Capsule endoscopy is a procedure designed to help your physician see what is happening inside parts of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The GI tract is the tube which extends from the mouth to the anus in which the movement of muscles digests food. During the procedure, a patient swallows a vitamin-sized pill with a camera inside. Transported smoothly and painlessly through the GI tract by the body’s own natural peristalsis, the PillCam video capsule transmits images of different parts of your body such as the small intestine and the esophagus. Since the first PillCam video capsule was approved by the FDA in 2001, more than 700,000 patients have safely swallowed one of the PillCam video capsules.
Capsule endoscopy is the least invasive and most direct way for doctor’s to see the entire small intestine and esophagus. Hundreds of clinical studies conducted by the world’s leading gastroenterologists have shown the value of the PillCam video capsules in helping doctors diagnose or rule out disorders of the GI tract.
PillCam SB transmits images at a rate of two images per second for approximately eight hours, resulting in more than 50,000 images.
PillCam ESO provides a patient-friendly alternative to esophageal endoscopy and the associated sedation and discomfort. PillCam ESO contains an imaging device and light source at both ends of the capsule and takes up to 14 images per second or a total of 2,600 color images as it passes down the esophagus.