A Pill-shaped Camera Could Diagnose Digestive Issues Helping Patients Better
According to a recent announcement by the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, a team of researchers came up with quite the project, developing a pill-shaped capsule that enables remote control. What’s so intriguing about this technology is that it gives doctors the ability to smoothly navigate a small video capsule, ala the NaviCam, all the way through the digestive system. That way, they will observe and photograph any problem regions.
Such a development is definitely opening up the possibility of using camera tech as an alternative to the more conventional endoscopy. It would be far easier and supported by patients because the camera’s movement would be done via an external magnet and joysticks (similar to popular video games).
Andrew Meltzer, a professor of Emergency Medicine at the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences, explains:
Magnetically controlled capsules could be used as a quick and easy way to screen for health problems in the upper GI tract such as ulcers or stomach cancer.
But the best part is yet to come!
Because the camera is able to detect inflammation, bleeding, and lesions, the doctors could help better the patients. Additionally, it has the capability to transfer photos and movies off-site for more in-depth evaluation instantly.
Finally, the researchers highlight that this camera tech is still in its early phases, and they anticipate that a “much bigger trial with more patients” will be conducted in the near future. So, expect more results in the near future!
Meltzer and his team of researchers at the medical technology firm AnX Robotica carried out a trial involving forty participants and discovered that physicians were able to correctly direct the capsule to all of the key areas of the stomach, achieving a 95 percent rate of effective viewing. A conventional endoscopy was also performed on these individuals to ensure that the camera had not missed any high-risk lesions in the digestive tract.
Tiesha loves to share her passion for everything that’s beautiful in this world. Apart from writing on her beauty blog and running her own beauty channel on Youtube, she also enjoys traveling and photography. Tiesha covers various stories on the website.
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