The capsule developed by the scientists is small, measuring only 12.5 mm in diameter, and can be swallowed and retrieved after an endoscopy, according to the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Despite its small size, the capsule is equipped with integrated dual imaging technologies. It is equipped with optical coherent tomography (OCT), which allows for micrometric-resolution observation of the structure of the esophageal mucosa. It also features optoacoustic microscopy, which maps the vascular network of the esophageal tissue to a depth of 1.5 mm, based on the light absorption of hemoglobin.
The capsule scans the entire esophagus at a 360-degree angle with very high accuracy.
Experiments have shown that the capsule has a high ability to differentiate between normal tissue, metastases, heterogeneity, and early stages of esophageal cancer, with an accuracy of up to 91%.
The capsule's developers indicate that this technology could become a promising alternative to painful surgical biopsies for detecting esophageal cancer, but its widespread use still requires further testing, and it can be applied without the need for anesthesia.