Toward tetherless insufflation of the GI Tract

Abstract

Toward increasing the diagnostic ability of wireless capsule endoscopy, we propose a method to wirelessly insufflate the Gastrointestinal Tract. By increasing the viewable surface area, it appears likely that capsule-based insufflation may reduce the number of false negative diagnoses made by endoscopic capsules. Our approach to wireless insufflation is to utilize controlled phase transition of a small volume of fluid stored onboard the capsule to a large volume of gas that is then emitted into the intestine. We begin by describing experiments designed to evaluate the amount of gas a capsule must produce to have a beneficial impact on visualization in the colon. We then describe experiments evaluating how much gas can be generated from a given volume of fluid, using Hydrogen Peroxide as our working fluid. We also evaluate thermal effects of the Hydrogen Peroxide reaction. The cumulative result of these experiments is an illustration of the feasibility of carrying a sufficient volume of fluid onboard a wireless capsule to generate a beneficial enhancement in visualization of the interior of the Gastrointestinal Tract, and specifically the colon.

Advanced Technologies for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

“…Another potential future power source, which promises dramatic improvement in energy density, is the use of chemofluidic phase transition to generate pneumatic pressure from a liquid. This approach has been applied in the context of endoscopic capsules and has the additional advantage that waste gas can be expelled to the environment to provide insufflation (134).…”

Wireless Insufflation of the Gastrointestinal Tract

“…In prior work, we explored the potential of using chemofluidic phase transition of hydrogen peroxide as a means for generating gas for insufflation [1]. Peroxide requires small liquid volumes to generate large gas volumes, but it is not biocompatible, and is a safety hazard if accidentally spilled on the intestine [22].…”

“… A preliminary version of the results in Section II has been previously presented at conferences [1], [2]. …”

Innovations Leading Capsule Endoscopy into the New Frontier: Screening and Therapy at Home

“…CE is a less painful and more acceptable modality for screening than colonoscopy, but the dose of the preparation (6 liters) for colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) is too much for a typical Asian person to drink. Jenna et al proposed an interesting preparation using mechanical cleansing by gas generated from a chemical reaction [19]. Several pharmaceutical companies have provided some new preparation agents such as Suprep R , Prepopick R which according to their literature are supposed to reduce the preparation dose for conventional colonoscopy.…”