Ingestible device
First Claim
1. An ingestible device, arranged for traveling within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
- a probe, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical;
data-handling apparatus, in signal communication with said probe, for receiving and handling imaging data, generated by said probe;
a power source, for powering said probe and data-handling apparatus; and
a shell, which encapsulates said probe, data-handling apparatus, and power source within.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ingestible device, adapted to travel in the gastrointestinal tract and perform a diagnostic image of tissue therein, is provided. The diagnostic image may comprise diagnostic information as a function of time, or diagnostic information as a function of distance traveled within the gastrointestinal tract. Specifically, the ingestible device may be arranged to perform a diagnostic image of nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical, scintillation of a scintillation liquid, responsive to nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical, optical fluorescence of a fluorescing-pharmaceutical or of bare gastrointestinal-tract tissue, infrared radiation of the gastrointestinal-tract tissue, temperature-differences along the gastrointestinal-tract, impedance, ultrasound reflection, magnetic resonance, and a combination thereof. The ingestible device may be adapted for general screening of a large population, on the one hand, and for specific diagnoses of suspected pathologies, on the other.
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Citations
98 Claims
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1. An ingestible device, arranged for traveling within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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a probe, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical;
data-handling apparatus, in signal communication with said probe, for receiving and handling imaging data, generated by said probe;
a power source, for powering said probe and data-handling apparatus; and
a shell, which encapsulates said probe, data-handling apparatus, and power source within. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 59)
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10. An ingestible device, arranged for traveling within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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a probe, comprising a photodetector, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by optical fluorescence of a fluorescing-pharmaceutical;
a laser light source, of a wavelength which substantially matches at least one absorption peak of said fluorescing-pharmaceutical;
data-handling apparatus, in signal communication with said probe, for receiving and handling imaging data, generated by said probe;
a power source, for powering said probe, light source, and data-handling apparatus; and
a shell, which encapsulates said probe, light source, data-handling apparatus, and power source within. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. An ingestible device, arranged for traveling within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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a probe, comprising a photodetector, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by optical fluorescence of a bare gastrointestinal-tract tissue;
a laser light source, of a wavelength which substantially matches an absorption peak of said bare gastrointestinal-tract tissue;
data-handling apparatus, in signal communication with said probe, for receiving and handling imaging data, generated by said probe;
a power source, for powering said probe, light source, and data-handling apparatus; and
a shell, which encapsulates said probe, light source, data-handling apparatus, and power source within, wherein said photodetector comprising at least two photo-sensing diodes, arranged a predetermined distance apart, in the direction of travel, operative to evaluate and incremental distance traveled within said gastrointestinal tract, during a period Δ
T, by cross correlating fluorescence string said photo-sensing diodes at a time T and at a later time T+Δ
T. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. An ingestible device, arranged for traveling within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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a probe, comprising a thermography detector, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by infrared thermography;
data-handling apparatus, in signal communication with said probe, for receiving and handling imaging data, generated by said probe;
a power source, for powering said probe and data-handling apparatus; and
a shell, which encapsulates said probe, data-handling apparatus, and power source within. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. An ingestible device, arranged for traveling within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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a thermocouple probe, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by temperature-differences;
data-handling apparatus, in signal communication with said probe, for receiving and handling imaging data, generated by said probe;
a power source, for powering said probe and data-handling apparatus; and
a shell, which encapsulates said probe, data-handling apparatus, and power source within.
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18. An ingestible device, arranged for traveling within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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an impedance probe, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by impedance;
data-handling apparatus, in signal communication with said probe, for receiving and handling imaging data, generated by said probe;
a power source, for powering said probe and data-handling apparatus; and
a shell, which encapsulates said probe, data-handling apparatus, and power source within.
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19. An ingestible device, arranged for traveling within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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an ultrasound probe, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by ultrasound reflection;
data-handling apparatus, in signal communication with said probe, for receiving and handling imaging data, generated by said probe;
a power source, for powering said probe and data-handling apparatus; and
a shell, which encapsulates said probe, data-handling apparatus, and power source within.
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20. An ingestible device, arranged for traveling within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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an MRI probe, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by magnetic resonance;
data-handling apparatus, in signal communication with said probe, for receiving and handling imaging data, generated by said probe;
a power source, for powering said probe and data-handling apparatus; and
a shell, which encapsulates said probe, data-handling apparatus, and power source within.
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21. An ingestible device, arranged for traveling within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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at least two probes, each operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image selected from the group, consisting of nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical, scintillation of a scintillation liquid, responsive to nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical, optical fluorescence of a fluorescing-pharmaceutical, optical fluorescence of a bare gastrointestinal-tract tissue, infrared thermography, temperature-differences, impedance, ultrasound reflection, magnetic resonance, and video, wherein each probe is operative to perform a different diagnostic image;
data-handling apparatus, in signal communication with said probes, for receiving and handling imaging data, generated by said probes;
a power source, for powering said probes and said data-handling apparatus; and
a shell, which encapsulates said probes, data-handling apparatus, and power source within. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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57. The tissue diagnostic system of 56, wherein said at least one extracorporeal receiver comprises a multi-channel receiver.
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58. The tissue diagnostic system of 52, and further comprising an RF transmitter.
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60. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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providing an ingestible device comprising a probe, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical;
administrating said radiophamaceutical;
ingesting said ingestible device, adetermined time after said administrating said radiophamaceutical;
producing diagnostic signals with said probe, as said ingestible device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic image; and
recording information of said diagnostic image. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
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68. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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providing an ingestible device comprising a laser light source and a probe, comprising a photodetector, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by optical fluorescence of a fluorescing-pharmaceutical, wherein said laser light source is operative at a wavelength that substantially matches an absorption peak of said fluorescing-pharmaceutical;
administrating said fluorescing-pharmaceutical;
ingesting said ingestible device, a predetermined time after said administrating said fluorescing-pharmaceutical;
producing diagnostic signals with said probe, as said ingestible device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic image; and
recording information of said diagnostic image. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70)
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71. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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providing an ingestible device comprising a laser light source and a probe, comprising a photodetector, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by optical fluorescence of a bare tissue, wherein said laser light source is operative at a wavelength that substantially matches an absorption peak of said bare gastrointestinal-tract tissue;
ingesting said ingestible device;
producing diagnostic signals with said probe, as said ingestible device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic image; and
recording information of said diagnostic image, wherein said photodetector comprises at least two photo-sensing diodes, arranged a predetermined distance apart, in the direction of travel, and wherein said method further includes evaluating the distance traveled within said gastrointestinal tract, by cross correlating fluorescence striking said photo-sensing diodes at a time T and at a later time T+Δ
T. - View Dependent Claims (72)
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73. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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providing an ingestible device comprising a probe, which further comprises a thermography detector, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by infrared thermography;
ingesting said ingestible device;
producing diagnostic signals with said probe, as said ingestible device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic image; and
recording information of said diagnostic image. - View Dependent Claims (74)
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75. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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providing and ingestible device comprising a thermocouple probe, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by temperature-differences;
ingesting said ingestible device;
producing diagnostic signals with said probe, as said ingestible device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic image; and
recording information of said diagnostic image.
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76. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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providing an ingestible device comprising an impedance probe, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, at diagnostic image by impedance;
ingesting said ingestible device;
producing diagnostic signals with said probe, as said ingestible device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic image; and
recording information of said diagnostic image.
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77. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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providing an ingestible device comprising an ultrasound probe, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by ultrasound reflection;
ingesting said ingestible device;
producing diagnostic signals with said probe, as said ingestible device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic image; and
recording information of said diagnostic image.
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78. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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providing an ingestible device comprising an MRI probe, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by a magnetic resonance;
ingesting said ingestible device;
producing diagnostic signals with said probe, as said ingestible device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic image; and
recording information of said diagnostic image. - View Dependent Claims (79)
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80. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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providing an ingestible device comprising at least two probes, each operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image selected from the group, consisting of nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical, scintillation of a scintillation liquid, responsive to nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical, optical fluorescence of a fluorescing-pharmaceutical, optical fluorescence of a bare gastrointestinal-tract tissue, infrared thermography, temperature-differences, impedance, ultrasound reflection, magnetic resonance, and video, wherein each probe is operative to perform a different diagnostic image;
ingesting said ingestible device;
producing diagnostic signals with said probes, as said ingestible device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic images; and
recording information of said diagnostic images.
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91. A method of locating a site in a gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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evaluating a distance from a reference point to said site, by tracking an ingestible device within said gastrointestinal tract, vis a vis the walls of said gastrointestinal tract; and
invasively measuring said distance along said gastrointestinal tract from said reference point to said site. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93, 94)
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95. A method of locating a site in a gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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estimating a distance from a reference point to said site, by tracking an ingestible device within said gastrointestinal tract, vis a vis an extracorporeal reference system; and
invasively measuring said distance along said gastrointestinal tract from said reference point to said site. - View Dependent Claims (96, 97)
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98. A method of identifying a pathology, using a clock-like property of radioisotopes, comprising:
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providing a nuclear-radiation detector arranged for distinguishing between at least two forms of radiation, associated with at least two radioisotopes;
administering a radiophamaceutical which includes said at least two radioisotopes;
performing diagnostic images by nuclear radiation for each of said at least two radioisotopes;
evaluating an activity ratio for said at least two radioisotopes; and
identifying said pathology, by an observed change in said activity ratio.
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Specification