New Capsule Endoscope Developed in the UK
BBC May 24, 2000Researches in the UK have developed a camera small enough to fit in a pill. When swallowed it can take pictures of the digestive tract.
Measuring only 11mm by 30mm, the pill contains a light source, transmitter, and a tiny video camera. The camera sends a radio signal to a recorder that is strapped to the patient's waist. The patient can then go about their business as they would any other day while the camera travels through the digestive tract and takes up to 6 hours of images.
The main advantages are that it's completely painless, and patients can avoid a hospital stay. It has been tested on 10 volunteers, but researchers must now complete a clinical trial before it is made available to the public. It is hoped that this will happen in the next year.
