Diagnosis that’s not hard to swallow

Can the tiny camera-pills doctors use to see the digestive tract of humans be used to peek at the innards of sick whales and dolphins?

The Georgia Aquarium hopes so.

When big animals such as belugas and whale sharks become ill, veterinarians have to catch and sedate them to do the blood work, take stool samples and other invasive procedures to diagnose their illness, said Greg Bossart, the aquarium’s chief veterinary officer.

That can stress the animals, he said.

If, however, they could swallow a pill that would allow veterinarians to see inside their systems, they could be helped without being bothered, he said.

“This is supposed to be noninvasive,” Bossart said. “That’s the beauty of this, it does not hurt the animal at all.”

The test is a first for aquariums, Bossart said, and the cutting-edge technology could change the way big animals like dolphins, grouper and whales are managed.

And it’s expensive. The camera-pills costs about $500, and an accompanying receiver that records the images costs about $5,000, said Greg Seitz, marketing product manager of Given Imaging, maker of the pill, which has been used in humans since 2001 and can be used only once.

Keeping the animals healthy has been important for the aquarium, the world’s biggest. It has seen the deaths of some marquee animals, including belugas Marina and Gasper and whale sharks Ralph and Norton.

“This is research for future use,” said aquarium spokesman Dave Santucci. “The animals are doing quite well at this time.”

Dr. Lily Gomez, a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite pediatrician and a volunteer diver at the aquarium, spent almost two hours in Ocean Voyager, the aquarium’s biggest tank, on Thursday. Her goal was to see how well the camera-pill functioned at different depths and if images could be sent back while in motion. The camera-pill —- 11 by 26 millimeters —- was placed in a plastic bag and sealed with duct tape to keep it dry.

The camera-pill takes thousands of images of the digestive tract, from the throat to the stomach to the intestines. It’s especially important because animals can have multiple stomachs. Beluga whales, for instance, have three.

Bossart was pleased with the initial results. Images came from every part of the tank, which means depth was not a problem, he said. They also were transmitted clearly while the diver was moving.

The next challenge will be to waterproof the receiver, Bossart said. Also, the eight-hour battery life would have to be improved to allow for the longer time it takes animals to digest food. It takes manatees, for instance, 11 days to pass food.

The eight-hour battery life is based on the time it takes humans to pass food, Seitz said.

Bossart said it is critical to have another way to address issues of animal health at aquariums. Animals try to hide illness because it can make them targets for predators.