Preparation of Fecal Capsules.

 

Preparation of Fecal Capsules.

The procedures on the net are very vague. Some, in my mind, won't work. Loading a OO capsule then placing it in a 000 capsules then coating it with Shellac seems logical but when I tried it, but there were problems.

There is no mention of filtering. How do you do that without adding a solvent like a saline solution. I assume we don't want any extra water or volume?

How do you transfer the stuff into the capsule?

 

The first thing I tackled was filtering without dilution.

A 100g sample was scooped into a large food strainer and forced through using a very large plastic spoon over a stainless steel pot. The filtered product did not fall into the pot but rather collected as a mass on the underside of the strainer.

This was spooned off with a tea spoon. A large 50ml syringe with plunder removed was held vertically with a clamp.  Slowly, 2 tea spoons were used, scraping each other and letting the fecal matter drop into the syringe. Every so often, a 6mm dowel was used to stir and bed in the matter which also reduces air bubbles.

When full, the plunger was carefully inserted letting about a quarter of the product squirt back into the strainer.

Using tweezers, 5 holes were made in a piece of polystyrene foam and a row of  00 capsules were inserted. The syringe nozzel was inserted close to the bottom of the capsule and drawn up slowly as it filled. This takes care of inevitable air bubbles.

Caps were placed on each, then one capsule was withdrawn from the foam and loaded into a 000 capsule without success. The bottom of the 00 capsule was already soft and sticky. When attempting to insert it into the 000 capsule it got stuck to the wall of it. This was remedied by inverting the 00 capsule before insertion. Next step was a wax coating.

About 30g of organic beeswax (ebay) was placed into a 50ml tall beaker (ebay) and suspended in a pot of water heated to about 80 degrees C. The 000 capsule was held with tweezers and dipped more than half way in the wax, withdrawn quickly with a small shake and blown on. It cooled very quickly! The capsule was inverted and the other side was coated.

 

I tried Shellac but it was useless for one major reason -- time. It take a long time to dry and you have to hold it until it does. If you put it down, it will stick to the bench. It also tends to make the capsule swell.

In a comparison test, capsules coated with 1 coat of shellac and capsules with beeswax were submersed into a hydrochloric acid solution, pH 1 - pH 2. The shellac coated capsules disintegrated within the hour. Putting 3 coats on 15 - 30 capsules would take all day. The beeswax coated double capsule lasted about 3 hours or less.

 

Next. Using a single 000 capsule with an inner and outer coating.

The water temperature was ramped up to 95 degrees C. The beeswax tempreature was 90. A cue tip was inserted into the wax then with a 000 capsule in one hand, molten wax was painted inside the capsule in 3 or more stages because it cools quickly.

The cap was also coated but only half way. While still warm, the cap was placed on the main body thereby pushing  back residue wax and then removed. This requires a bit of force. The wax adds strength to the capsule.

The capsule body was inserted into the polystyrene foam and fill with fecal matter using the syringe. Once loaded and cap replaced, it was quickly dipped in the wax. Even at 90 degrees, It cools so quickly, I doubt that any damage will result.

These single capsules lasted between 5 -7 hours in pH 1 - pH 2 acid before coming apart around the junction. One capsule was still going strong after 10 hours. What if they go straight through you?

Who knows how long they will last when you take into account churning and the peristaltic action of the small intestine. If I burp and it smells like shit, I will know. My first trial will be 7 capsules over 2 days.

 

One study found on the web suggests;

"Each patient consumed 15 stool capsules from pre-screened, healthy volunteer donors, over a two-day period."

 

Another says;

"The single treatment requires the patient to down 24-36 capsules in one sitting.

It takes 24 to 34 capsules to fit the bacteria needed for a treatment, and patients down them in one sitting. The pills make their way to the colon and seed it with the normal variety of bacteria."

 

 

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