Getting an Inside Look: Given Imaging’s Camera Pill

The factors which makes Iddan, an engineer with no medical background, to pioneer the development of wireless endoscopy are he as an electo-optical engineer and was working on developing the “eye” of guided missile to its target. His friend at boston gave him information about technology used for viewing the interior lining of the digestive system which had lots of limitations, specially with viewing the small intestine. This small intestine causes serious disorders and only in United States approximately 19 million people suffer from disorders. Existing technology like X-ray and endo-scopes were unable to identify or investigate about small intestine. So the only option left was surgery and which was very crucial if the physician does not know which part of the small intestine is affected. So his friend encourages him to come up with better technology. Due to technology revolution after decade small video cameras which uses image sensors like CCDS (Charge coupled devices) has been developed. With his knowledge from developing the eye of guided missile he tried to make small missile like device which could travel through the intestine without a life line leading to the outside of the body and transmit images wirelessly to a receiver outside of the body. He has also done small experiment on chicken with his developed camera and as he succeeds he got more encouragement but he found battery of that camera get exhausted in few minutes. So he developed a prototype CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductors) which only consume a fraction of power then CCD and applied for an initial patent on this camera device. Gaviel Meron the CEO of Applitec Ltd., company which makes small endoscopic cameras had founded Given Imaging (GI – gastrointestinal, V – video, EN – endoscopy) to develop and market the technology.