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"What if you were a plumber and couldn’t find the leak?
With capsule endoscopy, we were able to diagnose cases that previously were difficult or impossible to diagnose."
Richard Bloomfeld, M.D.
Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a new procedure for imaging and screening the gastrointestinal tract. The patient simply swallows a pill-sized video capsule, from which images are captured and transmitted wirelessly for physician review. The procedure is non-invasive and painless, and the technology enables gastroenterologists to see areas that were inaccessible with traditional endoscopic equipment.
Capsule Endoscopy: What You See
There are two video capsules currently available in the United States, and both are manufactured by an Israeli-based corporation, Given Imaging. Both are the size of a large multi-vitamin and are able to pass naturally through the digestive tract.
- PillCam SB takes images of the small bowel
- Pill Cam ESO takes images of the esophagus
The need for endoscopy of the small bowel arose because only 20% of the small intestine could be examined with conventional methods. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) could only examine 4 of the 30 feet of the digestive tract and colonoscopy could only examine 6 feet. This left 20 feet of the gastrointestinal tract unobserved until capsule technology entered the market. While capsule endoscopy does not substitute EDG or colonoscopy, it can help diagnose diseases that were unable to be detected by the latter two procedures. Though used primarily for screening the small bowel, capsule endoscopy can also be used to view the esophagus. Because this technology significantly changes the possibilities for viewing the small intestinal tract, this site will primarily focus on its application to the small bowel.