A Coin-Sized Device for Measuring Flatulence in Smart Underwear
Brantley Hall, University of Maryland
Research reveals that most people are unaware of their flatulence frequency. However, innovative smart underwear can accurately monitor this, assisting in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal issues like lactose intolerance.
Brantley Hall and his team from the University of Maryland have developed a compact hydrogen detection device that clips onto your underwear. “It’s approximately the size of a nickel and is attached near the perineum,” says Hall.
The research involved 37 participants who wore the device to track flatulence post-lactose ingestion. Many individuals remain unaware of their flatulence, especially those who are lactose intolerant, as their bodies lack the enzyme lactase to properly digest lactose, leading to fermentation by gut bacteria and subsequent gas production.
The team asked participants to follow a strict low-fiber diet for two days to establish a baseline before consuming 20 grams of either lactose or sucrose. There was a double-blind design, ensuring neither participants nor researchers knew what was ingested.
Results from the study indicated that 24 out of the 37 participants who consumed lactose exhibited a significant increase in flatulence—more than 1.5 times their baseline levels. Notably, in 22 of these individuals, higher gas production correlated with greater lactose intake.
Despite these findings, an additional study showed participants could only accurately identify their gasiest days about 50 percent of the time, akin to flipping a coin. “People aren’t reliable narrators of their flatulence patterns,” Hall added.
Hall plans to present the findings at Digestive Disease Week 2026 in Chicago, highlighting the device’s potential to help diagnose conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and evaluate treatment efficacy for excess gas production.
This non-invasive approach using smart underwear for measuring flatulence is promising, especially as technology acceptance grows. Tom Van Gils from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, noted the link between subjective feelings of bloating and objective measures, saying, “This could improve our understanding of physical changes involved in gastrointestinal disorders.”
A recent investigation by Hall et al. revealed that healthy adults experience between 4 to 59 farts daily, with an average of 32 farts per day.
“Our study may skew towards those who fart more frequently, so this number could reduce over time,” Hall commented. “We aim to establish baseline flatulence patterns in healthy individuals and assess common triggers.”
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Source: www.newscientist.com
