PillCam capsule endoscopy has been in use for more than 20 years. Medtronic won FDA clearance for the PillCam Small Bowel (SB) 3 system for remote endoscopy procedures in late 2021. The technology is delivered straight to a patient and, via a telehealth appointment, a provider guides the patient through the remote procedure.

Over the course of an eight-hour procedure, the PillCam SB3 capsule transmits approximately 50,000 images securely to the cloud. There, a GI physician can assess the images to make a diagnosis for conditions ranging from Crohn’s disease to obscure bleeding to small bowel abnormality. The patient then returns the data recorder and sensor belt to Medtronic.