While noncompliance with procedures such as colonoscopies may be driven by any number of reasons, it is difficult — at least for anyone who has undergone such examinations — to discount the possibility that the procedure’s discomfort and embarrassment are the primary hindrances to adherence.
Avoiding such problems is the raison d’tere of the swallowable pillcam. As Medgadget describes their appliance (Nemo),
The objective of the NEMO project is to increase patient compliance with currently recommended screening guidelines by developing an advanced cancer screening system that is patient-friendly, highly sensitive and specific for early detection of cancer. To achieve this NEMO will converge optical technologies with nano-technologies, biosensing & maneuvering technologies to create a unique PillCam capsule endoscope capable of secretion analysis and the detection of marked and deep tissue disorders. The consortium believes the combination of the image and molecular analysis to mark the tumor may provide a novel and effective medical device for mass screening for GI cancer
The device travels through the esophagus in about three minutes, images are transmitted to a recorder belt worn by the patient, and the pillcam passes through the GI tract within 24-72 hours.
Commentary
About damn time