The PillCam: Using Minuscule Technology to Treat Large Diseases

Given Imaging, an Israeli company located in Yokneam, is involved in the development, manufacturing and marketing of ground-breaking, brilliant devices for the examination of gastrointestinal diseases. Given Imaging was the first company in the world to develop capsule endoscopy technology, a medical procedure in which a capsule containing a miniature camera, the PillCam, is swallowed by the patient. The technology was FDA approved in 2001. The minuscule camera transfers high quality color images of the digestive system, allowing the physician the ability to visualize the gastrointestinal system. This procedure is non-invasive and causes no pain or inconvenience to the patient. The products are sold in over 70 countries. More than one million patients in over 5,000 medical centers worldwide have benefited from capsule endoscopy.

PillCam SB is the most commonly used, patient-friendly device for directly observing the small bowel to discern and track abnormalities in the body. By using PillCam SB, physicians can see the entire small bowel without having their patients undergo a lengthy procedure that can cause discomfort or requiring them to be sedated. The process is simple: by swallowing a vitamin-sized capsule, physicians can view ulcers, lesions, tumors, and bleeding inside the small bowel. This technology, along with the many others manufactured by Given Imaging, have the potential to really benefit the world in the realm of gastrointestinal diseases.


Below is the link to Given Imaging's website and a FAQ page about the technology:
1) http://www.givenimaging.com/en-int/Pages/default.aspx
2)http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns_hopkins_bayview/_docs/medical_services/gastroenterology/pill_cam_sb_faqs.pdf

The PillCam SB.
http://www.givenimaging.com/en-int/Innovative-Solutions/Capsule-Endoscopy/Pillcam-SB/PublishingImages/pillcamsbcapsule.fw.png