Pillbot: A Virtual Endoscope

Have you ever wondered what if the entire process of endoscopy which traditionally requires a tube to be inserted into the digestive tract– could be replaced by simply swallowing a pill?. When a person experience stomach pain, vomiting and blood in their stool it may be indicative of an intestinal illness but to exactly determine the exact cause, doctors need to see the intestine visually and it is only be done through an endoscopy, in contemporary medicine– a procedure that involves a flexible tube equipped with a tiny camera, light and an incision to examine the gastrointestinal tract and to take biopsies when required. For upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, a local anesthetic may be applied to numb the throat before inserting the endoscope through the mouth. During the procedure, the inserted endoscope transfer images to the monitor, enabling doctors to best examine the gastrointestinal tract for issues such as inflammation, ulcers, or tumors. This invasive procedure often performed with biopsies that help to diagnose various digestive infections and diseases within the digestive tract. Although, medical science has advanced so much over the years that it no longer requires the classical approach of endoscopy, it is expected to be replaced by what is called PillBot.

Pillbot: A Tiny Robotic Capsule

Pillbot is basically an ingestible robotic capsule: equipped with cameras, sensors and wireless technology communication chip, it enables doctors to perform diagnostic procedures of the gastrointestinal tract with amazing precision and control.

It’s a tiny capsule that is taken by the patient by mouth through the esophagus to help multiple diagnosis, due to a non -invasive procedure and low in cost can be performed by the gasteronoloigist from any remote part of the world using an internet connection, as the Pillbot devise (capsule) contains a tiny camera inside it, which transmits live feed to the doctor who performs the procedure similar to an endoscopy.

The pillbot which is equivalent the size of a multivitamin capsule can move around in the stomach freely with the help of pumpjet thrusters. The patient doesn’t need to be sedated prior to the procedure except skipping of meals. The latest prototype is 13 mm by 30mm in size, and transmits high resolution video at a rate of 2.3 megapixels per second. The doctor can control the robot within the patient’s stomach, by using a mobile-app. After Pillbot shuts down, within six to twenty-four hours, it flushed out of the body naturally.

Pillbot under clinical trials

Pillbot was first presented at the annual TED conference in Vancouver in April last year, developed by the California based startup Endiatx by its co-founder Vivek Kumbhari, who’s also a professor of medicine in the US. Diagnostic procedures performed by PillBot and its AI-powered successors will identify diseases such as stomach cancer – which claims some 800,000 lives globally each year – early enough to intervene and save lives. Pillbot is under clinical trials in the US and it’s hoped that it will receive FDA approval for mass use by early 2026.

Pillbot is a tiny camera swallowable robotic device that will eliminate the invasive endoscopic procedures in the future. The California based startup Endiatx claimed that being a “virtual endoscope” in the stomach, will ultimately enable the patients to consult with leading gastroenterologists remotely, virtually from the comfort of their homes.

PillBot to Revolutionize Endoscopic Procedures

It is no doubt that pillbot will revolutionize the way endoscopic procedures being done today to diagnose the digestive tract. It’s a fact that with the rapid growth in population worldwide, there is a huge burden on healthcare centers to timely diagnose the stomach cancers.

Only in US, 11,000 and 800,000 worldwide— cases of stomach cancer are diagnosed too late for effective medical intervention. In UK, a report published by the BBC has revealed that between September 2023 and August 2024, about 58 percent of cancer cases were diagnosed at an early stage and it was made possible only due to the rapid advancements in technology, adopting modern techniques in diagnosis and an increased public awareness.

In Pakistan cancer statistics are alarming, cancer cases are on the rise, due to the lifestyle and environmental changes. In a report published by the National Cancer Registry in 2023, around 269,000 cancer cases were reported between 2015 and 2019. Breast cancer was found to be the most common type of cancer in Pakistan, accounting for 38% of all cases.

Other common types of cancer included mouth cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer. In-another report, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2024, 185,748 new cancer cases were reported in Pakistan in 2022, with deaths around 118,631 including both genders. The IARC is a body that work works under the

WHO, had published its report that covers 185 countries and 36 cancers, last year.

Alarmingly, IARC has predicted that more than 35 million new cancer cases are expected globally in 2050- a 77 percent increase from the estimated 20 million cases that were presented worldwide in 2022. Pakistan has no exception, according to the IARC, breast cancer was the leading cause of deaths in the country, followed by lip, oral cavity and lung cancers. Among men, of the 87,568 cancer cases presented, lip and oral cavity cancer was the leading cancer followed by the lung and colorectum cancers.

The IARC Global Cancer Observatory revealed that 10 types of cancer collectively comprised around two thirds of new cancer cases and deaths worldwide in 2022. With lung cancer was the most commonly presented cancer globally with 2.5 million new cases that accounts for 12.4 percent. So, in light of the above statistics, Pillbot is seen as an alternative robotic procedure to the Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy.

If Pillbot’s clinical trials are successfully completed and it receives approval by the FDA for mass production, with its low cost and easy accessibility, it will eventually help in early diagnosis of cancers, saving hundreds of thousand precious lives worldwide.\

A life saving technology

PillBot will not only help overcome the burden on healthcare providers, but also become an affordable option for those who cannot pay for costly endoscopic procedures, eventually saving millions of lives through early diagnosis of cancer. The most unique feature of this robotic device will prove to be its easy access to everyone, enabling gastroenterologists to perform a large number of procedures. With advancements in AI, one can expect that one day PillBot operations will become fully autonomous with the help of AI. If this happens, it would certainly expand its access, saving countless lives with early diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal issues.

Why India is adopting Pillbot?

India has witnessed the highest numbers of Upper GI procedures, with approximately 3.1 million endoscopy procedures performed by the end of 2024. Given this huge demand for endoscopic procedures, India has been compelled to conduct clinical trials of PillBot to determine its effectiveness in collaboration with Endiatx. PillBot technology is being utilized in India for clinical trials, and health professionals are committed to reducing its cost to as low as $35 when produced on a mass scale.

Pakistan stands out in gastroenterology

Pakistan is also at par when it comes to gastroenterology, because we have the world’s top gastroenterologists in our country. Dr. Aasim Yusuf and his exceptionally talented team have successfully led the Endoscopic Unit at Shaukat Khanum Hospital, facilitating timely diagnoses for thousands of patients presenting with precancerous symptoms.With over 30 years of dedication, Dr. Asim has spearheaded the Gastroenterology department and played a pivotal role in leading the hospital to remarkable growth and success. Dr. Asim, along with his team of young and senior gastroenterologists, has been tirelessly working day and night to help thousands of cancer patients with timely diagnosis. The Endoscopy Unit at Shaukat Khanum Hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, where primary and advanced endoscopy procedures are being successfully performed. Dr. Asim has dedicated his services to cancer patients at Shaukat Khanum Hospital for the past 30 years. During this period, he has held various responsibilities at the hospital, playing a pivotal role in shaping its strategic direction. As the Chief Medical Officer at Shaukat Khanum, he has developed a dynamic team of thousands of healthcare professionals who will continue to provide international-standard cancer diagnosis and treatment facilities in Pakistan for years to come. Dr. Asim is considered one of the top gastroenterologists in Pakistan, particularly in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Thanks to his efforts, Shaukat Khanum Hospital has become a model hospital for cancer treatment, not only in Pakistan but also in South Asia. It is a testament to Dr. Asim and his team’s hard work that Shaukat Khanum Hospital has been accredited twice by the Joint Commission International, a global organization that evaluates healthcare centers based on international standards and criteria, and issues certificates accordingly.

Why shouldn’t Pakistan adopt this technology, given its population of over 240 million, half of whom live in rural areas with limited access to quality healthcare and diagnosis?.

The country also reports the second-largest number of lip, oral cavity, and lung cancer cases (87,568). Why wouldn’t the health ministry, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, focus on implementing a policy to run clinical trials of this robotic technology? I think the time has come to take action!