Patency and Agile capsules

World J Gastroenterol. 2008 Sep 14;14(34):5269-73. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.5269.

Abstract

Small bowel strictures can be missed by current diagnostic methods. The Patency capsule is a new non-endoscopic dissolvable capsule which has as an objective of checking the patency of digestive tract, in a non-invasive manner. The available clinical trials have demonstrated that the Patency capsule is a good tool for assessment of the functional patency of the small bowel, and it allows identification of those patients who can safely undergo a capsule endoscopy, despite clinical and radiographic evidence of small-bowel obstruction. Some cases of intestinal occlusion have been reported with the Patency capsule, four of them needed surgery. So, a new capsule with two timer plugs (Agile capsule) has been recently developed in order to minimize the risk of occlusion. This new device stars its dissolution process earlier (30 h after ingestion) and its two timer plugs have been designed to begin the disintegration even when the device is blocked in a tight stricture.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Capsule Endoscopes* / adverse effects
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Constriction, Pathologic
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Obstruction / diagnosis
  • Intestine, Small / pathology