A global perspective on capsule endoscopy

Abstract

A search of the internet today to quantify the estimated value of capsules from a global perspective, easily delivers figures stating around $200 million in 2014 to about $400 million by 2020, which would be approximately 10% of the gastrointestinal endoscopic market. Is this a steep rise within just six years or could the capsule market do even better? What chances does this offer and what are the key aspects for future success? By 2020, more than 1 billion people are aged sixty or older and around one third of them will live in what the UN calls "more developed regions". Naturally, this brings an increased demand for colorectal cancer screening and surgery. But keeping in mind that basically every healthcare system, in any country, is already operating at its limits, how do we secure future treatment for a growing community? Surely more competition will steadily bring down prices for capsules. However, that does not ease the amount of time that is spent to properly read any video and issue a valid diagnosis for every patient. This article intends to give an overview about the current global market for capsule endoscopy (CE) with a perspective on typical patients, their indications, and how the capsules are used and by whom. Further aspects, such as standardization of training, reading and future trends will also be elaborated on.

Small-bowel capsule endoscopy and device-assisted enteroscopy for diagnosis and treatment of small-bowel disorders: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Guideline – Update 2022

“…Consequently, it is expected that a genuinely “panenteric” (mouth-to-anus) capsule endoscope will be available in the near future 298 . In addition, magnetically guided capsule endoscopy has been developed and clinically assessed for examination of the stomach or combined stomach and small bowel 299 300 . However, active capsules with embedded AI, microbiota or tissue sampling, or therapeutic options, are still in the early stages of development 300 .…”

“…Furthermore, emerging healthcare and societal trends may profoundly modify how we practice SBCE. For example, some capsule endoscopy manufacturers have recently obtained approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for capsule home delivery, provided that a healthcare provider accompanies patients for the procedure [300]. As a result, patients' comfort and reporting times would be significantly improved.…”

Predicting the future: introducing business analytics to endoscopy units

“…Screening colonoscopies and routine gastroscopies are usually performed in an outpatient setting in other external units. Despite this, a positive trend in demand was observed for capsule endoscopy, which was also to be expected as this is a recent procedure with increasingly well-defined indications and expanding availability for medical providers [18][19][20].…”

Introductory Chapter: Endoscopy-Novel Techniques and Recent Advancements

“…This has welcomed the implementation of virtual chromoendoscopy, color enhancement, or flexible spectral imaging. Rigorous colon preparation is required, as movements, washing, or aspiration are not possible [44]. While movement is based on bowel peristalsis or segmentation, future directions focus on systems controlled by active locomotion.…”