In Ichilov, people with gastrointestinal diseases will be examined using a smart capsule

Patients at the Israeli clinic Ichilov with digestive system pathologies, particularly Crohn's disease, now have access to a new type of examination – capsule endoscopy. It is a simple, safe, and highly informative alternative to standard methods of visualizing the gastrointestinal tract, which are often painful and require sedation or radiation. For residents of Israel, the examination using the smart capsule will be completely free.

Crohn's disease is considered a rather rare condition; however, recently doctors have been diagnosing it more frequently in patients worldwide. It represents a chronic inflammation of the digestive system, primarily affecting various sections of the intestines. The inflammatory process spreads not only to the mucous membrane but also to deeper layers of the intestinal wall, leading to the formation of ulcers, fissures, and fistulas, which pose risks of intestinal bleeding, peritonitis, and an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

Currently, the most informative diagnostic method for Crohn's disease is colonoscopy, which is used to assess the condition of the large intestine. This involves using a thin probe equipped with a microscopic camera, which is inserted through the anus. The procedure is quite painful and is therefore performed under anesthesia. The small intestine is examined using a video capsule. Recently, Medtronic, one of the largest manufacturers of medical equipment, developed a new capsule that allows for examination not only of the small intestine but also of all other sections of the digestive system – from the esophagus to the rectum.

How the smart capsule works

All the patient needs to do is swallow a tiny capsule the size of a pill. As it moves through the gastrointestinal tract, the built-in microcamera captures images at a rate of 2–6 frames per second and transmits them to a monitor, allowing the doctor to assess the condition of each section of the gastrointestinal tract (even those areas that cannot be examined by other methods), accurately determine the location and extent of inflammation. The capsule completes its journey in the rectum, from where it is then expelled with the stool.

Preparation for the procedure is straightforward. Patients are asked not to eat for five hours before the examination, and just before the procedure, they are given a laxative to empty the intestines and a medication to stimulate intestinal motility (this is necessary for the video capsule to travel the entire required path within twelve hours).

Fast, safe, painless

The innovative diagnostic method is already actively used in the gastroenterology and hepatology department of the Tel Aviv medical center Ichilov as a gentler alternative to colonoscopy. Hospital specialists note that Crohn's disease manifests differently in different people, and its symptoms change over time. For this reason, patients with this diagnosis are forced to undergo painful examinations periodically.

The new method lacks the drawbacks of its predecessors. It is minimally invasive, thus eliminating the risk of damaging the intestinal walls and causing bleeding. Additionally, capsule examination does not require sedation, air insufflation into the intestines, or radiation. All capsules are single-use, meaning the risk of infection is excluded. At the same time, the method provides ultra-high image quality, and consequently – high accuracy and effectiveness of diagnosis.

Capsule retention and/or delay in the body occurs very rarely. According to statistics, such cases account for less than 2% of all capsule examinations performed. Moreover, doctors conduct a preliminary check of the gastrointestinal tract's patency using a dissolvable capsule.