Current and future roles of magnetically assisted capsule endoscopy

The idea of a magnetically assisted capsule endoscopy (MACE) was first conceived by Swain in 2010. Since then, it has been applied to a variety of diagnostic cases. In a multicentre study, a Chinese group demonstrated that MACE was able to detect gastric lesions with high accuracy. Another Chinese group successfully used MACE to screen asymptomatic individuals for early upper GI cancers. One UK group also found MACE to be very accurate for screening Barrett’s esophagus. The MACE was also found to be capable of stratifying patients with suspected upper GI bleeding for early discharge. Recently, an European group succeeded in achieving magnetically actuated capsule navigation of a colonoscopy platform. Several groups have developed MACE that is capable of performing tissue biopsies. Our group has invented a therapeutic capsule that can induce weight loss. To lose weight, the subject ingests the magnetic balloon capsule. Once the magnetic capsule reaches the subject’s stomach, an external hand-held magnet triggers a chemical reaction, which releases carbon dioxide to inflate the balloon. The balloon can be deflated with the same external magnet, which triggers escape of the carbon dioxide. The deflated capsule is then excreted from the intestine. An external magnetic sensor is used to confirm the location of the balloon capsule so that it can be precisely inflated within the stomach.