In an effort to advance the field of telemedicine, a robotic pill swallower developed by a startup has moved into clinical trials.
Developed by Endiatx, the PillBot is a digestible remote-controlled mini-robotic camera that could eliminate the need for invasive medical procedures.
Pillbot aims to be a virtual endoscope, or “moving eyeball in the stomach.” Thanks to its thrusters, the pistachio-sized bot moves like a multicopter drone.
California-based Endiatx says this pill-shaped camera allows patients to consult with the world’s best gastroenterologists from the comfort of their homes.
“We are currently in clinical trials with our pill bot technology. We will begin pivotal trials at a leading medical institution in the US in Q3/Q4,” Tory Smith, CEO of Endiatx, told Venturebeat.
Advances in telemedicine
Many cases of stomach cancer – 11,000 in the US and 800,000 worldwide – are diagnosed too late for effective medical intervention. They do not perform traditional upper endoscopy (EGD) due to overburdened staff and facilities.
Since its inception in 2019, Endiatx has been dedicated to making the concept of miniature robots navigating the human body a reality for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
Their pioneering product, PillBot, is an ingestible robotic capsule. Equipped with cameras, sensors and wireless communication technology, PillBot allows doctors to examine the gastrointestinal tract with extreme precision and control.
According to its creators, PillBot will save lives while easing the pressure on healthcare facilities and enabling telemedicine screening for stomach cancer for people with limited access to hospitals.
It will also allow gastrointestinal specialists to handle a larger number of patients. Endiatx claims that with PillBot, telemedicine will advance significantly and everyone will have equal access to life-saving technology.
Innovative remote diagnostics
The world’s first motorized telemedicine pill camera allows doctors to quickly see the inside of the stomach during a telemedicine session, replacing upper endoscopy (EGD).
The PillBot, which is about the size of a multivitamin pill, can move freely in the stomach using its pump jet motors. The user ingests the PillBot while awake and does not have to do anything other than skip meals and drink plenty of water.
The current prototype, measuring just 13mm by 30mm, demonstrates impressive capabilities. “It can stream high-definition video at 2.3 megapixels per second, and we have plans to quadruple that video quality soon,” Smith told VentureBeat.
Using a smartphone app, the remote doctor controls the robot in the patient’s stomach. The PillBot shuts down and leaves the body naturally within six to twenty-four hours. In addition, the team is working on using AI to make the preliminary diagnosis, after which the doctor will create a course of therapy.
Smith envisions a future in which the PillBot, which currently requires manual control from doctors for movement and camera operations, becomes fully autonomous with guidance from AI. This advance could expand its reach, potentially saving many lives through early detection and treatment of gastrointestinal problems.
The team envisions expanding the technology to study the gut, vascular system, heart, liver, brain and other parts of the body. Ultimately, they hope, this will allow hospitals to focus on more urgent medical care and surgeries.
With clinical trials underway, the company aims to secure FDA approval and commercial launch in the US by early 2026.
FOR THE EDITOR
Jijo Malail Jijo is an automotive and business journalist based in India. Armed with a BA in History (Honours) from the College of St. Stephan, University of Delhi, and a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, he has worked for news agencies, national newspapers and automotive magazines. In his spare time, he enjoys off-roading, participating in political discourse, traveling and teaching languages.
