Capsule endoscopy

Capsule endoscopy is a procedure used to record internal images of the gastrointestinal tract for use in medical diagnosis. Newer developments are also able to take biopsies and release medication at specific locations of the entire gastrointestinal tract https://www.mpg.de/10383892/F002_Focus_026-033.pdf. The capsule (aka pill cam) is similar in shape to a standard pharmaceutical capsule, although a little larger, and contains a tiny camera and an array of LEDs powered by a battery. After a patient swallows the capsule, it passes along the gastrointestinal tract taking a number of images per second which are transmitted wirelessly to an array of receivers connected to a portable recording device carried by the patient. The primary use of capsule endoscopy is to examine areas of the small intestine that cannot be seen by other types of endoscopy such as colonoscopy or esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD).