So while working at work (amazing, I know) I was listening to a radio show on the CBC. They had mentioned some interesting discoveries/ inventions in the world of medicine. One being Nanoparticles and how they can be used to potentially aide in the recovery of cancer (still 10 years or so away from that in Canada) and something called a Spider (EEK) Pill. Yes, Spider Pill. The scientist being interviewed explained this Spider Pill as being a camera the size of your run of the mill vitamin that is ingested and used to explore the inner parts of ones gastric intestinal system. Reminds me of a movie I watched in the 80's called Innerspace.
So, if you happened to be an "ideal candidate" (currently the only ideal candidate appears to be pigs) you would arrive at your doctors office and he would give you this thing (thing being the technical term for camera right now) about the size of a vitamin to swallow. After about 30 minutes or so the doctor would then activate the Spider Pill causing tiny little legs to sprout out (for real! Creepy isn't it!!!) so they can then control the camera like a mechanical toy to walk around your insides and scope out potential issues. This is all wireless and disposable. Once all areas have been explored and issues have been addressed you would be sent home to allow nature to take it's course, passing this as though it were breakfast.
They mentioned that Canada is about 2 years away from gaining this type of technology; the main concern being that doctors and scientists are concerned what little walking Spider Pill legs might do to our delicate insides (agreed, that is a good thing to be concerned about). As I mentioned above they are currently testing this on pigs which appears to be going quite well.
The intention in this invention is to create a more accurate, comfortable alternative to the ever popular colonoscopy (amongst other things). To read a more intellectual article on the subject I found this write up about it in the Telegraph.UK
I tried to find images of it but all I could come up with were REALLY creepy pictures of gigantic spiders where are not my favorite things so you'll either have to search yourself or let your imagination go wild!
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