It seems that PillCam, the gastrointestinal video capsule, is getting a techno boost:
Boise, Idaho, January 17, 2005 – Micron Technology, Inc., today announced that design enhancements have led to the introduction of a new product from the global leader in patient-friendly solutions for the gastrointestinal community – Given Imaging (www.givenimaging.com). Given’s PillCam ™ ESO, the swallowable diagnostic device which takes high-quality, high-speed photos as it passes through a patient’s esophagus, has been granted FDA approval and will be making its way into use in medical centers immediately. Micron’s new CMOS sensor, embedded in the PillCam, features a higher frame-rate than the original PillCam SB design. With one sensor at either end, and a frame rate 7-times that of the SB version, the new PillCam ESO (for ESOphagus) transmits 14 pictures-per-second to a receiver worn by the patient. The added capabilities dramatically increase the system performance and will enable medical professionals to diagnose throat disease and related ailments in the esophageal passage.
Micron is the exclusive provider of the CMOS image sensors inside both of the PillCam designs.