Internal examination using tiny swallowed camera
By Michael
Seaforth
Currently,
the easiest way to obtain a picture of someone’s stomach or small
intestines
is to insert an endoscope attached to fibre optic cables through
the person’s mouth and extend it down to the area of interest. However,
a much simpler procedure is undergoing clinical trials. Given®
Imaging has developed a unique method of peering inside even
the hard to reach areas of the small intestine that promises to
be simple to implement and virtually painless.
The
procedure requires the patient to swallow a tiny capsule that incorporates
a light source, miniature color video camera, battery, antenna and
radio transmitter. As the capsule moves through the body, it transmits
a signal to tiny antennas attached to the patient’ skin. The images
are stored in a device attached to the patient’s belt for examination
later by a doctor on a medical workstation. The capsule is expelled
naturally from the body in 24 to 48 hours. A picture of the capsule,
courtesy of Given® Imaging, is shown above and more information
is available at:
http://www.givenimaging.com
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