Gut-monitoring wearable seen aiding post-op recovery, weight loss  
Wearable gut-monitoring technology being developed to aid surgical recovery may also support in weight loss programmes. The AbStats device, being tested by scientists at the Los Angeles Cedar-Sinai Hospital, uses sensors to record and assess patients' gut sounds, both while digesting food and at rest. It's being tested on post-op patients to determine whether they are ready to eat. They are also examining whether AbStats could be used to help patients lose a few pounds, as it is thought weight gain could be caused by eating meals before fully digesting an earlier one.

Consumer health devices are giving all of us new insights into our bodies, from the quality of our sleep to the number of steps we take each day.

But thus far, the stomach remains elusive.

Doctors at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles are testing out a new wearable called "AbStats," that can read the stomach in a similar manner to how a Fitbit tracks steps. The device was invented by Brennan Spiegel, director of health services research at Cedars-Sinai.

The device, which sits neatly on the stomach, uses sensors to record how our gut sounds when it's digesting food or at rest. The algorithm is trained to hear relevant sounds from the gut like cracks and rumbles.