Radio chip takes "Fantastic voyage"

A Zarlink Semiconductor product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team May 31, 2004

Given Imaging is using an ultra-low-power transmitter chip from Zarlink in its M2A capsule endoscope.

Given Imaging, the maker of the world's only swallowable camera capsule for diagnosis of disease of the gastrointestinal tract, is now using an ultra-low-power transmitter chip from Zarlink in its M2A capsule endoscope.

The defining characteristic of Zarlink's custom RF transmitter - its miniscule power consumption - assures the operating life and image capabilities of the camera capsule as it passes through a patient's oesophagus, stomach and small intestine.

The M2A capsule - consisting of a microchip camera, light-emitting diodes that act as a flash, Zarlink's RF transmitter chip, antenna and two silver-oxide batteries - is swallowed by the patient and then passes naturally through the digestive tract.

The camera's images are relayed by the RF transmitter to a data recorder in a belt worn by the patient, who is free to continue with normal daily activities throughout the exam.

Data are then downloaded to a workstation equipped with proprietary image processing software, and a video of the gastrointestinal tract is produced revealing pathologies and diseases of the small intestine that were previously undetected by traditional diagnostic tools.

"Our roadmap of future products demands a long-term partner to provide technologies that meet strict performance, spectral and medical regulatory requirements", said Kevin Rubey, Chief Operations Officer, Given Imaging.

"We believe that Zarlink's ultra-low-power RF transmitter can lead to improved future performance of the Given Diagnostic System M2A Capsule, as capsule endoscopy becomes a more common examination procedure".

Published medical articles conclude that capsule endoscopy has a higher diagnostic yield than traditional, invasive methods in diagnosing patients with gastrointestinal disorders of the small intestine, including Crohn's disease and small bowel cancer.

Given Imaging's capsule endoscopy technique has already been used to diagnose thousands of patients in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Zarlink regards its RF transmitter as a "breakout" product - the first in a range of new devices combining the company's ultra-low-power and wireless technologies.

Zarlink is a leading supplier of highly reliable, ultra-low-power ICs that consume minimal battery power, extending the operating life of healthcare devices such as hearing aids and pacemakers.

The company also designs low-power RF chips for wireless devices, including cellphones.

"We're combining our ultra low-power and wireless technologies to design new chips for the healthcare and communications markets", said Steve Swift, Vice President and General Manager, Ultra Low-Power Communications, Zarlink Semiconductor.

"To advance the capabilities of emerging medical practices, such as the Given Imaging system, these ultra-low-power devices satisfy challenging low-power and high-performance specifications, and meet very strict qualification and standards requirements".

"In the consumer marketplace, there is a rising demand for ultra-low-power RF technologies as completely connected, battery-powered communications networks in the home and office become commonplace".