ZAWYA: Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City introduces swallowable diagnostic capsule

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Abu Dhabi, UAE: Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), a flagship hospital in the UAE for serious and complex care and a subsidiary of PureHealth, the largest healthcare group in the Middle East, has introduced a new diagnostic innovation that rapidly detects upper gastrointestinal bleeding for patients across Abu Dhabi, enabling doctors to obtain accurate results within minutes and accelerate care pathways.The technology, known as PillSense, is a swallowable diagnostic capsule that uses light absorption technology to detect the presence of blood within the gastrointestinal tract in real time. Once swallowed, it transmits this data wirelessly to an external receiver monitored by clinicians, delivering results in under ten minutes. This enables rapid, data-informed decisions on whether urgent intervention is required.For patients, this means a more comfortable and reassuring experience – minimising reliance on traditional diagnostic procedures, such as endoscopy, where they are not immediately required, while reducing anxiety and waiting times in emergency departments. Patients can receive clarity about their condition within minutes, rather than hours.For clinicians, the technology supports faster, more confident decision-making in high-pressure emergency settings. By reducing diagnostic uncertainty, it enables more precise triaging and prioritisation of critical cases, improving both care quality and patient safety.At a system level, this innovation represents a shift in how emergency care is delivered, moving from procedure-led pathways to real-time, data-driven decision-making. This enhances resource utilisation, reduces pressure on emergency departments, and enables faster, more efficient care across the network.During its pilot phase at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, the use of PillSense supported clinicians in determining when invasive procedures were not immediately required in 86 per cent of assessed cases. Patients presenting to emergency departments with suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding often require rapid evaluation, although many cases do not ultimately require urgent endoscopic intervention, demonstrating its potential to improve patient experience while optimising clinical workflows.Dr Marwan Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer of Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, said: “In emergency care, speed and clarity are critical. This technology p...

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