A Quantitative Analysis of Smartphone-Based Endoscopy and Video Tower Endoscopy

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Endoscopy Technology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Traditional tower-based endoscopy (TBE) systems are standard but costly and time-consuming.
• Emerging smartphone-based endoscopy (SBE) offers potential advantages in cost and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare traditional tower-based endoscopy (TBE) with smartphone-based endoscopy (SBE).
• Objective measures included cost, setup time, and image quality.

Main Methods:

• A cost analysis and a randomized, single-blinded prospective trial were conducted.
• Twenty-three healthcare providers evaluated both SBE and TBE systems.
• Setup times were recorded, and image quality was assessed via blinded review of standardized tests.

Main Results:

• SBE demonstrated 95.8% cost savings ($39,917 USD) per system compared to TBE.
• SBE setup time was significantly faster, averaging 46.7 seconds less than TBE (P < .001).
• Image quality analysis showed slightly better visual discernment with SBE (4.2 mm) versus TBE (5.9 mm) (P < .001).

Conclusions:

• Smartphone-based endoscopy (SBE) is cheaper, faster to set up, and offers comparable image quality to TBE.
• Clinicians should consider SBE as a viable option for viewing and collaborating on endoscopic images.
• The clinical significance of minor image quality differences requires further investigation.