New endoscopy treatment introduced at hospital

A new piece of technology that provides a less invasive way of examining the small bowel has been introduced at a Birmingham hospital, making it the first of its kind in the Midlands.

Sutton Coldfield's Good Hope Hospital has started using the small capsules, known as Genius, which contain a camera and light.

Once swallowed, the capsule takes photos as it travels through the intestines, and is designed to detect bowel disease.

Rachel Hilmo, a co-lead on the launch, said: "We are proud to be part of testing new innovations that make a genuine difference to patient experience, and it feels like we are on the cusp of a big step forward in this field."

Explaining how the device works, she said: "As it travels through the small bowel, it takes thousands of pictures that help us identify conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or the causes of iron deficiency anaemia.

"Traditionally, patients have had to wear a bulky belt and carry a crossbody bag with a small computer that receives the images.

She said it could feel "quite restrictive and uncomfortable", adding that some patients did not want to go out in public while wearing it.

"The Genius system replaces this with a discreet adhesive patch placed on the abdomen, which contains all the necessary technology to receive and store the images, which is more comfortable and convenient for patients," she said.

"They can get on with their normal day-to-day activities without feeling self-conscious."

Once the photos have been taken, patients return the patch to the hospital the next day so staff can download the data.

The long-term aim is for the technology to transmit information directly to a secure cloud-based system, allowing clinicians to review results remotely and reducing the need for hospital visits.

Feedback from the initial patients, along with the clinical team's evaluation, will help shape how the technology could be rolled out more widely across the hospital's endoscopy services.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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