In a recent report appearing in the August 2011 issue of DOTmed Business News, it was reported that advancements had been made in both endoscopy and arthroscopy which continue to facilitate seeing inside the human body and diagnosing illnesses. On the latest on ingestible capsule endoscopes, it is reported that in the previous year Olympus and Siemens announced a partnership to create a magnetically guided endoscope capsule.
Instead of experiencing the discomfort of an endoscope, the patient simply swallows the capsule and a joystick paired with a magnetic field maneuvers the capsule. Once the capsule is in place, cameras at both ends of the capsule transmit to a viewer. From the volunteers who participated in the study, it was reported that the procedure was fairly easy and that 93 percent of the volunteers indicated that the examination was comfortable and 89 percent finding it easy to swallow the pill. Everyone agreed that the guided capsule to the conventional gastrointestinal endoscopy was far better. This is good news for people suffering from gastrointestinal illnesses. For anyone who has had an endoscope down the throat, it is a most uncomfortable and choking experience. The technology is to be released shortly.
It is further reported that Olympus continues to improve its capsule endoscope technology and is marketing the EC Type 1 charged-couple device. The device has automatic brightness control and a structure enhancement function which allow the physician to see lesions and blood in real-time on a hand-held display while capturing images for later review. The software allows the doctor to move through 40 frames per second, automatically detects red marks and lets him compare four images at a time side-by-side. Continue reading »