On eight "feet" through the porcine intestine
Other developments are not yet ready for day-to-day use, says Dr. Keller, for instance VECTOR (Versatile endoscopic capsule for gastrointestinal tumour recognition and therapy), the "video capsule with feet", developed in a further European research project. The aim was a capsule that allows targeted movement through the stomach and intestines. Preliminary data show that an eight-legged capsule can "move through a phantom model of an ex vivo colon". In an in vivo porcine intestine, the capsule "automatically moved a limited distance (15 cm)". However, this model did not have any control mechanisms. In addition, attempts are being made to manoeuvre capsule endoscopes through the gastrointestinal tract by means of electrical stimulation. Electric pulses emitted from the capsule to the gastrointestinal wall trigger a contraction of the muscles in front of or behind the capsule. In this way, the capsule is moved in an oral or aboral direction. Systems such as this could be especially suitable for examinations of the oesophagus and small intestine.
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The further technical development of capsule endoscopy is, of course, not limited to capsule navigation, emphasizes the Hamburg gastroenterologist Dr. Ingo Steinbrück. Battery power, visual range and image quality, amongst other things, were and are still being developed further. These developments aim to "enhance diagnostic sensitivity, optimize energy consumption, shorten the waiting time for findings and increase acceptance by patients". One of the most important objectives for gastroenterologists remains intestinal cancer screening at home.
Not only is MEDICA 2011 showcasing state of the art gastrointestinal diagnostics and therapy in terms of imaging systems such as the respective endoscopes, but the MEDICA Congress will include the event "Detection of early-stage lesions in the gastrointestinal tract" (no. 227) headed by Prof. Dr. Dieter Häussinger on November 17 at the Congress Center Düsseldorf (CCD.South).
Exhibitors of technologies for gastrointestinal diagnostics and endoscopic procedures are listed online under "Companies & Products" at http://www.medica-tradefair.com. A program overview of the MEDICA Congress is also posted on this website.
Author: Dr. Thomas Kron, Freelance Medical Journalist
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