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FDA Approves Swallowable Camera

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the bowel-cam-forthcoming dept.

Pru writes: "Over at MSNBC.. ( yah yah just ignore the first two letters) there is an interesting article about a camera that is swallowable. It transmits its pictures back wirelessly. And with price at only $450 a camera, disposable of course, it can't be too long before cameras this size are well down under $100 -- now then the fun does begin ..." Just imagine the potential for cam sites now. I imagine now in addition to the living room cam, bedroom cam, and bathroom cam, they'll have to have a colon cam.

8 of 159 comments (clear)

  1. Soon to have a colon cam? by rw2 · · Score: 4
    I thought that's what goats.ex was?

    --
    Poliglut

  2. What I wanna know is... by quartz · · Score: 4

    What flavors do they come in?

  3. Taco, read the article by RedX · · Score: 5
    I imagine now in addition to the living room cam, bedroom cam, and bathroom cam, they'll have to have a colon cam.

    From the article: "The pill won't replace colonoscopies, the exams that check for colon cancer, because the battery doesn't last long enough to get to the large intestine."

    1. Re:Taco, read the article by deglr6328 · · Score: 4

      would it be so hard to power the camera using a tiny induction coil with a beltpack transmitter?

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      - "Hear that?! The percolations are imminent! Cease your ingress!"
    2. Re:Taco, read the article by mizhi · · Score: 5

      Well, that just assumes you take the pill orally. :-)

      --
      Humorless sig goes here.
  4. Re:$20,000??! by CraigoFL · · Score: 4
    Sounds like they're using some sort of proprietary wireless communication protocol, but i haven't researched the actual product... how expensive does a computer have to be to connect to a wireless camera? It's just obvious that someone's milking a few extra grand... per-unit from the health industry

    Ok... you try swallowing a Logitech QuickCam, wireless Ethernet card, and battery, and then tell me why the thing shouldn't be proprietary.

  5. Disposable... at $450 a pop. HMOs will hate this! by hillct · · Score: 4

    Although the article clearly states:Don't worry - the camera is, well, disposable. It is excreted eight to 72 hours after being swallowed. Before then, it has beamed its pictures to an external receiver the patient wears on a waistband. I'm sure some enterprising young snot nosed HMO executive will decide that at his company thay'll recycle the cameras, requiring patients to scavenge through their feces to collect the camera, under penalty of non-couverage of the procedure. I wouldn't put it past them.

    --CTH

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    --Got Lists? | Top 95 Star Wars Line
  6. I can see it now by s20451 · · Score: 5

    How soon until we get the pop-under ads with attractive models offering to sell me a swallow-cam? See Your Lunch -- Again!

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