An Intelligent Wired Capsule for the Treatment of Helicobacter pylori

Abstract

An endoscopic capsule is a miniaturized ingestible video camera used to acquire images of the gastrointestinal tract wirelessly. Being morphologically equivalent to any ingestible pill, they can be simply swallowed. Endoscopic capsules therefore present an inviting alternative to the traditional endoscope for the examination of the gastrointestinal tract as well for therapeutic purposes. Endoscopic capsules are considered a disruptive technology, as they have revolutionized the examination of the gastrointestinal tract in a relatively short time. The implementation of an active locomotion system can improve the performance of a capsule and, in the solution proposed in this paper, allows providing the capsule the needed power for therapeutic purposes. Alternative therapeutic solutions, based on optical solutions and capsule endoscopy can be applied to patients affected by Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium of the stomach that affects about half of the world population, mainly in developing countries. The infection can be asymptomatic or associated with slight symptomatology. In some cases, it can take to major pathologies or death. The literature reports results deriving from recent applications of photodynamic treatments to H. pylori. Specific wavelengths have been found to exhibit photo-killing capabilities toward the bacterium. Some solutions have been proposed based on the use of endoscopic devices and capsules capable of administering photodynamic therapy inside the stomach. The proposed treatments, however, are invasive and insufficient to achieve long-term eradication. In this work, the administration of photodynamic therapy is proposed, aimed at the eradication of H. pylori by means of an active endoscopic capsule with LED emission. The capsule design, in addition to the therapeutic module aimed at administering an appropriate light intensity at specific wavelengths already demonstrated in the literature, integrates an active locomotion system aimed at maximizing the efficiency of the treatment.