German docs develop remote-control stomach submarine Boffins in Germany were chuffed indeed yesterday, as they announced successful trials of the latest medi-tech development: swallowable, remote controlled video-cam "capsule" submarines, able to probe a patient's guts without the need for an intrusive umbilical cable running down the throat or up the bottom. Thus far, docs …
On a serious note, I have a nephew with a serious abdominal complaint who was diagnosed by swallowing a similar camera in a NHS hospital a few months ago.
Maybe if the NHS put out more press releases on stuff like this, the journos at El Reg might get round to picking them up
Who has had 'probes' at both ends (purely for medical reasons), I welcome our stomach acid proof guided submarine-lords.
And the reasons for sherbert is that it produces CO2 when mixed with water, this inflates the stomach so the sub can be moved around. Similar to a colonoscopy, where air is injected down the tube so the docs can have a bloody good look around. This is damn uncomfortable, but does produce very impressive farts on the way home.
But single use going to be kind of expensive and not on the green wagon.
So which poor smuck do they give the job of sorting it out from the rest of the cr@p (literally) Will they have special toilets like at customs that allow them to sort and look for swallowed drugs after the laxative?
The added propulsion from the sherbet after effects (think global warming and "do not expel near open flames" warning signs) should give enough power to shoot it straight through some fluid submerged brushes.
Alternatively, this strikes me (pardon the pun) as one of the better community service projects - almost guaranteed to prevent re-offending (of the convict, not of Das Uboot).
>'Naturally enough this tactic causes a certain amount of disquiet among patients (as the researchers put it, "some view endoscopy as uncomfortable, and worry about low patient compliance").'
Misinterpreted quote? I would expect something called "low patient compliance" to be a sign of disquiet among the administering doctors, not their patients.
that it would be doctors. It goes like this:
>'Naturally enough this tactic causes a certain amount of disquiet among patients (as the researchers put it, "some [doctors] view endoscopy as uncomfortable [based on patient feedback], and [these doctors] worry about low patient compliance").'
At least, that's my reading of it...
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