Sunday, February 15, 2026 2/15/2026

A magnetic capsule endoscope for colonoscopy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Award Number: R01EB018992
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/18/2014
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2025

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

A magnetic capsule endoscope for colonoscopy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease - We propose to develop, optimize, and conduct first in-human measurements of our Magnetic Flexible Endoscope (MFE) robotic platform that may provide a safer and more intelligent alternative to standard colonoscopy (CLS) for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Patients with IBD are at increased risk for colorectal cancer and therefore surveillance has been recommended to occur at intervals less than that recommended for the general population. Thus, over the course of their lifetime, they are subjected to more frequent CLS than their non-lBD counterparts, resulting in a more than 6-fold increase in adverse events. The main risks of CLS are related to procedural sedation, patient discomfort, or perforation of the colon from looping. Looping and mesenteric stretching occur due to the design of the colonoscope. Special maneuvers can be performed to minimize looping, making CLS a procedure that requires a great degree of technical skill and experience to perform safely. By using the proposed robotic platform, the endoscopist will be able to control the motion of the MFE to perform navigation, diagnosis, and therapy (i.e. biopsy, polyp removal/retrieval, injection) inside the human colon. MFE motion is achieved by magnetic coupling between an external permanent magnet (attached to a robotic arm outside the patient's body) and an internal permanent magnet (located inside the proximal head of the MFE). A small-diameter flexible tether between the head of the endoscope and the distal control module (outside the patient's body) allows for passage of commercially available therapeutic tools, insufflation, irrigation, suction/aspiration, and electrical wiring. Employing magnetic attraction at the head of the endoscope, for advancement and manipulation, permits the tether to follow passively-reducing the risk of mesenteric stretching or looping when compared to the traditional colonoscope. We will leverage our experience and extensive preliminary results to test the hypotheses that (1) intelligent robotic control and assistive autonomy in endoscopic tasks improves endoscopic performance, (2) quantifying the portion of colon lumen visualized provides valuable feedback to improve MFE operation and diagnostic yield, and (3) that the MFE is safe and successfully functions in the human colon in a manner similar to conventional CLS. The investigative team, combining engineering and clinical faculty, is uniquely positioned to achieve success of this study-collectively possessing expertise in endoscopic device design, clinical CLS, assessment and validation of innovative gastrointestinal technologies, robotics, magnetism, image processing, artificial intelligence, and translation of research-engineering developments into clinical applications. Additionally, the investigators have a long-standing history of close and fruitful collaboration including R01 EB018992. If successful, this approach will demonstrate first in-human use of the MFE that reduces potential adverse events in an at-risk population (IBD patients), is intuitive to control, and integrates intelligent guidance into colon exploration and inspection.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $309,816 )
2024	2024	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	8	2/5/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$284,524
2024	2024	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	8	4/29/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$25,292
														Subtotal = $309,816

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $316,138 )
2023	2023	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	7	1/26/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$316,138
														Subtotal = $316,138

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $316,138 )
2022	2022	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	6	2/16/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$284,524
2022	2022	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	6	4/22/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$31,614
														Subtotal = $316,138

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $316,138 )
2021	2021	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	002	5	6/15/2021	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2021	2021	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	5	3/18/2021	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$316,138
2021	2017	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	4	2/2/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $316,138

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2019	2017	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	4	5/31/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2017 ( Subtotal = $376,450 )
2017	2017	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	003	4	6/23/2017	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$376,450
2017	2016	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	002	3	1/21/2017	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$386,537
2017	2015	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY, THE	211 KIRKLAND HALL	NASHVILLE	TN	37240	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	2	1/21/2017	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$368,407
2017	2014	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY, THE	211 KIRKLAND HALL	NASHVILLE	TN	37240	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	1	1/21/2017	NEW	-$18,130
														Subtotal = $376,450

Issue Date FY: 2016 ( Subtotal = $376,450 )
2016	2016	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	3	6/27/2016	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$376,450
														Subtotal = $376,450

Issue Date FY: 2015 ( Subtotal = $368,407 )
2015	2015	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, CHILDREN'S REHAB UNIT	1161 21ST AVENUE SOUTH	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	2	7/24/2015	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$368,407
														Subtotal = $368,407

Issue Date FY: 2014 ( Subtotal = $375,586 )
2014	2014	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, CHILDREN'S REHAB UNIT	1161 21ST AVENUE SOUTH	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	1	9/18/2014	NEW	$375,586
														Subtotal = $375,586

Grand Total All Awards = $2,755,123

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

A magnetic capsule endoscope for colonoscopy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Award Number: R01EB018992

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/18/2014

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2025

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer