PillCam (endoscopic system)

2021: Start selling a system for home use

At the end of November 2021, Medtronic began mass deliveries of the video capsule endoscopy system PillCam. The company has been using the technology since 2001, but for the first time it has become available for home use. This was made possible thanks to the manufacturer's cooperation with Amazon.

Medtronic first received permission to use its capsular endoscopic system PillCam SB 3 at home, in August 2020, when a pandemic of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) reduced demand and access to planned hospital procedures. When receiving the device, the patient swallows of PillCam SB 3 which then carries out a video tour on a small intestine of the person, in passing collecting important data. The distribution partnership, which was announced in November 2021, opens up new opportunities for access to health care, especially in rural areas, and marks another strategic step for Amazon in the lucrative healthcare industry . Doctors can go to a special Amazon portal to order PillCam SB 3 from Medtronic, the device can then be delivered directly to the house to the patient. In addition to the capsule, patients receive a recorder that collects camera images, and Amazon sends it to Medtronic to analyze all the results from the device.

Endoscopic system PillCam

President of Gastrointestinal Tract Operations at Medtronic Giovanni Dee Napoli, said the company has long planned to have more technology available for home use, but COVID-19 has led to these initiatives becoming more active. Medtronic PillCam technology was also used in Europe to perform home studies of the intestinal mucosa (colonoscopies) during COVID-19. Medtronic's goal is to offer patients a wider range of devices for home gastrointestinal care, Di Napoli said.

Standard endoscopy, in which the human digestive tract is examined, requires sedation from the patient, this is an anesthesia method in which drugs are administered to the patient that contribute to drowsiness, relaxation and pain reduction. Based on this, patients are asked to come to the procedures with their partner, a relative, who is able to take them home, after this procedure. Remote endoscopy with the PillCam fixes this scheduling problem.^[1]

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