An estimated 40 percent of the population is suffering from poor gut health, and many have not been diagnosed with a condition — partly due to the current diagnostic methods, which are invasive, sometimes take multiple days and can be inaccurate.
Gut health conditions can have a huge impact on quality of life and can be very challenging to manage. Melbourne-based medical technology company Atmo Biosciences has transformed this burdensome processing of diagnosing gut health conditions into something as simple as swallowing a capsule.
This capsule isn’t simple though, it’s an ingestible technology platform that provides real-time, accurate insights to a cloud-based digital platform that allows clinicians to manage, review and export information.
Atmo Biosciences’ technology can be used to make a number of gastrointestinal diagnostics, including, all while the patient goes about their normal day after swallowing the capsule.
“Atmo’s core technology addresses a critical unmet need for the 40 percent of the global population impacted by debilitating functional gut disorders, which impact quality of life and productivity,” Atmo Biosciences chief executive officer Malcolm Hebblewhite said.
“Unlike traditional diagnostic methods which are invasive, inaccurate and potentially require radiation exposure, the Atmo Gas Capsule provides a comprehensive, non-invasive, whole-gut assessment whilst patients can still maintain their normal daily activities.”
Atmo Biosciences is a finalist in the InnovationAus 2025 Awards for Excellence in the Health Tech category. The InnovationAus 2025 Awards for Excellence winners and finalists will be celebrated at a black-tie gala dinner at Sydney Town Hall on Thursday, November 27. You can book your tickets here.
The Health Tech Award honours companies that are tackling global health challenges through new platforms, medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutics and biotech innovations.
The company’s “lab in a pill” product gained FDA clearance in the US earlier this year, meaning it can be sold commercially in America.
Atmo Biosciences has conducted studies at the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Harvard Medical School and Mass General Hospital, and a clinical study involving more than 200 patients.
The company has also collaborated with RMIT University’s Micro Nano Research Facility.
The company’s capsules work by identifying anatomical landmarks within a patient’s gut, facilitating the precise measurement of regional and whole-gut transit times that can be used by clinicians for diagnosis and treatment planning.
It does this through measuring temperature, hydrogen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration and indicators of oxygen level, capsule tumble and antenna reflectance.
Atmo Biosciences is led by Mr Hebblewhite, who has more than three decades of experience in the medical device industry, including at medtech giant ResMed.
He said the nomination is recognition of the progress the company has made to date.
“Being nominated for the InnovationAus Awards is recognition of this homegrown, game-changing technology and Atmo’s dedication to pioneering the ways in which we understand and manage highly prevalent conditions in gut health,” Mr Hebblewhite said.
“The nomination acknowledges our breakthrough ingestible gas-sensing technology, and our commitment in translating this into real-world solutions that benefit patients and clinicians.
“Ultimately, it represents recognition of our potential to create meaningful impact as pioneers delivering solutions that will improve the lives of millions of patients worldwide.”
The 2025 InnovationAus Awards for Excellence will be held on November 27 at the magnificent Sydney Town Hall. You can secure individual seats or book a table here. Purchase a table of 10 and have your logo displayed on screens across the venue and in the event programme as a ‘Table Sponsor’.
The InnovationAus 2025 Awards for Excellence are proudly supported by ACS, PEXA Group, the CSIRO ON Program, Griffith Hack, TechnologyOne, Q-CTRL, National AI Centre, University of New South Wales, Investment NSW and IP Australia.
Protecting your great ideas with intellectual property (IP) rights can lead to lasting benefits for your growing business. IP refers to creations of the mind, such as a brand, logo, invention, design or artistic work. Head to the IP Australia website to find out more about IP, and how it might help your business.
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