The development and application of wireless capsule endoscopy

The introduction of the Video Capsule Endoscope (VCE) by Given Imaging Ltd. (Yoqneam, Israel) in 2001, and its subsequent approval by the FDA as a first line tool in the detection of abnormalities of the small bowel, is indicative of the rapid acceptance of capsule endoscopy by the practicing gastroenterological community. An extensive clinical trials program consistently revealed a high diagnostic yield of the VCE when compared to other diagnostic modalities of the small intestine. The capsule endoscope contains a miniature color video camera, illumination sources, lens, transmitter/controller, antenna, and a power source. It is small enough to easily swallow (11 x 26 mm), and it is propelled through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by peristalsis. Its development was enabled by a series of technological breakthroughs that occurred at the close of the 20th century. The VCE is one of the most exciting examples of the recent trend for minimally invasive autonomous medical tools in diagnostic, monitoring, and therapeutic applications. Expanding applications of the VCE to additional parts of the GI tract, adding physiological sensors, and--in the more remote future--addition of therapeutic capabilities will likely occur as this new branch of endoscopy develops.