A wireless endoscopy capsule can be used to inspect the inside of the horse’s gastro-intestinal tract.
The “ALICAM system”
capsule is 11mm in diameter and 33mm long. It contains 4 micro-cameras, mounted
at 90°
to provide a 360°panoramic view. The cameras are activated by
movement (this helps prolong the battery life and so increase the length of the
digestive tract that can be imaged.) When activated, the cameras record images
at the rate of 20 /second and store them on the capsule’s internal memory chip.
Images are only available
for inspection once the capsule has passed through the digestive tract and has
been retrieved from the manure (using radiography).
Researchers at
the University of Calgary have been studying the technique.
Five adult horses
with no signs or history of gastro-intestinal disease were included in the study.
The researchers assessed different protocols for preparing the horses and found
that the one giving most useful images was to starve the horse for 24 hours before
introducing the capsule.
Among the abnormalities identified on the images were mucosal
erosion, ulceration and haemorrhage, areas of thickened mucosa, and evidence of
parasitism.
On average, it
took 6.5 days from introduction for the capsule to be retrieved in the manure.
The researchers
conclude: “this novel endoscopic capsule appears safe, practical, and
non-invasive in horses; however, variability in capsule excretion time must be
taken into account for clinical application.”
For more details,
see:
A wireless endoscopy capsule
suitable for imaging of the equine stomach and small intestine
Mei Steinmann, Rebecca J.
Bezugley, Stephanie L. Bond, Jill S. Pomrantz, and Renaud Léguillette
J Vet Intern Med. (2020) 34(4):
1622–1630.
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