New York, June 5: US researchers have achieved a groundbreaking development in the field of endoscopy with the creation of a miniature video capsule that can be remotely controlled by physicians to navigate the entire stomach, capturing visual data and images of potential problem areas. This technological advancement brings ingestible video capsule endoscopes closer to the functionality of traditional tube-based endoscopies.
Previously, video capsule endoscopes were limited by their passive movement, relying solely on gravity and natural body motions. However, the team at George Washington University has successfully designed a system that utilizes an external magnet and handheld video game-style joysticks to enable three-dimensional movement of the capsule within the stomach.
Andrew Meltzer, a professor of Emergency Medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, emphasized the benefits of this new technology, stating that traditional endoscopies are invasive, costly due to anesthesia requirements, and often result in patients taking time off work.
Meltzer further explained that if larger studies confirm the effectiveness of this method in detecting high-risk lesions, magnetically controlled capsules could become a convenient and efficient screening tool for identifying health issues in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as ulcers or stomach cancer.
While traditional endoscopies are commonly employed to investigate and treat stomach-related symptoms and diseases, including cancer, accessibility to the procedure can be a challenge for some patients. The ability to swallow a capsule and receive an immediate diagnosis, without the need for a follow-up appointment for a traditional endoscopy, is advantageous and potentially life-saving, particularly for patients experiencing severe stomach pain.
The magnetic control system allows the capsule to be painlessly maneuvered throughout the stomach, enabling comprehensive visualization and the capture of video and photographic evidence of any potential bleeding, inflammation, or malignant lesions.
The study, published in iGIE, the open-access online journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, involved 40 patients who underwent magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy at a physician office building. Results showed that physicians successfully directed the capsule to all major parts of the stomach with a 95 percent visualization rate. As a comparison, participants also underwent a follow-up endoscopy.
No high-risk lesions were missed using the new method, and 80 percent of the patients expressed a preference for the capsule method over traditional endoscopy. Importantly, the researchers did not encounter any safety issues associated with the new approach.
