In the near future, you may
among the privileged to swallow a SmartPill pH.p Capsule and have it diagnose a host of gastric problems as it wends
its way through your digestive tract. The pill, expected to be available later this year, can transmit gastric data to
a wireless receiver, avoiding the need for gastric emptying Scintigraphy, a procedure that exposes the patient to
radiation. While this and
other smart pills
may make us a little queasy, we still prefer them to the alternative, and we eagerly await SmartPill's planned
improvements to the pH.p capsule, which the company says will make it a viable alternative to that other quaint tool
used to check gastric problems: an endoscopy.
[Via
Strange New Products]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
GeeksAreSexy @ Jan 17th 2006 2:27PM
That's great. I got poisoned once 10 years ago by eating something nasty, and I had to go through that.. it was awful. If only this device could have been invented back then :(
Eric @ Jan 17th 2006 2:32PM
Except that the "pill" is more like an "oil filter" who could swallow that?
Dave Zatz @ Jan 17th 2006 2:47PM
Great way to reuse those Rio Carbon casings that were headed for the landfill.
Antonio Hern?ez @ Jan 17th 2006 3:10PM
Yeah, great, wait till they invent the smat supositorium!
Prof. Farnsworth @ Jan 17th 2006 3:27PM
This is uncomfortable and humiliating. Now, if only they could put it in suppository form...
Michael @ Jan 17th 2006 4:10PM
This is the NEXT step in Gastro Tech! My father is a Gastroenterologist and has used the M2A (Mouth to Anus) pill since it was 1st avalible (he was one of the 1st testers) He said that this new pill will make it even easier to diagnos and even treat without sadition and a scope!
Adam @ Jan 17th 2006 4:12PM
I had to swallow a camera pill (which didn't find the problem) and ended up having to have an endoscopy anyway. I'd much rather take the pill, no matter how big it is. (assuming it works next time)
Lewis Salem @ Jan 18th 2006 9:52AM
Bravo! As somebody with a digestive disease, I can't wait until colonoscopies are hopefully replaced by pill camera endoscopy.
Believe me folks, as you get older theres a good chance you'll have to have one of these procedures as colon cancer is the third most prevalent cancer.
John Commenter @ Jan 18th 2006 10:24AM
Oh for crissake. It's not a camera, and it's not new.
It's called a Heidelberg capsule (if it does pH). It dates from the mid-60's, of course this one has up-to-date telemetry electronics. The first radio pills went down around 1957.
Jes @ Jan 18th 2006 1:56PM
Do you have to... retrieve it when you're... "done" with it?
-Jesse
Refik @ Jan 22nd 2006 5:50PM
I guess my mom would love this, she hates the standard gastric method of detection. Well, well, science makes everything possible :)..
Leslie @ Apr 13th 2006 4:16PM
Seeking anyone who has knowledge of the clinical use of the Heidelberg pH capsule prior to May 1976. Personal experience, old journal ad or article..any assistance greatly appreciated.