Doctors at the Strong Memorial Hospital of the University of Rochester Medical Center are already using the PillCam ESO to help diagnose and monitor esophageal varices, a serious and common complication of liver disease without an invasive endoscope.

Once a patient swallows the pill, it glides down the esophagus, taking about 14 color digital pictures per second, transmitting them to a recording device worn outside the patient's body. The pictures are subsequently downloaded as a video for review by Mantry and his team. Several studies have shown that the pictures obtained by the PillCam are comparable in accuracy to traditional endoscopy.

The use of the PillCam required no sedation and allows patients to recover quicker. However, it is not yet covered by all insurance programs.

[Source: URMC]