General Electric invests in ingestible imaging capsule

General Electric (Fairfield, CT, USA) has made an undisclosed financial investment in Check-Cap (Mount Carmel, Israel), a developer of an ingestible imaging capsule that may help detect colorectal cancer.

The investment was made through the GE healthymagination Fund, an equity fund that makes investments in highly promising healthcare technology companies.

Check-Cap’s ingestible and disposable imaging capsule is planned to have the capability to image the colon in 3-D. The capsule will require no bowel cleansing before ingestion and no hospital visit, allowing patients to go about their daily routines without having to alter their activities.

In addition to the financial investment, Check-Cap and GE Healthcare have entered into a development and supply agreement where GE Healthcare–Israel will develop, design and produce the miniature Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) diagnostic imaging sensors for each Check-Cap capsule to enable clinicians to obtain full 360-degree imaging as the capsule travels in the colon.

Check-Cap plans to introduce its ingestible imaging capsule in the European Union in late 2013, subject to regulatory approval. The company also is in discussions with the United States Food and Drug Administration concerning appropriate clinical activities to support approval to market the product in the US.

-- By Dave Wilson, Senior Editor, Vision Systems Design