A pill-swallowing robot made by a startup is entering clinical trials to advance the field of telemedicine.
Endiatx has created the PillBot, a remote-controlled ingestible mini-robotic camera that can replace the need for invasive medical treatments.
According to California-based Endiatx, this pill-shaped camera allows patients to consult with leading gastroenterologists around the world from the comfort of their own homes.
Many cases of stomach cancer—11,000 in the United States and 800,000 worldwide—are detected too late for effective treatment.
They don’t do traditional upper endoscopy (EGD) because the staff and facilities are overcrowded
According to its developers, PillBot will save lives while easing the burden on healthcare institutions, enabling telemedicine screening for stomach cancer for those with limited access to hospitals.
This will also allow gastroenterologists to treat more patients. Endiatx promises that PillBot will dramatically advance telemedicine and provide equitable access to life-saving technologies.
Innovative remote diagnostics
The world’s first motorized telemedicine tablet camera allows doctors to instantly view the inside of the stomach during a telemedicine session, replacing upper endoscopy (EGD).
PillBot, which is about the size of a multivitamin pill, can move freely throughout the stomach thanks to its pumpjets. The user swallows the PillBot while awake, and the only preparation required is to skip meals and drink plenty of water.
The current prototype, which measures about 13 mm x 30 mm, demonstrates extraordinary potential.
The remote doctor uses a smartphone app to control the robot in the patient’s stomach. In addition, the team is working on using AI to make a preliminary diagnosis, after which the doctor will develop a treatment plan.
Smith envisions a future in which the PillBot, currently controlled manually by doctors for mobility and camera operations, becomes fully autonomous with AI supervision.
This breakthrough has the potential to extend its reach and save many lives through early diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.
The team hopes to expand the technology to analyze the colon, vascular system, heart, liver, brain and other areas of the body. Ultimately, they expect this will allow hospitals to focus on more critical medical care and operations.
