Current developments in the field of video capsule endoscopy

Background Video capsule endoscopy is a central component of small intestine diagnostics and has also gained in importance in the upper gastrointestinal tract and colon. Objectives Overview of the current technical developments and innovative methodologies in capsule-based diagnostic systems and their effects on diagnostic pathways and expansion of their indication areas. Materials and methods Evaluation of current literature and sources from PubMed (R) and ClinicalTrial.gov (both: U.S. National Library of Medicine (R), Bethesda, MD, USA) and German Register of Clinical Trials. Results Numerous technical innovations enable high-resolution endoluminal panoramic imaging. Computer-aided image analysis has significantly accelerated the evaluation. Colon and upper gastrointestinal tract are new possible indication areas. Robot-assisted magnetic-controlled video capsule endoscopy and artificial intelligence could accelerate this development. The HemoPill (R) acute (Ovesco Endoscopy, Tubingen, Germany) is a novel non-imaging capsule system for the photometric detection of blood/hematin in the upper gastrointestinal tract and small intestine. Conclusions Video capsule systems are becoming increasingly important in enteral diagnostics. Through automation and artificial intelligence, they have the potential to become non-invasive alternatives to endoscopy. The novel, photometric HemoPill (R) acute could become a crucial tool in the diagnosis of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract and small intestine.