A method for the 
in vivo detection of 
urease-producing 
helicobacter in the upper 
stomach is disclosed. The dense carrier is divided into two separate groups which are combined with separate 
reagent indicators, one of which also contains 
urea. The carriers are food soluble products, preferably 
sugar beads having a 
diameter of approximately 0.2 to 3.0 mm. The treated carriers and 
urea are encapsulated in a soluble 
capsule which is administered to a patient. The density of the carriers cause the 
capsule to migrate to the 
gastric mucosa, where the 
capsule, but not the reagents, is dissolved, placing the reagents and 
urea in direct contact with the 
gastric mucosa. The urea reacts with any 
urease present in the 
stomach by creating 
ammonia, which increases the pH in the immediate vicinity of the urea containing carrier and indicator beads. The two reagents react differently, through color change, to the increase in pH, which is viewed through use of an 
endoscope. A preferred first 
reagent is 
bromothymol blue (dibromothymolsulfonphthalein), which changes yellow in the presence of 
urease, and a preferred second 
reagent is 
phenol red (phenolsulfonphthalein), which turns red in the presence of urease.