SWALLOWABLE WIRELESS CAPSULAR ENDOSCOPY: A NOVEL BREAKTHROUGH IN THE BIOMEDICAL INDUSTRY AND FUTURE PROGRESS

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is a medical procedure which has revolutionized for the first time a painless inspection of the small intestine. It is a simple, safe, non-invasive, reliable technique, well accepted and tolerated by the patients, which allows complete exploration of the small intestine. WCE has vitamin size pill which captures images of the digestive tract and entire small bowel, transported passively by peristalsis. WCE is a novel breakthrough in the biomedical industry and future progresses in key technologies, expected to drive the development of the next generation of such devices. WCE became an essential component in the management of several clinical conditions. WCE offers diagnostic tool for diseases like small bowel, gastrointestinal bleeding, Crohn’s disease, localization of small bowel tumor, colon cancer screening, assessment of esophageal disorders and diagnosis of coeliac disease. However, compared with wired endoscopies, the limited working time, the low frame rate and the low image resolution limit the wider application. The progress of this new technology is reviewed in this paper and the evolution tendencies are analyzed to be high image resolution, high frame rate, long working time and also current indications of capsule endoscopy.