Simply Swallow a Capsule to Inspect the Entire Digestive Tract All at Once

    In Japan, colorectal cancer ranks first and gastric cancer ranks second in national prevalence but the screening consultation rate is low. Reasons behind this include the endoscopy being painful and embarrassing. Compared to normal endoscopies, a capsule endoscopy is a swallow-only procedure with no pain or radiation exposure. However, observation of a large-volume stomach is almost impossible with conventional capsule endoscopies. Currently, colon capsule endoscopies, which are covered by insurance, are not widely used due to long examination times and large amounts of laxatives being required. To overcome this drawback, we developed a system that can efficiently observe the digestive tract from the esophagus to the anus with a single examination by guiding the capsule from outside of the body with a magnet, improving its detection ability and safety.