May 15, 2014 — Olympus announced the commercial availability of its 510(k) cleared, next-generation Endocapsule 10 system for small bowel capsule endoscopy procedures.
Today, thousands of Americans are plagued with disorders of the small bowel, including chronic constipation or diarrhea, bleeding, infections, cancers, ulcers, obstructions, celiac and Crohn's disease, and irritable bowel syndrome among others. Advances in endoscopic technology — including capsule endoscopy — have helped physicians better detect and treat small bowel disorders at earlier stages. According to Truven Health, 137,850 outpatient capsule endoscopies were performed in the United States in 2012.1
"The new Endocapsule 10 system offers advanced, minimally invasive technology designed to improve diagnostic capabilities, procedural efficiency and patient comfort," said Luke Calcraft, president of the Medical Systems Group at Olympus Corporation of the Americas. "The system can help facilities fulfill the requirements of healthcare reform aimed at improving quality of care, decreasing costs and enhancing patient satisfaction."
Outstanding Visualization
The Endocapsule 10 system features advanced Olympus lens technology and sensitive, high-resolution image sensor technology to provide clear and vivid imaging results for fine observation of a variety of abnormalities in the small bowel. The capsule's 160-degree field-of-view sees 10 percent more mucosa than the other capsule endoscopy products featuring a 145-degree field-of-view. In addition, the new system offers a long 12-hour battery life to maximize the amount of images taken and improve exam completion rates.
Improved Efficiency
Intelligent software built into the system simplifies the reading and analysis of the captured imagery, automatically detects images that require closer inspection and indicates where each thumbnail image was captured to determine location of any detected abnormalities. A 3-D tracking function allows the system to display the capsule position inside the body to check its progress as it moves through the intestine.
Enhanced User Features
In addition to improvements in the imaging and software technologies, the system also features improvements that increase ease of use for clinicians and patients. The recorder unit is now lighter, more compact and more comfortable to wear with an improved harness and an antenna that can be worn over clothes rather than applied directly to the skin. The recorder allows quick initialization by the clinician and allows image to be viewed in real time or via download later to the system's workstation.
The Endocapsule 10 system was showcased at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2014 May 3-6 in Chicago.
For more information: www.medical.olympusamerica.com
References:
1. Data for use in this study were supplied by Truven Health Analytics Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich., ("Truven Health"). Any analysis, interpretation or conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors and Truven Health disclaims responsibility for any such analysis, interpretation or conclusion.
June 19, 2026 
