title: Wireless insufflation of the gastrointestinal tract.
abstract: Despite clear patient experience advantages, low specificity rates have thus far prevented swallowable capsule endoscopes from replacing traditional endoscopy for diagnosis of colon disease. One explanation for this is that capsule endoscopes lack the ability to provide insufflation, which traditional endoscopes use to distend the intestine for a clear view of the internal wall. To provide a means of insufflation from a wireless capsule platform, in this paper we use biocompatible effervescent chemical reactions to convert liquids and powders carried onboard a capsule into gas. We experimentally evaluate the quantity of gas needed to enhance capsule visualization and locomotion, and determine how much gas can be generated from a given volume of reactants. These experiments motivate the design of a wireless insufflation capsule, which is evaluated in ex vivo experiments. These experiments illustrate the feasibility of enhancing visualization and locomotion of endoscopic capsules through wireless insufflation.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA. jenna.gorlewicz@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Jenna L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gorlewicz
authors.forename: Santina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: Byron F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Gastone
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciuti
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerding
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Menciassi
authors.forename: Keith L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Obstein
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valdastri
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Webster
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000737:chemistry; D053705:Capsule Endoscopes; D053704:Capsule Endoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D007327:Insufflation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007422:Intestines / Q000601:surgery; D008954:Models, Biological; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013552:Swine; D059015:Wireless Technology
chemical_list: D001639:Bicarbonates; D019343:Citric Acid; D019342:Acetic Acid