Evaluation of Capsule Endoscopic Images

Though capsule endoscopy has grabbed the attention of physician and layperson alike, most overlook the importance and intensity of examining the wirelessly obtained images. Typical examinations obtain images over at least 8 h and sometimes more than 13 h, and as images are obtained at a rate of at least two images per second, a total of 57,600 images are produced. The computer workstation allows images to be viewed singly or as a video stream (Fig. 5.1). Though the images are obtained at a rate of perhaps 2/s, they may be reviewed at a rate of up to 40/s. Given that an abnormality may be present on only one image, most physicians familiar with the system feel that lesions could easily be missed at the faster rates [1]. When viewing at 40 images per second, a single image is on the monitor for less than 0.02 s. A consensus conference of users in 2002 agreed that 15 frames per second is the fastest acceptable rate of review. At this rate, 57,600 images can be seen in 64 min—but only if they are run as a video without stopping to examine individual images.