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. 2025 Mar 31;4(2):94-102.
doi: 10.1002/hcs2.70010. eCollection 2025 Apr.

Feasibility and Safety of a Novel Cable-Transmitted Magnetically Controlled Capsule Endoscopy System for Upper Gastrointestinal Examination

Ke Meng  1 , Yan Li  1 , Bin Yan  1 , Fei Pan  1 , Jingshuang Yan  2 , Guanzhou Zhou  2 , Haixu Chen  3 , Xiaomei Zhang  1
Affiliations

Feasibility and Safety of a Novel Cable-Transmitted Magnetically Controlled Capsule Endoscopy System for Upper Gastrointestinal Examination

Ke Meng et al. Health Care Sci. .

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of a novel cable-transmitted magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (CT-MCE) system for upper gastrointestinal examination.

Methods: Twenty-six participants (19 healthy volunteers and seven patients with gastrointestinal symptoms) willing to undergo upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were recruited. Each participant underwent CT-MCE followed by conventional gastroscopy within 24 h. Maneuverability and visibility of the CT-MCE capsule in the upper gastrointestinal tract, adverse events, and discomfort during the procedure were evaluated. The sensitivity and specificity of CT-MCE for diagnosing upper gastrointestinal lesions were evaluated using conventional gastroscopy findings as the standard.

Results: Maneuverability was graded as "good" for all segments of the esophagus. The percentage of participants in which maneuverability was good according to gastric region was as follows: cardia (100.00%), pylorus (96.15%), angulus (92.31%), antrum (88.46%), fundus (84.62%), and body (73.08%). In the duodenal bulb and descending duodenum, it was good in only 20.83% and 16.67% of participants, respectively. Visibility was graded as "excellent" or "good" in the esophagus, Z line, and duodenal bulb in all participants; excellent/good visibility was achieved in the stomach and descending duodenum in 96.15% and 79.17% of participants, respectively. Forty-one lesions were detected overall. The sensitivity and specificity of CT-MCE in diagnosing upper gastrointestinal lesions were 85.00% and 98.15%, respectively. The CT-MCE capsule was successfully removed through the mouth in all participants. No serious adverse events or capsule retention occurred.

Conclusions: CT-MCE showed good feasibility and safety for upper gastrointestinal examination. The system was effective in examining the esophagus and stomach with no risk of capsule retention.

Keywords: capsule endoscopy; diagnostic accuracy; gastrointestinal examination; gastroscopy; safety.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The cable‐transmitted magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (CT‐MCE) system. (A) Capsule of the CT‐MCE system; (B) image processor; and (C) mechanical arm for magnetic field control (blue arrow) and cable control device (red arrow).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The capsule endoscope of the cable‐transmitted magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (CT‐MCE) system. (A) The appearance of the capsule endoscope; (B) the small diameter of this capsule endoscope; and (C) the internal components of capsule endoscopy: built‐in permanent magnet and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Flow chart of the study. CT‐MCE, cable‐transmitted magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The cable‐transmitted magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (CT‐MCE) examination. The movement of the capsule in the upper gastrointestinal tract was controlled by the mechanical arm operated by the endoscopist.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The cable‐transmitted magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (CT‐MCE) images of the landmarks of the upper gastrointestinal tract. (A) Esophagus; (B) Z line of the gastroesophageal junction; (C) cardia; (D) retroversion view of the body; (E) angulus; (F) antrum; (G) pylorus; and (H) ampulla of Vater.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Findings by both the cable‐transmitted magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (CT‐MCE) and gastroscopy. (A, B) Reflux esophagitis; (C, D) gastric polyp; (E, F) gastric erosion; and (G, H) duodenal ulcer.
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