Colonoscopists currently utilize scope with only a forward-looking camera. The colon, however, has projections (called haustral folds) throughout its length. With a forward-only-looking scope only one side of these folds is easily visualized.

 

Today if a colonoscopist wants to see the other side of a fold (the backside) they must retroflex the scope (curve the scope into a U-shape). Due to the narrowness of the colon this can be a risky maneuver with the potential to damage the lining of the colon (the mucosa) or even result in a perforation. As a result, many gastroenterologists avoid retroflexing, however, polyps can sometimes hide on the backside of the folds. You cannot remove a polyp you cannot see.

 

Interval Colorectal Cancer (iCRC) - 3%-8% of CRC patients had a colonoscopy 3-5 years prior to CRC diagnosis. Recent large sample studies have shown procedures and equipment currently utilized may miss 20%-25% of polyps using standard endoscopes. One reason for these misses is the difficulty in seeing behind haustral folds (~15% of mucosal area) when using the forward-looking camera of a standard colonoscope.

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