The Wall Street Journal highlights the development of a wearable gas-sensing device—nicknamed the “Fitbit for farts”—designed to continuously monitor intestinal gas patterns. Worn in underwear, the battery-powered sensor tracks flatus events in real time using miniaturized electronics and edge computing, reflecting broader trends in continuous biometric monitoring.
Researchers hope the technology could do for gastroenterology what wearables like the Apple Watch did for cardiology: generate longitudinal, real-world physiologic data outside the clinic. By analyzing gas patterns over time, the device could potentially help diagnose and manage conditions such as IBS and other functional GI disorders, shifting care from episodic reporting to objective, continuous monitoring.