BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56025 Pisa, Italy.
IEEE Rev Biomed Eng. 2011;4:59-72. doi: 10.1109/RBME.2011.2171182.
Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) can be considered an example of disruptive technology since it represents an appealing alternative to traditional diagnostic techniques. This technology enables inspection of the digestive system without discomfort or need for sedation, thus preventing the risks of conventional endoscopy, and has the potential of encouraging patients to undergo gastrointestinal (GI) tract examinations. However, currently available clinical products are passive devices whose locomotion is driven by natural peristalsis, with the drawback of failing to capture the images of important GI tract regions, since the doctor is unable to control the capsule's motion and orientation. To address these limitations, many research groups are working to develop active locomotion devices that allow capsule endoscopy to be performed in a totally controlled manner. This would enable the doctor to steer the capsule towards interesting pathological areas and to accomplish medical tasks. This review presents a research update on WCE and describes the state of the art of the basic modules of current swallowable devices, together with a perspective on WCE potential for screening, diagnostic, and therapeutic endoscopic procedures.
无线胶囊内镜 (WCE) 可以被视为一种颠覆性技术，因为它为传统诊断技术提供了一种有吸引力的替代方案。这项技术使人们无需感到不适或接受镇静即可检查消化系统，从而避免了传统内镜检查的风险，并且有可能鼓励患者接受胃肠道 (GI) 道检查。然而，目前可用的临床产品是被动设备，其运动是由自然蠕动驱动的，由于医生无法控制胶囊的运动和方向，因此无法捕捉到重要的 GI 道区域的图像。为了解决这些局限性，许多研究小组正在努力开发主动运动装置，以使胶囊内镜能够以完全受控的方式进行。这将使医生能够引导胶囊朝向有趣的病理区域，并完成医疗任务。本文对 WCE 进行了研究更新，并描述了当前可吞咽设备的基本模块的最新技术状态，以及 WCE 在筛查、诊断和治疗性内镜检查程序中的潜力。
