Feasibility and safety of a cable transmission magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy system for examination of the human upper digestive tract

摘要

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of the cable-transmitted, magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (CT-MCCE) system for examining the esophagus and stomach. METHODS: A pilot study was carried out at the endoscopy facility of Peking University First Hospital; 30 volunteers were enrolled between September and November 2022. All participants were instructed to swallow the CT-MCCE capsule. An external magnetic robot arm was utilized to manipulate the capsule endoscope with string-facilitated control of the endoscope. This study assessed gastric preparation, safety, maneuverability, and mucosal visualization. RESULTS: The participants exhibited favorable reactions to the gastric preparation and examination, with no reported adverse effects, and the average duration of the gastric examination was 29.5±6.63 minutes. The gastric cavity cleanliness assessment revealed a good rating in 25 participants (83.3%) and a moderate rating in 5 participants (11.8%). TheCT-MCCE demonstrated good maneuverability in all 30 subjects (100%).The analysis of visualization indicated that more than 75% of the gastric mucosa was discerned in 79.4% of the participants (27 individuals), whereas 50% to 75% was visualized in 20.6% of the participants (7 individuals). CONCLUSION: This study substantiates the feasibility and safety of employing magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy with cable transmission for the evaluation of human stomach and esophagus.