Colonoscopy procedure gets a new device and this time discomfort free. Israeli company Given Imaging designed an ingestible Pill called as PillCam to help doctors spot polyps and early signs of colon cancer. The Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has approved this device for patients who are distressed by the traditional colonoscopy procedure in which large intestine was examined with a tiny camera implanted in a four-foot long, flexible tube.

The image-beaming system comes with a Pill that has a battery-powered mini-camera and a recording device worn around patient's waist. When ingested, the camera captures high-speed images of large intestine in its eight hour course through the tract. These images are then transmitted to the recording device which are later assessed by a doctor.

A similar device was launched by Given Imaging in 2001 for small intestine but to their dismay the images were not quite as clear as the standard procedure. Hence, this system is limited to patients facing trouble with the in-office procedure or have had incomplete colonoscopies owing to anatomy issues or colon diseases. According to MorningStar analyst Debbie Wang, it was a smart tactic employed by the company to market the device as another tool in the gastrointestinal specialist's kit than a direct competitor to traditional colonoscopy.