Crohn's Disease

Capsule Endoscopy

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Pill-sized Camera Produces Images of the Small Intestine

Capsule endoscopy expands Mayo Clinic's capabilities to detect unexplained bleeding and other gastrointestinal problems. This procedure was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001.

Approximately the size of a large vitamin, the capsule includes a miniature color video camera, a light, a battery and transmitter. Images captured by the video camera are transmitted to a number of sensors attached to the patient's torso and recorded digitally on a recording device similar to a Walkman that is worn around the patient's waist.

The patient swallows the capsule with a drink of water. After about eight hours (the time it takes for the capsule to move through the small intestine) the recorder is removed from the patient and the information it contains downloaded onto a computer for examination. Capsule endoscopy enables physicians to look at the entire 30 feet of the small intestine, not just the four to five feet that can be visualized with other types of endoscopy. This ability to visualize the colon in ways not possible with traditional endoscopy allows Mayo physicians to more accurately and aggressively determine the course of treatment for patients.

Capsule endoscopy not a substitute for regular endoscopy, a procedure in which long flexible black tubes with lights are inserted through the mouth and into the digestive tract. Rather it serves as an additional diagnostic tool for patients who have been suffering from unexplained GI disorders, such as bleeding. It can also be used to evaluate conditions of the small bowel that cause diarrhea, pain or weigh loss, such as Crohn's disease.