Meet our InnoUvators

Magnetically-Guided Capsule Endoscopy for the Whole Digestive Tract
2018 INNO-vation Disruptive Challenger

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.

Interview

A handy tool for easy, stress-free clinical examinations!

Naoki Ohmiya

Chief Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Medicine, Fujita Medical University

Naoki Ohmiya received his M.D. in 1988, and his Ph.D. in 1995. He was a research fellow at The Burnham Institute (San Diego, California) in 1997-8, an assistant and associate professor at the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagoya University Hospital in 2001-13, an associate professor at the Department of Gastroenterology, Fujita Health University in 2013-2015. He has been a professor and chairman of the Department of Gastroenterology at Fujita Health University. His research fields include endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of gastroduodenal diseases, capsule endoscopies, small bowel diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, fecal microbiota transplantation, molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis in the alimentary tract, and biomarker development of gastrointestinal tumors.