Wireless therapeutic endoscopic capsule: in vivo experiment

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Medical Device Engineering

Background:

• Capsule endoscopy is established for gastrointestinal diagnostics.
• Swallowable therapeutic capsule devices for interventions are underdeveloped.
• Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) requires advanced tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a swallowable wireless capsule for remote surgical clip deployment.
• To develop a capsule capable of therapeutic interventions.
• To support NOTES procedures with advanced capsule technology.

Main Methods:

• A wireless endoscopic capsule with magnetic steering was developed.
• A nitinol clip was integrated for remote release.
• Ex vivo trials and an in vivo pig model were used to test functionality and reliability.

Main Results:

• A functional wireless capsule clip-releasing mechanism was successfully developed.
• Ex vivo trials demonstrated efficient clip release and remote control reliability.
• Successful in vivo clipping of an iatrogenic bleed in a pig model was achieved.

Conclusions:

• This study demonstrates the first successful in vivo surgical application of a wireless endoscopic capsule.
• The developed capsule paves the way for a new generation of diagnostic and therapeutic devices.
• This technology holds promise for advancing minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery.