that the mail-in LHBT shows negative. However, the AIRE test showed two more positive instances where the mail-in LHBT kit did not.
The AIRE allows real-time measurement of breath Hydrogen which is valuable because Hydrogen is highly diffusive and can leak out of sample collection bags.
It was also concluded the AIRE device enables real-time meal-related breath testing and symptom logging and the direct and immediate measurement of breath samples is recommended.
Aonghus Shortt, co-founder & CEO of FoodMarble added: “We have witnessed a clamor for greater access to SIBO testing from those who suspect that they may be affected. This has translated into growing interest from gastroenterologists, especially during a time when they often cannot see their patients in person and must rely on telehealth and remote monitoring. We strongly believe that tracking the response to multiple meals over several days, instead of a single-snapshot test, can better reflect typical digestive processes and support a better diagnosis. To see our technology clinically validated is extremely satisfying. We will continue to develop and help validate new tools for clinicians, which will ultimately help patients overcome debilitating and harmful conditions.”
