Capsule endoscopy uses a miniaturised camera within a plastic pill to take photos of the intestine. The pill is swallowed and travels through the stomach and intestine, taking photos 2-40 times per second. Each photo is sent by radio waves as a digital image, to a recording device worn outside the body, typically slightly larger than a modern smartphone. After the procedure, the recording device is returned and the images downloaded using dedicated software which stacks the images as a video, which can be read after the procedure is complete.

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Some patients will need a test capsule procedure first, using a dissolvable pill and with a low dose CT scan to determine if the plastic capsule will be able to pass through safely.