Evaluation of Intestinal Patency with the Patency Capsule: The Twenty-Four Hour Assessment Method. 
Confirmation of intestinal patency using the patency capsule (PC) in 30-33 h may result in a complex testing schedule.  The aim of this study was to perform and evaluate a 24-h PC procedure for potential use as a simple and easy-to-apply intestinal patency assessment method.  The study included 342 patients who were assessed 24 h after ingesting a PC for assessment of intestinal patency.  The PC elimination rate and the distribution of elimination time were evaluated.  Assessment of intestinal patency was conducted in 308 (90%) patients.  Self-confirmed PC elimination within 24 h was possible in 104 (30.4%) patients.  The PC was considered to have been already eliminated in 38 (11.1%) patients.  Thus, the extracorporeal elimination rate was 41.5%.  Among 200 patients with non-extracorporeal elimination, the PC reached the large intestine in 166 patients (48.5% of the total patients).  Small-bowel capsule endoscopy (CE) was performed in all 308 patients, and the entire small bowel could be observed in 98.4%.  Capsule retention was not observed in any of the patients.  The 24-h assessment method, in which the PC can be ingested using the same procedure as that for CE capsule, can be handled more easily and is more useful clinically.