[The sono-capsule: a new method for measuring gastrointestinal motility].

PURPOSE: We developed a noninvasive procedure using ultrasound and a specially designed capsule to permit determination of transit times in the gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: The ultrasound capsule consisted of a latex balloon of 1 cm diameter filled with water and containing a solid metal ball. After ingestion the marker was visualised in the gastrointestinal tract at defined intervals using conventional ultrasound machines. The various transit times were determined in 10 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: On account of its artifact-in-artifact structure (cystic configuration and reverberation), the ultrasound capsule was first detected in the stomach without any difficulty. During its further passage through the gastrointestinal tract the location of the capsule in the small and large bowel could be identified on the basis of the surrounding plicae circulares and haustrations. The mean oropyloric transit time was 2.4 hours; passage through the small bowel took 1.5 to 3 hours, and pyloro-anal transit times between 6 and 10 hours. CONCLUSION: the ultrasound capsule is a suitable method for investigating the gastrointestinal transport. It is non-invasive and does not expose the patient to radiation.