Given Imaging Ltd.

A video camera in an ingestible capsule that measures only 11 x 26 mm, the M2A provides physicians with an accurate view of the small intestine, which is only one-third accessible with conventional endoscopy. The other components in the capsule include four LEDs, a lens, a color camera chip, two silver oxide batteries, a radio-frequency transmitter, an antenna and a magnetic switch.

Developed by Given Imaging Ltd. of Yokneam, Israel, the capsule can operate for 10 hours. After fasting for 12 hours, the patient puts on eight antenna sensors, which are placed on the abdomen. The sensors receive and record the images and the capsule location on a data recorder, which is in a belt worn by the patient throughout the ambulatory examination. Thus equipped, the patient swallows the capsule, then resumes normal routine, even being allowed to begin eating in three hours.

After eight hours, the patient returns to the clinic, and the recording is retrieved and analyzed on a workstation using Rapid software, which transforms the two images per second collected during the capsule's journey into a continuous video.

The company says that tens of thousands of patients suffering from problems of the small intestine, such as celiac disease, intestinal tumors, iron deficiency anemia and bleeding have already benefited from this device.