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Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Murine Endoscopy for In Vivo Multimodal Imaging of Carcinogenesis and Assessment of Intestinal Wound Healing and Inflammation
Published on: August 26, 2014
Small-bowel capsule endoscopy - from clinic to couch: time to go green?
Ian Io Lei1,2, Ramesh P Arasaradnam1,2,3, Anastasios Koulaouzidis4,5,6
1Institute of Precision Diagnostics & Translational Medicine, University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire.
Purpose Of Review:
Small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) has transformed small-intestine diagnostics by enabling direct, noninvasive mucosal visualization. As healthcare systems increasingly prioritize value-based and sustainable care, this review explores recent advances in SBCE, focusing on home-delivery models, telemedicine, artificial intelligence (AI), and environmental impact.
Recent Findings:
Life-cycle analyses estimate ~20 kgCO 2 per SBCE, ~18 kgCO 2 arising from patient travel. Transitioning from hospital attendance to home-delivery models can materially reduce this footprint. Feasibility studies report high acceptability for remote delivery, teleconsultation, and decentralized reading. AI-assisted reading platforms have recently shown significant reductions in reporting time, improving workflow efficiency. Rural modelling suggests travel emissions for colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) can exceed colonoscopy (~19.2 kgCO 2 e) but fall to ~5.3 kgCO 2 e with optimized courier logistics, despite >50% follow-up endoscopy rate.
Summary:
SBCE now stands at the nexus of technological innovation, clinical utility, and environmental accountability. Its journey from hospital corridors to home settings exemplifies a diagnostic paradigm built on accessibility, efficiency, and ecological integrity. Realizing this vision requires multicentre trials that incorporate life cycle, cost-effectiveness, and patient-reported outcomes. The capsule of the future will not merely image the intestine - it will symbolize medicine's evolution toward intelligent, zero-waste diagnostics.
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