The core part of the NaviCam system is a capsule that contains a camera, which can be swallowed by patients without causing adverse reaction.

The Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone has become a hotbed for technology advancement with many breakthrough achievements in recent years.

One of the latest technologies in the healthcare field is a magnetically controlled capsule endoscope system, which not only reduces pain and discomfort for patients but also greatly improves treatment efficiency.

The system, called NaviCam, was developed and commercialized by Ankon Technologies Co Ltd in the Zhangjiang demonstration zone.

As the world's first magnetically controlled capsule endoscope system, NaviCam received approval from the China Food and Drug Administration in 2013, and is expected to open a new era of gastric diagnosis and early screening, according to the company's executives.

"The precise control and positioning functions of NaviCam ensures a complete examination of the stomach," said Ji Pengsong, president of Ankon. "The complete examination can be done in about 15 minutes."

The company said the system is an innovation that combines cutting-edge technologies such as robotics, sensors, optical imaging, imaging processing, wireless communications and device packaging.

It is made of more than 300 parts and combines more than 40 international technological patents. The technology is three to five years ahead of the rest of the world, the company said.

The capsule weighs less than 5 grams so patients can swallow it with water. A camera in the capsule takes photos automatically as it passes through the body and the capsule can be expelled through a bowel movement. There is no adverse reaction and patients do not require anesthesia.

The NaviCam system includes many breakthroughs that greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of inspection. For example, a coating technology was developed to protect the camera lens to ensure the image is clear and precise.

In addition, the unique magnetic sensor technology of NaviCam means there is no need for an X-ray examination to determine if the capsule is still inside the body when the inspection is finished.

The patented positioning and five-dimensional active magnetic control technologies can also diagnose both intestinal and gastric diseases.

The entire inspection procedure is convenient and comfortable, especially for sensitive people, such as children, the elderly, or patients with cardiovascular diseases, the company said.

The global incidence of gastric cancer is declining, but it remains highly prevalent in Asian countries, especially in China. China is one of the countries with the highest incidence of gastric cancer and accounts for more than 40 percent of all new gastric cancer cases worldwide, health figures show.

The survival rate over five years for advanced gastric cancer is less than 30 percent while the rate exceeds 90 percent if the disease is detected in the early stage. Most cases are not found until the advanced stage, leading to high mortality, because the early symptoms of gastric cancer are seldom obvious.

Experts said the absence of effective tools for early screening is the main reason for the difference.

In the past, the gastric cancer was mainly detected through gastroscopy, for which many patients had poor tolerance. Most gastric cancer cases found by that method were in the middle or advanced stages, meaning patients had passed the optimum treatment time.

The world's first magnetically controlled capsule endoscope system developed by Ankon is suitable for regular stomach health checks and early stomach tumor screening. Promising a painless, non invasive and infection-free experience, the system provides a more effective early screening tool for gastric and digestive diseases, medical experts said.

The system has already been widely used in more than 100 hospitals and medical centers across China.

According to the company, it will be available in about 500 hospitals and medical centers in 2016, including in second and third-tier cities.

The company said it is also developing more innovative medical equipment and facilities to treat stomach and digestive diseases.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn