Use of a 3-D Wireless Power Transfer Technique as a Method for Capsule Localization

Capsule endoscopy has been heralded as a technological milestone in the diagnosis and therapeutics of gastrointestinal (GI) pathologies. The location and position of the capsule within the GI tract are important information for subsequent surgical intervention or local drug delivery. Accurate information of capsule location is therefore required during endoscopy. Although radio frequency (RF)-based, magnetic tracking and video localization have been investigated in the past, the complexity of those systems and potential inaccuracy in the localization data necessitate the scope for further research. This article proposes the dual use of a wireless power transfer (WPT) configuration as a method to enable the determination of the location of an endoscopic capsule. Measurements conducted on a homogeneous agar-based liquid phantom predict a maximum error of 12% between the calculated and measured trajectories of the capsule in a working volume of 100 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm.

Automated summary

Capsule endoscopy is considered a technological breakthrough in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal pathologies. Accurately determining the capsule's location is crucial for surgical intervention or drug delivery, necessitating further research to improve localization techniques. The dual use of wireless power transfer as a method for determining capsule location shows promising results with a maximum error of 12%.