Research Being Conducted on Device to Make Colonoscopy Safer

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovative research is being conducted at the Chevy Chase Clinical Research facility in Chevy Chase, Maryland on a device that would make a colonoscopy safer. Dr. Louis Korman of Capital Digestive Care and Artann Laboratories received support and more than three million dollars in research grant money from the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health to develop a device that can measure the amount of force applied to the colonoscope during a colonoscopy.

Studies show the amount of force used to direct a colonoscope through the colon during a colonoscopy can vary greatly depending on the individual patient and the physician performing the procedure. Currently, patients have to be sedated for the procedure because the application of force can be painful and can increase the risk of some complications such as perforation.

The Colonoscopy Force Monitor (CFM), which Dr. Korman's team is developing and testing in collaboration with other physicians at Capital Digestive Care, Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania and engineers at Artann Labs, is designed to monitor the amount of force that is used during a colonoscopy. It can be used as a training tool for physicians and may help establish standards for the amount of force needed and used during a colonoscopy leading to a safer and more comfortable patient experience. The CFM may help reduce the risk of perforating the colon, reduce the need for certain forms of sedation and increase the comfort level for the patient during and after the procedure.

"We are excited about the possibilities for this device," said Dr. Korman. "Fear of pain and risk from the procedure are two of the biggest barriers for patients who need to have a colonoscopy. Our hope is that the CFM will lessen those fears and more people will end up having the procedure, which will ultimately end up saving lives."

A colonoscopy allows physicians to find and remove precancerous polyps before they develop into cancer, making a colonoscopy the only test that allows both diagnosis and treatment at the same time. Colonoscopies can also find cancer at its earliest stage, when treatment works best. Those who are at a higher risk for colon cancer include: anyone over the age of 50, African Americans who are 45 years of age and over and those who have a family history or polyps or colon cancer.

Research on the Colonoscopy Force Monitor is in the final stage and once the safety of the device can be demonstrated, it will go to the FDA for approval.

About Capital Digestive Care & Chevy Chase Clinical Research facility 
Capital Digestive Care is a group of 56 physicians unified across the Washington Metropolitan Area in their desire to advance the delivery of care for patients suffering from all types of digestive health conditions. Capital Digestive Care offers the greatest collective experience in the area along with the most accessible care. The group's physicians practice at 16 office locations and are affiliated with 15 hospitals and 8 outpatient endoscopy centers, where more than 30,000 colonoscopies are performed each year. Many of them are actively involved in research studies, programs and clinical trials at Chevy Chase Clinical Research facility, the largest research program of its kind in the region. More than 300 studies have been conducted at the facility in all areas of Gastroenterology and some areas of Internal Medicine. For more information, please visit www.capitaldigestivecare.com.

Media Contact:  
Cara Reymann 
(301) 661-3619 
[email protected]

SOURCE Capital Digestive Care