Magnetic Capsule Endoscopy

Guided by magnetic force, this sensor with tiny dimensions can be used to assess humans' and other animals' gut health. It's a non-invasive solution for current colonoscopy and endoscopy procedures, which are complex, costly, and pain-inducing. The sensor contains an internal magnet, a wireless transmitter, a camera, and a microprocessor and requires a Spherical Actuator Magnetic Manipulator (SAMM) hovering over the body to control the magnetic colonoscopy sensor through the gastrointestinal tract.

Different sensor designs exist, some are shaped liked a pill and are ingested, others are coupled with a flexible compliant tether, directed via a front-pull mechanism. Once the sensor is inside the body, the SAMM, which is comprised of robotic arms with a powerful magnetic device, is used to carefully and contactlessly locate the sensor inside the body and guide it through the digestive tract at the necessary speed instead of relying on the natural peristalsis like current capsule endoscopy. The data and footage collected are exported to a machine learning platform that allows for closer analysis of internal crevices and potential malignant tissue growth.