# An Intelligent Wired Capsule for the Treatment of Helicobacter pylori
## 1 Introduction  
_Helicobacter pylori_ is a Gram-negative microaerophilic bacterium [1, 2]. It generally has a spiraling conformation, the typical shape, helical and elongated, is similar to that of a corkscrew or a curved shaft. The bacterium is characterized by the presence of filiform polar structures called flagella [3]. The flagella, in variable numbers between four and seven, are fixed to the basal body through an anchoring system, which constitutes one of the fundamental components of the flagellar structure. In fact, they are basically composed of the basal body, anchoring system and flagellar filaments. The basal body has various structural proteins and plays a crucial role in providing the bacterium with the energy necessary for motility. The flagellar filaments, on the other hand, are essentially made up of two proteins, called flagellins, FlaA and FlaB, respectively encoded from the flaA and flaB genes. The two genes, flaA and flaB, are considered, by preliminary studies, to be fundamental for the motility of _H. pylori_[3]. Flagella, in fact, provide the bacterium with theability to selectively move within the stomach, allowing it to target the mucosa [4]. Under severe stress conditions, _H. pylori_ may have a coccoid form. During the shape mutation, however, there is no variation in the protein content. Despite the conformational change, the bacterium remains genetically unchanged.  
Studies with the electron microscope have actually revealed that _H. Pylori_ can have three conformations: spiraling, coccoid and coccoid degenerate. The spiraling conformation is viable, cultivable, infectious, virulent and capable of inducing inflammation [5].  
In this thesis work, the administration of photodynamic therapy is proposed, aimed at the eradication of _H. pylori_ by means of a spun endoscopic capsule with LED emission.  
The capsule designed, in addition to the therapeutic module aimed at administering an appropriate light intensity at specific wavelengths, integrates an active locomotion system aimed at maximizing the efficiency of the treatment.  
The light source at the base of the therapeutic module consists of 56 LEDs with three different wavelengths driven by dedicated electronics aimed at making the treatment modular. In order to verify, through in vitro experimentation, the efficacy of the three selected wavelengths and the dose required for therapeutic eradication, a special experimental setup was developed, capable of providing reliable and repeatable results.  
The active locomotion module maximizes the effectiveness of the treatment by identifying and focusing the treatment on the areas affected by the bacterium.  
The basis of active locomotion is the design of a cable actuation system that does not require additional energy input. Various cable actuation mechanisms were designed and tested, through rapid prototyping, based on the use of a ball joint, a flexible multilumen cannula and appropriate structural changes to the casing. The introduction of a multilumen cannula justifies the use of an external power source, allowing the overcoming of the energy limitations related to battery power.  
The area generally reserved for batteries is used for the integration of a commercial camera aimed at providing visual feedback on movement. The harmonic integration of the therapeutic module and the active locomotion module inside the capsule provides a highly performing device capable of operating on the entire surface of the stomach, identifying the areas to be treated and addressing the treatment in a targeted manner.