Endoluminal capsule monitoring

Endoluminal capsule monitoring is a non-invasive medical diagnostic procedure which uses a miniaturized wireless radio transmitter embedded into an ingestible water-tight capsule. The patient ingests the capsule and while it transits through the gastrointestinal system, it sends signals to the outside, which are captured by a radio receiver, processed, displayed and stored in a computer.

According to the type or type(s) of biomedical sensors which are built into the capsule, several physiological parameters can be measured and transmitted by the capsule:


 * intraluminal pH in the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon
 * temperature
 * intraluminal pressure
 * transit time

A wireless motility capsule (WMC) can measure gastric emptying time to diagnose gastroparesis or gastric dumping syndrome, and it can also measure transit time in the small intestine and colon. The WMC uses pH to detect passage through the pyloric sphincter and through the ileocecal valve, and it uses a temperature sensor to detect elimination from the body.

Modern capsules, called video pills or endoscopic capsules can also transmit endoscopic images from a miniature video camera.

The system is normally used for research purposes or for diagnosing long term changes in gastrointestinal physiological parameters. In some cases, the capsule is recovered in the feces, sterilized, and can be used again. In other cases, the capsule is discarded with the feces, serving as a disposable medical device.