A team of scientists at the Institute of Food Research in England has created an artificial stomach that is possible to be fed real food and simulates human digestion.
BBC News reported that according to the specialists, the device, made of special plastics and metals, will help them better understand digestion and may prove valuable in the development of healthier foods.
This model mimics both the physical and chemical reactions taking place in the process of digestion. Previous attempts to make artificial stomachs concentrated exclusively on the chemistry of digestion, explained chief designer Dr Martin Wickham.
This new device can even imitate the stomach contractions that help break up food and move it along the alimentary canal, BBC News announced.
"Our knowledge of what really happens in the gut is still very simple, however we hope that this model can help us understand more," Wickham stated.
