Wireless Capsule Design and Its Locomotion and Navigation Within the Body

Endoscopy is extensively used to diagnose the gastrointestinal (GI) tract abnormalities. It is a medical process that uses flexible tube to inspect the GI tract from the mouth to the duodenum throughout the esophagus and the stomach. Colonoscopy is a similar process of endoscopy but employed to inspect the large bowel. Both colonoscopy and endoscopy cannot be used to explore the small intestine due to its length and its complexity. Wireless Capsule Endoscopy (WCE) is the key to inspect the overall small intestine. The WCE is disposable and integrated with camera in order to record its journey through the GI tract and send the images to an external receiver. The data then can be examined by the specialist to evaluate the digestive system. This chapter will be describing some of the key elements of a WCE system. This includes the uses of UWB for high-speed data transmission. It also discussed the design of sensors for temperature, pressure, and pH sensing required for the digestive system. Finally, it explores the suggested navigation techniques to guide the capsule during its locomotion.