"In cooperation with our partner Olympus, we usher a new era in endoscopy. We believe that the magnetically guided capsule endoscope will enable quick examinations that are comfortable for the patient. This system will be an excellent addition to current methods in endoscopy, for instance within the scope of aftercare," said Hermann Requardt, CEO of Siemens Healthcare.

"As a leading manufacturer of endoscopes, Olympus is continuously working to develop products that can be used safely and with confidence. Our aim is to create endoscopes that minimize the stress on patients and that are user-friendly for physicians. Capsule endoscopes have excellent potential from these perspectives. We see this joint development project with Siemens as the realization of one of our visions for the future of capsule endoscopes," said Haruhito Morishima, President, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation.

Traditionally capsule endoscopes are moved only by peristaltic motion in the gastrointestinal tract. This often makes it difficult to guide the capsule to a specific location, and examinations are therefore limited to confined areas of the gastrointestinal tract, such as the small intestine. There are many medical cases that involve the gastrointestinal tract beyond the small intestine, and capsules designed for use in the small intestine can not be used for thorough examinations of the large internal cavity.

Siemens Healthcare and Olympus Medical Systems Corp. are therefore developing a technology that is intended to allow the physician to steer a capsule interactively to observe any location in the stomach.

Siemens Healthcare, one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, together with Olympus, the world's leading manufacturer of endoscopes and innovative solutions for many healthcare disciplines, are combining their most advanced technologies for the new project. Both companies are jointly developing the capsule endoscopy unit, the magnet guidance system, and the image processing and guidance information systems. Currently the two providers have developed a prototype which will be used to determine the safety, effectiveness and benefits of this new generation of endoscopic technology.

Features of the prototype capsule endoscope, image processing and guidance information system and guidance magnet: The capsule endoscope will be approximately 31mm long and 11mm in diameter. Camera systems mounted at both ends of the capsule are intended to allow observation inside the stomach. Real-time observation will be made possible by means of captured images, which will be transmitted to an image processing system, and guidance information on the posture of the capsule endoscope as it is navigated by magnetic guidance.

During the examination, the patient's stomach will be filled with water to provide a field of vision for the capsule endoscope and enable navigation. The patient will be positioned within the guidance magnet, placing the stomach of the patient with the capsule endoscope in the center of the system. It is anticipated that the physician will control the motion of the capsule with a joystick. It will be possible to tilt and rotate the capsule and move it horizontally and vertically. It is conceptualized that guidance magnet will generate magnet fields that vary over time, making it possible to steer the capsule as desired in real-time. The intensity of those magnetic fields is between those of magnetic resonance scanners and the basic field of the earth.

Related news articles:

• Siemens Healthcare's Profile

About Siemens Healthcare
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source - from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 48,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. In fiscal year 2009 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 11.9 billion euros and profit of around 1.5 billion euros. For further information please visit: www.siemens.com/healthcare.

About Olympus Medical Systems Corporation
Olympus developed the first gastrocamera in 1950, and has since developed a wide range of fiberscopes and videoscopes for direct internal observation of the human body. Today, we are expanding our minimally invasive treatment business to offer a wide range of instruments and peripheral devices for medical treatment and clinical diagnoses, including endoscopic surgery. We are improving medical and healthcare services by developing "more patient-friendly medical care" technology for early detection and treatment of diseases, even "greater reliability" in our unsurpassed devices, and "high efficiency" in our products and services to better serve our customers' needs. For more information about Olympus, please see the official website at http://www.olympus-global.com/en/global/.