Ingestible Capsule Endoscope Will Allow Real-Time Stomach Examinations

Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany) and Olympus Medical Systems (Tokyo, Japan) have announced the collaborative development of an advanced magnetically guided capsule endoscope (MGCE) system for intragastric observation.

The technology is intended to allow stomach examinations to be performed easily and comfortably by having the patient swallow an endoscope shaped in the form of a capsule. The patient will be positioned in a prone position within the guidance magnet, placing the stomach with the capsule endoscope in the center of the system. During the examination, the patient's stomach will be filled with water to provide a field of vision for the capsule endoscope, and enable comfortable navigation.


The physician, via a joystick, will then be able to navigate the capsule to the areas of interest with the capsule providing real-time high-resolution images on a display in the examination room. The design will allow tilting and rotating the capsule, as well horizontal and vertical positioning. It is conceptualized that the guidance magnet will generate magnetic fields that vary over time, making it possible to steer the capsule as desired; the intensity of these magnetic fields is planned to between those of magnetic resonance scanners and the basic magnetic field of the earth.

Both companies are jointly developing the capsule endoscopy unit, the magnet guidance system, and the image processing and guidance information systems. The capsule endoscope will be approximately 31 mm long and 11 mm in diameter, with camera systems mounted at both ends of the capsule to allow observation inside the stomach. Real-time observation will be made possible by means of images transmitted on-line to an image processing system, as well as guidance information on the posture of the capsule endoscope as it is navigated by magnetic guidance, allowing total mapping; a prototype system has already been developed to determine the safety, effectiveness, and benefits of the MGCE endoscopic technology.

"In cooperation with our partner Olympus, we usher a new era in endoscopy. We believe that the magnetically guided capsule endoscope will enable quick examinations that are comfortable for the patient,” said Hermann Requardt, CEO of Siemens Healthcare. "This system will be an excellent addition to current methods in endoscopy, for instance within the scope of aftercare.”

"As a leading manufacturer of endoscopes, Olympus is continuously working to develop products that can be used safely and with confidence. Our aim is to create endoscopes that minimize the stress on patients and that are user-friendly for physicians,” said Haruhito Morishima, president of Olympus Medical Systems. "Capsule endoscopes have excellent potential from these perspectives. We see this joint development project with Siemens as the realization of one of our visions for the future of capsule endoscopes.”

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