Method of using, and determining location of, an ingestible capsule

• US 20030191430A1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: The Smart Pill Corporation
• Inventors: DʼAndrea, David T., Semler, John R., White, Thomas H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/66
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/037 Measuring oesophageal pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/068 using impedance sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH

Abstract

The present invention broadly provides an improved ingestible capsule (28) that is arranged to sense one or more physiological parameters within a mammalian body, an to transmit such parameters to an extra-corporeal receiver (50). In use, the capsule and receiver perform the method of determining the real-time location of the capsule within a tract of a mammal. This method includes the steps of providing the capsule, the capsule having one or more sensors, ingesting the capsule, transmitting a signal from the capsule, receiving the transmitted signal, and determining the real-time location of the capsule within the tract as a function of the received signal. The received signal may also indicate the value of one or more sensed parameters.

Claims

1. The method of determining the real-time location of a capsule in a tract of a mammal, comprising the steps of:

providing a capsule, said capsule having sensors to determine at least two physiological parameters of said tract, said capsule also having a transmitter operatively arranged to transmit a signal reflecting such sensed parameters;

inserting said capsule into said tract;

transmitting said signal from said transmitter;

receiving said transmitted signal exteriorly of said tract; and

determining the real-time location of said capsule within said tract as a function of said received signal.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said signal is a radio signal and/or an acoustic signal.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tract is one of an auditory, respiratory, reproductive, and gastrointestinal tract.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein said tract is said gastrointestinal tract, and wherein capsule is ingested into said gastrointestinal tract.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the location of said capsule is determined either as a function of the phase difference between the transmitted and received signals, as a function of the difference in time between the time of transmission of said transmitted signal and the time of receipt of said received signal, or as a function of received signals at multiple locations.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, and further comprising the additional step of:

determining the value of at least one of said sensed parameters exteriorly of said tract as a function of said received signal.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the real-time location of said capsule within said tract is determined as a function of the strength of said received signal and such received value of at least one of said sensed parameters.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising the additional step of:

tethering said capsule to an object.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said object is another capsule that is inserted into said tract.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said object is located outside the body.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said capsule has a storage compartment containing medicament, and further comprising the additional step of:

dispensing medicament from said compartment at a desired location within said tract.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said capsule has a fluid storage compartment, and further comprising the additional step of:

taking in a fluid sample to said compartment at a desired location within said tract.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein at least one of said sensors is arranged within said fluid storage compartment.

14. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said capsule has sensors to determine at least two of said physiological parameters, wherein some of said sensed parameters are used to determine a first location of said capsule, wherein others of said sensed parameters are used to determine a second location of said capsule, and wherein said first and second locations are compared to corroborate the location of said capsule.

15. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said physiological parameters are selected from the group consisting of:

pH, pressure, temperature, transit time, a disease marker, a diagnostic marker, an antibody, an antigen, subsurface imaging, conductance, and an electrical signal.

16. The method of determining the real-time location of a capsule in a tract of a mammal, comprising the steps of:

providing a capsule, said capsule having at least one sensor operatively arranged to determine a physiological parameter of said tract, said capsule also having a transmitter;

inserting said capsule into said tract;

transmitting from said transmitter a signal reflective of the value said sensed parameter;

receiving said transmitted signal exteriorly of said tract; and

determining the real-time location of said capsule within said tract as a function of said received signal and the received value of said sensed parameter.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said signal is a radio signal and/or an acoustic signal.

18. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said tract is one of an auditory, respiratory, reproductive and a gastrointestinal tract.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said tract is said gastrointestinal tract, and wherein said capsule is ingested into said gastrointestinal tract.

20. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the location of said capsule is determined either as a function of the phase difference between the transmitted and received signals, as a function of the difference in time between the time of transmission of said transmitted signal and the time of receipt of said received signal, or amplitude of received signals from multiple receivers.

21. The method as set forth in claim 16, and further comprising the additional step of:

determining the value of said sensed parameter exteriorly of said tract as a function of said received signal.

22. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the real-time location of said capsule within said tract is determined as a function of the strength of said received signal and such received value of said sensed parameter.

23. The method as set forth in claim 16 and further comprising the additional step of:

tethering said capsule to an object.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein said object is another capsule that is inserted into said tract.

25. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein said object is located outside the body.

26. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said capsule has a storage compartment containing medicament, and further comprising the additional step of:

dispensing medicament from said compartment at a desired location within said tract

27. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said capsule has a fluid storage compartment, and further comprising the additional step of:

taking in a fluid sample to said compartment at a desired location within said tract.

28. The method as set forth in claim 27 wherein at least one of said sensors is arranged within said fluid storage compartment.

29. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said capsule has sensors to determine at least two of said physiological parameters, wherein some of said sensed parameters are used to determine a first location of said capsule, wherein others of said sensed parameters are used to determine a second location of said capsule, and wherein said first and second locations are compared to corroborate the location of said capsule.

30. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein at least one of said physiological parameters are selected from the group consisting of:

pH, pressure, temperature, transit time, a disease marker, a diagnostic marker, an antibody, an antigen, subsurface imaging, conductance, and an electrical signal.

31. The method of determining the value of a physiological parameter in a tract of a mammal, comprising the steps of:

providing an MRI-compatible capsule, said capsule having a sensor operatively arranged to determine at least one physiological parameter of said tract, said capsule also having a transmitter operatively arranged to transmit a signal reflecting such sensed parameter;

inserting said capsule into said tract;

tethering said capsule to an object;

transmitting said signal from said transmitter;

receiving said transmitted signal exteriorly of said tract; and

determining the value of said sensed parameter as a function of said received signal.

32. The method as set forth in claim 31 wherein said signal is a radio signal and/or an acoustic signal.

33. The method as set forth in claim 31 wherein said tract is one of an auditory, respiratory, reproductive and a gastrointestinal tract.

34. The method as set forth in claim 33 wherein said tract is said gastrointestinal tract, and wherein said capsule is ingested into said gastrointestinal tract.

35. The method as set forth in claim 31 wherein the location of said capsule is determined as a function of the phase difference between the transmitted and received signals, as a function of the difference in time between the time of transmission of said transmitted signal and the time of receipt of said received signal, or as a function of the amplitude of received signals from multiple receivers.

36. The method as set forth in claim 31, and further comprising the additional step of:

determining the value of at least one of said sensed parameters exteriorly of said tract as a function of said received signal.

37. The method as set forth in claim 31 wherein the real-time location of said capsule within said tract is determined as a function of the strength of said received signal and such received value of at least one of said sensed parameters.

38. The method as set forth in claim 31 and further comprising the additional step of:

tethering said capsule to an object.

39. The method as set forth in claim 38 wherein said object is another capsule that is inserted into said tract.

40. The method as set forth in claim 38 wherein said object is located outside the body.

41. The method as set forth in claim 31 wherein said capsule has a storage compartment containing medicament, and further comprising the additional step of:

dispensing medicament from said-compartment at a desired location within said tract.

42. The method as set forth in claim 31 wherein said capsule has a fluid storage compartment, and further comprising the additional step of:

taking in a fluid sample to said compartment at a desired location within said tract.

43. The method as set forth in claim 42 wherein at least one of said sensors is arranged within said fluid storage compartment.

44. The method as set forth in claim 31 wherein said capsule has sensors to determine at least three of said physiological parameters, wherein some of said sensed parameters are used to determine a first location of said capsule, wherein others of said sensed parameters are used to determine a second location of said capsule, and wherein said first and second locations are compared to corroborate the location of said capsule.

45. The method as set forth in claim 31 wherein at least one of said physiological parameters are selected from the group consisting of:

pH, pressure, temperature, transit time, a disease marker, a diagnostic marker, an antibody, an antigen, subsurface imaging, conductance, and an electrical signal.

46. The method of determining the real-time location of a capsule in a tract of a mammal, comprising the steps of:

providing a capsule, said capsule also having a transmitter operatively arranged to transmit an RF signal at a frequency in excess of about 5 kilohertz;

inserting said capsule into said tract;

transmitting said signal from said transmitter;

receiving said transmitted signal exteriorly of said tract; and

determining the real-time location of said capsule within said tract as a function of said received signal.

47. The method as set forth in claim 46 wherein said transmitter is operatively arranged to transmit a signal a frequency of less that about 10 gigahertz.

48. The method of determining the real-time location of a capsule in a tract of a mammal, comprising the steps of:

providing a capsule, said capsule also having a transmitter operatively arranged to transmit an acoustic signal at a frequency in excess of about 100 hertz;

inserting said capsule into said tract;

transmitting said signal from said transmitter;

receiving said transmitted signal exteriorly of said tract; and

determining the real-time location of said capsule within said tract as a function of said received signal.

49. The method as set forth in claim 48 wherein said transmitter is operatively arranged to transmit a signal a frequency of less that about 1.5 megahertz.

50. The method of determining the real-time location of a capsule in a tract of a mammal, comprising the steps of:

providing a capsule, said capsule having a transmitter operatively arranged to transmit a signal;

inserting said capsule into said tract;

providing a plurality of receivers exteriorly of said tract;

transmitting said signal from said transmitter;

receiving said transmitted signal on said receivers; and

determining the real-time location of said capsule as a function of the signals received by said receivers.

51. The method as set forth in claim 50 wherein said capsule has at least one sensor operatively arranged to determine at least one physiological parameter within said tract, and wherein said transmitter is arranged to generate a signal reflective of such sensed parameter.

52. The method as set forth in claim 50 wherein said real-time location is determined using algorithm-based logic.

53. The method as set forth in claim 52 wherein said logic uses artificial intelligence.

54. The method as set forth in claim 53 wherein said artificial logic uses a neural net.

55. The method as set forth in claim 53 wherein said logic uses a deterministic statistic approach.

56. The method of determining the value of a parameter in a mammal body, comprising the steps of:

providing a capsule, said capsule having a sensor to determine a physiological parameter of said body and having a transmitter operatively arranged to transmit a signal;

inserting said capsule into said body;

providing a receiver exteriorly of said body;

transmitting said signal from said transmitter;

receiving said transmitted signal on said receiver; and

determining the value of said physiological parameter exteriorly of said body as a function of the signals received by said receiver.

57. The method as set forth in claim 56 wherein the location of said capsule is stationary within said body.