Benefits of pill-sized camera displayed

Abu Dhabi: A wireless technology involving a capsule camera, about the size of a large vitamin pill, which helps to detect gastrointestinal problems when ingested was demonstrated by experts at a conference organised by Abu Dhabi police on Saturday.

The procedure, called capsule endoscopy, has been around since the 1990s, but wireless technology that simplifies the process is being put to use for the first time in the region, officials said.

Titled "Abu Dhabi conference for capsule endoscopy", the two-day event that ends on Sunday was put together by the Medical Services department at the police.

"Capsule endoscopy is preferred by many patients in the UAE due to cultural or religious reasons," Dr Sameh Fakhry of Abu Dhabi Police told Gulf News. This procedure involves swallowing a pill that contains a camera which transmits images to a small data recorder (that the patient wears around his waist) as the capsule moves naturally through the digestive tract. It helps diagnose gastrointestinal conditions such as obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, malabsorption, chronic abdominal pain and chronic diarrhoea.

Revolution

"Endoscopy has no doubt revolutionised the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases. There are various procedures for diagnosis of the intestine like a gastrointestinal endoscopy which is done through the mouth to view the internal organs"

"Although capsule endoscopy is not a standard procedure for colon in medical guidelines, patients here prefer it due to other reasons. Most people decline any kind of examination by the rectum. Females prefer to be examined by female doctors only and so on. Thus this technology is an additional tool for the health care system," explained Dr Fakhry.

The conference featured about 35 lectures delivered by eminent experts from several countries. Two live demonstrations were organised - wireless capsule endoscopy for small intestine and capsule endoscopy for the colon. As patients ingested capsules under the supervision of doctors, live feed was broadcast into the conference room.