Magnetic Sensor Based Topographic Localization for Automatic Dislocation of Ingested Button Battery

A button battery accidentally ingested by a toddler or small child can cause severe damage to the stomach within a short period of time. Once a battery lands on the surface of the esophagus or stomach, it can run a current in the tissue and induce a chemical reaction resulting in injury. Following our previous work where we presented an ingestible magnetic robot for button battery retrieval, this study presents a remotely achieved novel localization method of a button battery with commonly available magnetic sensors (Hall-effect sensors). By applying a direct magnetic field to the button battery using an electromagnetic coil, the battery is magnetized, and hence it becomes able to be sensed by Hall-effect sensors. Using a trilateration method, we were able to detect the locations of an LR44 button battery and other ferromagnetic materials at variable distances. Additional four electromagnetic coils were used to autonomously navigate a magnet-containing capsule to dislocate the battery from the affected site.