Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Español
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

tethered capsule endoscope

(TEH-thurd KAP-sul EN-doh-SKOPE)
A device used to look at tissues in the esophagus. It is a tiny capsule with a laser scanner inside and a very thin cord attached to it. The patient swallows the capsule and the thin cord helps keep the capsule in a specific area in the esophagus. The cord is also used to remove the capsule. Pictures are taken by the laser scanner and sent to a computer for viewing. A tethered capsule endoscope is used to find early cancers of the esophagus and other parts of the body. Also called TCE.
Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms