Nowadays, capsule gastroscopy has gradually entered the homes of ordinary people and become a well-known examination method. However, using capsules for esophageal examination is still a novelty. On April 24, the reporter of Science and Technology Daily learned from the Naval Military Medical University that Professor Li Zhaoshen, an academician of the CAE Member, and the Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Military Medical University, together with Professor Wang Luowei of the department, had made a breakthrough in the early diagnosis of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer, that is, by swallowing a "capsule" to collect esophageal cells, and then accurately assess the risk of esophageal cancer. The relevant research results were recently published online in "The Lancet: Gastroenterology and Hepatology". As early as the 1960s, Professor Shen Qiong from the former Henan Medical College invented the esophageal mesh cytology examination, which involves inserting a balloon like device into the esophagus of the subject, inflating it, and pulling it out to detect and analyze esophageal cells stained with the balloon, thereby early screening for esophageal cancer. This method was applied in population screening in high incidence areas of esophageal cancer in China in the last century, making a huge contribution to the prevention and control of esophageal cancer. However, due to limited technological level, there are shortcomings in patient comfort, diagnostic sensitivity, and other aspects, resulting in a high rate of missed diagnosis. It has been basically discontinued since then. Li Zhaoshen pointed out that the vast majority of patients with esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer have no obvious symptoms in the early stage, and seeking medical attention after experiencing swallowing difficulties often misses the opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment. The reporter learned that currently, gastroscopy is a reliable screening method for esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer. However, due to insufficient allocation of endoscopic diagnosis and treatment resources in China and low acceptance of gastroscopy, the number of people willing to undergo screening is relatively small. Inspired by Shen Qiong's net cytological examination, our team has developed a new type of esophageal cell collector. "Wang Luowei introduced that a sponge like polymer cell enrichment material was loaded into a soluble collector and fixed on cotton thread. When the subject samples, a capsule like collector is swallowed with water, and the outer shell of the collector dissolves in the subject's gastric juice. The sponge like polymer cell enrichment material inside expands. After 2 minutes, the expanded cell enrichment material is removed by pulling and pulling the cotton thread. Due to the fact that the collector was taken out from the gastroesophageal junction through the esophagus, over 6 million esophageal and cardiac cells were collected on the collector, which is several hundred times the number of cells collected using traditional methods. Finally, the samples were analyzed using an artificial intelligence digital pathology system to diagnose esophageal cancer. In 2021, Wang Luowei's team reported for the first time in the American Journal of Gastroenterology the research results of AI assisted cytology screening for esophageal cancer. This laid the foundation for the algorithm architecture and parameter combination in this research achievement, and provided an important basis for scientific and accurate screening. Our study found that after initial screening with this method, limited endoscopic resources can be better invested in high-risk populations that require endoscopic examination, "said Wang Luowei. (New News Agency)