Scientists begin clinical trials of Pillbot tablet
Endiatx has started clinical trials of the PillBot, a robotic capsule that will allow doctors to remotely examine the patient’s GI. A person can be examined without visiting a hospital, being in a comfortable home environment.
PillBot is a robotic pill that, once in the human stomach by swallowing, acts as a virtual endoscope. This allows a gastroenterologist to perform a gastrointestinal examination via videoconference with just a phone call, without requiring the patient to visit a hospital or undergo anesthesia.
In the future, the company plans to expand PillBot's functionality by adding tools for removing polyps, stopping bleeding, sampling the microbiome and collecting biopsy samples. Interestingly, the development roadmap for this innovative product also calls for a series of increasingly smaller and increasingly broader robotic surgeons for use inside the human body.
The advantages of this technology include the ability to provide immediate diagnosis anywhere with minimal invasiveness (trauma). However, the company is already saying that the time will surely come when an army of robots the size of a grain of rice will be able to operate while humans perform their normal daily work. Apparently, the PillBot clinical trial is just the first step towards creating remote diagnosis and treatment that will become the new standard.
It is noted that this technology, developed by endiatx, can be applied to other fields, not just medicine. For example, for internal inspection of pipelines, including those located underwater, and other hard-to-reach places.