Capsule medical device

• US 20050177069A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kawano, Hironao, Uchiyama, Akio, Takizawa, Hironobu, Homan, Masatoshi, Segawa, Hidetake
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/573
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00036 Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/245 Means for cleaning the sensor in-situ or during use, e.g. hygienic wipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes

Abstract

A capsule casing of a capsule medical device has a chemical sensor inside, used for sensing operation. The chemical sensor has a recovery device which resets the chemical sensor to an initial state thereof so as to use the chemical sensor for the sensing operation a plurality of times or continuously.

Claims

1. A capsule medical device having a chemical sensor used for sensing operation, comprising:

a capsule casing;

a chemical sensor arranged in the capsule casing; and

a recovery device which recovers the chemical sensor substantially to an initial state thereof so as to use the chemical sensor for sensing operation a plurality of times or continuously.

2. A capsule medical device according to claim 1, wherein the recovery device is a sensor surface recovery device which recovers a sensor surface used for sensing operation of the chemical sensor.

3. A capsule medical device according to claim 2, wherein the sensor surface recovery device has a heater which heats the chemical sensor and dries and recovers the sensor surface.

4. A capsule medical device according to claim 3, further comprising:

an opening/closing cover which protects the sensor surface of the chemical sensor.

5. A capsule medical device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a control unit controlling the two adjacent chemical sensors, wherein one of the chemical sensors is covered with the cover, the other chemical sensor that is not covered with the cover performing the sensing operation.

6. A capsule medical device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor surface recovery device comprises a cleaning unit which cleans the sensor surface of the chemical sensor by a cleaning solution.

7. A capsule medical device according to claim 2, wherein the chemical sensor is an optical sensor having an optical window, and

the sensor recovery device has a coating for preventing the dirt on the surface of the optical window.

8. A capsule medical device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a cleaning unit which cleans the sensor surface of the chemical sensor by a cleaning solution.

9. A capsule medical device according to claim 7, wherein the optical sensor sends the body fluid through a transparent tube and performs the sensing operation of an examination target by the amount of transmission light through the tube.

10. A capsule medical device according to claim 9, wherein the sensing operation of the optical sensor is performed by sensing the amount of transmission light at a unique absorbing wavelength of hemoglobin.

11. A capsule medical device according to claim 9, wherein the sensing operation of the optical sensor is performed by sending a reagent reactive to the examination target to the tube and by sensing the amount of transmission light through a reagent reacted substance.

12. A capsule medical device according to claim 7, wherein the sensor recovery device comprises a vibrator which vibrates the chemical sensor.

13. A capsule medical device according to claim 7, wherein the coating for preventing the dirt is a photocatalyst coating.

14. A capsule medical device according to claim 13, further comprising:

an ultraviolet light source which irradiates ultraviolet light to the photocatalyst coated optical window.

15. A capsule medical device according to claim 14, wherein the ultraviolet light source is an ultraviolet light-emitting diode or an ultraviolet laser diode.

16. A capsule medical device according to claim 7, wherein the coating for preventing the dirt is 2-Methacryloyl-oxyethyl phosphorylcholine polymer (MPC polymer) coating.

17. A capsule medical device according to claim 2, wherein the sensor surface recovery device comprises a cleaning unit which cleans the sensor surface of the chemical sensor by a cleaning solution.

18. A capsule medical device according to claim 17, further comprising:

an opening/closing cover which protects the sensor surface of the chemical sensor.

19. A capsule medical device according to claim 18, further comprising:

a control unit controlling the two adjacent chemical sensors, wherein one of the chemical sensors is covered with the cover, the other chemical sensor that is not covered with the cover performing the sensing operation.

20. A capsule medical device according to claim 17, wherein the cleaning unit comprises:

a cleaning solution accommodating unit which accommodates the cleaning solution in the capsule casing; and

a solution feed unit which feeds the cleaning solution to the sensor surface of the chemical sensor from the cleaning solution accommodating unit.

21. A capsule medical device according to claim 20, further comprising:

a reagent accommodating unit which accommodates a reagent reactive to the body fluid in the cleaning unit in the capsule casing; and

a selecting unit which selects the reagent accommodating unit or the cleaning solution accommodating unit;

wherein the solution feed unit feeds the reagent or the cleaning solution from the reagent accommodating unit or the cleaning solution accommodating unit selected by the selecting unit to the chemical sensor.

22. A capsule medical device according to claim 17, wherein the cleaning unit comprises:

a suction unit which sucks the body fluid in the living body into the capsule casing;

a cleaning solution cleaning unit which cleans the sucked body fluid to obtain the cleaning solution; and

a solution feed unit which feeds the cleaning solution to the sensor surface of the chemical sensor.

23. A capsule medical device according to claim 22, wherein the cleaning solution cleaning unit is a filter.

24. A capsule medical device according to claim 17, wherein the sensor surface recovery device comprises a vibrator which vibrates the chemical sensor.

25. A capsule medical device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a control unit which periodically operates the sensor surface recovery device.

26. A capsule medical device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a marking mechanism which performs marking operation for specifying the position.

27. A capsule medical device according to claim 26, further comprising:

a driving control unit which determines whether or not the marking mechanism should be driven.

28. A capsule medical device according to claim 26, wherein the marking mechanism comprises a discharge or ejecting unit which discharges or ejects polymer which easily adheres to the living body.

29. A capsule medical device according to claim 26, wherein the marking mechanism comprises a discharge or ejecting unit which discharges or ejects an RF-ID tag which sends radio waves.

30. A capsule medical device according to claim 27, further comprising:

an illuminating unit which illuminates the inside of the living body; and

an image pick-up unit which picks-up an image of an illuminated portion,

wherein the driving control unit operates the illuminating unit and the image pick-up unit in association with the marking mechanism.

31. A capsule medical device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an illuminating unit which illuminates the inside of the living body;

an image pick-up unit which picks-up an image of an illuminated portion; and

an image pick-up control unit which controls the illuminating unit, the image pick-up unit, and the chemical sensor in association therewith.

32. A capsule medical device according to claim 1, wherein the recovery device is a sensor surface switching device which switches the sensor surface.

33. A capsule medical device according to claim 32, wherein the sensor surface switching device has an exposing mechanism which sequentially exposes the different sensor surfaces.

34. A capsule medical device according to claim 33, further comprising:

an exposure control mechanism which sequentially externally exposes the different sensor surfaces, by relatively moving the chemical sensor to an opening partly arranged to an exterior of the capsule medical device by the exposing mechanism.

35. A capsule medical device according to claim 34, wherein the opening is a slit opening with a narrow width formed to a cylindrical surface of the exterior, and the chemical sensor is rotated and is moved in the width direction of the slit relative to the slit opening.

36. A capsule medical device according to claim 35, wherein the chemical sensor is arranged so that a plurality of types of sensors are simultaneously exposed in the longitudinal direction of the slit opening.

37. A capsule medical device according to claim 34, wherein the opening is fan-shaped, the inner chemical sensor is disc-shaped, and the disc-shaped chemical sensor is rotated, thereby sequentially externally exposing the different sensor surfaces.

38. A capsule medical device according to claim 34, wherein the chemical sensor is film-shaped to be wound, the different sensor surfaces are externally sequentially exposed to the opening arranged to the exterior in association with the winding operation of the film-shaped chemical sensor.

39. A capsule medical device according to claim 33, wherein an electric contact for driving the-exposing mechanism is arranged, and the electric contact is arranged near the outer surface of a case forming the exterior of the capsule medical device.

40. A capsule medical device according to claim 32, wherein the sensor surface switching device is a chemical sensor with a laminating structure of forming the sensor surfaces onto a plurality of layers comprising a substance digested in the gastrointestinal tract.

41. A capsule medical device according to claim 40, further comprising:

an optical sensor which varies the focusing distance so as to perform the focusing operation onto the plurality of layers.

42. A capsule medical device according to claim 40, wherein the plurality of layers are covered with the substances with different thicknesses.

43. A capsule medical device according to claim 40, wherein the plurality of layers are covered with the substances digested in the different gastrointestinal tracts such as the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.

44. A capsule medical device according to claim 32, further comprising:

a marking mechanism which performs the marking operation for specifying the position.

45. A capsule medical device according to claim 44, further comprising:

a driving control unit which determines whether or not the marking mechanism should be driven.

46. A capsule medical device according to claim 44, wherein the marking mechanism comprises a discharge or ejecting unit which discharges or ejects polymer which easily adheres to the living body.

47. A capsule medical device according to claim 44, wherein he marking mechanism comprises a discharge or ejecting unit which discharges or ejects an RF-ID tag which sends radio waves.

48. A capsule medical device according to claim 44, further comprising:

an illuminating unit which illuminates the inside of the living body; and

an image pick-up unit which picks-up an image of an illuminated portion,

wherein the driving control unit operates the illuminating unit and the image pick-up unit in association with the marking mechanism.

49. A capsule medical device according to claim 32, further comprising:

an illuminating unit which illuminates the inside of the living body;

an image pick-up unit which picks-up an image of an illuminated portion; and

an image pick-up control unit which controls the illuminating unit, the image pick-up unit, and the chemical sensor in association therewith.

50. A capsule medical device according to claim 49, further comprising:

a switching control unit which controls the switching timing or switching speed of the sensor surface switching device,

wherein the switching control unit and the image pick-up control unit are associated therewith.

51. A capsule medical device according to claim 32, further comprising:

a switching control unit which controls the switching timing or switching speed of the sensor surface switching device.

52. A capsule medical system comprising a capsule medical device having a chemical sensor and an analyzing device which analyzes or detects sensing data sensed by the chemical sensor after collecting the capsule medical device having sensor operation performed,

wherein the capsule medical device comprises a driving unit which sequentially exposes different sensor surfaces, and the analyzing device drives the driving unit and analyzes or detects the sensing data held in the chemical sensor.

53. A sensing method of a capsule medical device having a chemical sensor, comprising:

a first step of introducing the capsule medical device in the body;

a second step of sensing an examination target by the chemical sensor; and

a third step of, after the second step, performing recovery processing for resetting the chemical sensor substantially to an initial state thereof at a set timing.

54. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 53, wherein the third step is a step of the recovery processing of the same sensor surface.

55. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 53, wherein the third step is a step of the recovery processing by switching the sensor surface.

56. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 54, wherein the sensor surface of the chemical sensor is covered with a cover in the third step.

57. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 54, wherein the sensor surface of the chemical sensor is cleaned by a cleaning solution in the third step.

58. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 54, wherein the sensor surface of the chemical sensor is cleaned by a cleaning solution and is further dried in the third step.

59. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 54, wherein the step of the recovery processing of the same sensor surface in the third step is a recovery step by heating the sensor surface or drying the sensor surface to remove an undesired substance on the sensor surface.

60. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 54, wherein the sensor surface of the chemical sensor is covered with a cover and is cleaned by a cleaning solution in the third step.

61. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 55, wherein the step of the recovery processing by switching the sensor surface in the third step is a step of recovery processing by relatively moving the inner sensor to an opening partly arranged to an exterior of the capsule medical device.

62. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 55, further comprising:

a step of analyzing the sensor surface in the capsule medical device after the sensing operation in the second step.

63. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 53, further comprising:

a fourth step of collecting the capsule medical device after being evacuated; and

a fifth step of analyzing the sensor surface in the collected capsule medical device.

64. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 53, wherein the inside of the body is photographed in association with the sensing operation in the second step.

65. A sensing method of a capsule medical device according to claim 53, wherein the marking is performed in association with the sensing operation in the second step.