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Review
. 2016 May;9(3):313-21.
doi: 10.1177/1756283X16633052. Epub 2016 Feb 21.

Current and future role of magnetically assisted gastric capsule endoscopy in the upper gastrointestinal tract

Hey-Long Ching  1 , Melissa Fay Hale  1 , Mark Edward McAlindon  1
Affiliations
Review

Current and future role of magnetically assisted gastric capsule endoscopy in the upper gastrointestinal tract

Hey-Long Ching et al. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2016 May.

Abstract

Capsule endoscopy first captivated the medical world when it provided a means to visualize the small bowel, which was previously out of endoscopic reach. In the subsequent decade and a half we continue to learn of the true potential that capsule endoscopy has to offer. Of particular current interest is whether capsule endoscopy has any reliable investigative role in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Much research has already been dedicated to enhancing the diagnostic and indeed therapeutic properties of capsule endoscopy. Specific modifications to tackle the challenges of the gut have already been described in the current literature. In the upper gastrointestinal tract, the capacious anatomy of the stomach represents one of many challenges that capsule endoscopy must overcome. One solution to improving diagnostic yield is to utilize external magnetic steering of a magnetically receptive capsule endoscope. Notionally this would provide a navigation system to direct the capsule to different areas of the stomach and allow complete gastric mucosal examination. To date, several studies have presented promising data to support the feasibility of this endeavour. However the jury is still out as to whether this system will surpass conventional gastroscopy, which remains the gold standard diagnostic tool in the foregut. Nevertheless, a minimally invasive and patient-friendly alternative to gastroscopy remains irresistibly appealing, warranting further studies to test the potential of magnetically assisted capsule endoscopy. In this article the authors would like to share the current state of magnetically assisted capsule endoscopy and anticipate what is yet to come.

Keywords: MACE; MGCE; capsule endoscopy; gastrointestinal; magnetic; oesophagus; stomach.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The Mirocam-Navi system.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Olympus and Siemens magnetically assisted capsule endoscopy system. (Reprinted with permission from Rey et al. [2012].)
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
The Ankon magnetic navigation system.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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