DIGEST: Developing Insights into Gastro-intestinal Evaluation with non-invasive Sensing Technologies. A user-centric design exploration.

A sticky patch worn on the abdomen tracks bowel activity cycles over several days, giving the first non-invasive way to measure how the lower gut behaves outside a hospital. This matters because one in ten adults has a chronic gastrointestinal condition, over a quarter of the UK population is obese, and 8% have diabetes—all strongly linked to diet and digestion. Currently, doctors have no easy way to monitor gut function continuously in daily life. The patch and its analysis software fill that gap by providing longitudinal data on bowel patterns linked to health and digestion. If the technology succeeds, it could transform how clinicians manage post-operative bowel recovery, monitor chronic conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, and assess how diet affects gut health over time. The project brings together Ademen’s sensor with design expertise from Aston University to refine the patch for multiple real-world uses—from hospital wards to home monitoring. The result would be a practical tool that quietly improves medical diagnostics and personal nutrition management, without requiring patients to stay tethered to a clinic.