Al-Ahli Hospital diagnoses digestive diseases using the smart capsule

The capsule is characterized by reaching the most accurate places in the body and photographing it with high quality.

In order to accurately diagnose gastrointestinal diseases, Al-Ahli Hospital has recently developed a device in the form of a smart capsule. It is very small in size with a special wireless diagnostic camera, placed inside a capsule that the patient swallows, and while it is passing in the digestive system, it takes thousands of pictures of the stomach, intestines and other parts. Images are recorded and sent to a receiver installed around the patient’s waist. The capsule remains in the patient’s body for a period of 8 to 12 hours approximately and is passed out with the stool, and is not reused after that. The capsule has several advantages, including its ability to access to places that cannot be reached by the normal endoscopy device in addition to the accuracy and clarity of its images and the magnification that it provides. By using the capsule, the patient does not need to stay in the hospital or undergo anesthesia.

Dr. Wissam Malki, Gastroenterologist Consultant at Al-Ahli Hospital said that, “It is possible to conduct an endoscopy using the smart capsule in the following cases: anemia, acute or chronic bleeding cases without a clear cause, small intestine inflammation, colon diseases, tumors, small intestine diseases and vascular dysplasia. In addition, this technology is useful in diagnosing patients who are unable to tolerate the normal laparoscopic operation and diagnosing other cases that are determined by the physician”. He also noted that, “This type of diagnosis can be used for the elderly who are unable to tolerate anesthesia and endoscopy by using normal devices. It is also useful for diagnosing pregnant women and persons who do not want to undergo anesthesia.”

Dr. Malki indicated that the capsule camera or endoscope is equipped with a camera with two high-resolution lenses swallowed by the patient with a sip of water and takes its entire journey from the mouth opening until it reaches the anus and comes out with the stool, and it takes accurate imaging at a rate of 3 images per second, equivalent to 180 images per minute, and then sends these images to a small receiver attached to the patient’s trouser belt.

Dr. Malki stated that in the past, transferring images from inside the patient’s intestine was very difficult, but through this new technology, it has become easier for doctors to perform an operation inside the patient’s intestine through a micro-capsule carrying two small camera lenses that the patient swallows.