Video-pill cameras offer potential for cancer detection

New swallowable video-pill camera technology is being developed by UK researchers in order to facilitate the diagnosis of cancer.

The University of Glasgow have created a new video-pill that incorporates fluorescent light technology to expand its diagnostic capabilities, using an advanced semiconductor single-pixel imaging technique.

It is small and power-efficient enough to image the entire human gastrointestinal tract for up to 14 hours, making it possible to help track antibodies used to label cancer in the human body.

Previous versions of the technology have relied on a small light source, restricting clinicians to conclusions based on what they can see in the spectrum of visible light.

Professor David Cumming, the University of Glasgow's chair of electronic systems, said: "We've played an important role in developing the technology behind video-pill systems, and this is an exciting new development, which offers a valuable new resource for gastrointestinal imaging."

He added that the team is in early talks with industry partners to find a way of bringing the product to market.