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BookmarkScienceDaily (Mar. 29, 2005) — DALLAS - March 17, 2005 - Diagnosing inflammation, pre-cancerous changes or dilated veins in the esophagus is now as easy as taking a pill - a pill housing miniature video cameras.
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UT Southwestern Medical Center is the first in Dallas to acquire the PillCam ESO technology. It allows doctors to quickly and easily assess the presence of esophageal diseases such erosive esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus and esophageal varices.
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration late last year, the PillCam ESO is a smooth plastic capsule about the size of a large vitamin pill with video cameras on each end, equipped with a battery and internal light source.
After the patient lies down, the PillCam ESO is swallowed and glides through the esophagus, taking about 2,600 color pictures (14 per second). The patient gradually sits up to aid its progression down the esophagus, while the photographs are transmitted to a recording device and then viewed on a computer screen. The single-use capsule is passed naturally in less than 24 hours.
"The main use of the PillCam ESO right now is to find pre-cancerous changes in the esophaguses of patients who had had acid reflux for more than five years," said Dr. Charles Ulrich, associate professor of internal medicine. "It also can be used to find varices or dilated veins, and there are a number of other applications under investigation."
