The product, introduced by Given Imaging, a provider of patient-friendly solutions for the gastrointestinal community, has been granted FDA approval and will be making its way into use in medical centers immediately.

The new pill is an improvement upon Micron’s original PillCam SB (for small bowel), which was first introduced in 2001 as the first non-invasive method for direct visualization of the entire small intestine.

The PillCam ESO (for esophagus) features a CMOS sensor, which contains a higher frame-rate than the PillCam SB design and transmits 14 pictures-per-second to a receiver worn by the patient. The device is expected to dramatically increase the system performance and enable medical professionals to diagnose throat disease and related ailments in the esophageal passage.

Curtis Stith, Micron Imaging’s marketing director for emerging markets, said: This effort exemplifies Micron’s commitment to innovation and technological improvement. It’s a prime example of working closely with a customer to create advanced products that enable new applications.

Micron engineers and Given Imaging first started working together to develop the imaging technology inside Given’s PillCam more than five years ago.