Capsule-type medical device and medical system

• US 20050256372A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Moriyama, Hiroki, Takizawa, Hironobu, Mizuno, Hitoshi, Segawa, Hidetake, Yokoi, Takeshi, Adachi, Hideyuki, Yabe, Hisao
• Granted Patent: US 7,993,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/102
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00032 internally powered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00158 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00181 for multiple fixed viewing angles A61B1/00193 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A capsule-type medical device which is advanced through a digestive tract of a human being or animal for conducting an examination, therapy, or treatment is provided. The capsule-type medical device includes: a plurality of capsule bodies; a soft linking unit which links the plurality of capsule bodies and has an outer diameter less than that of any of the capsule bodies; and a joining member which joins two or more of the plurality of capsule bodies in a prescribed position.

Claims

1. A capsule-type medical device which is advanced through a digestive tract of a human being or animal for conducting an examination, therapy, or treatment, the capsule-type medical device comprising:

a plurality of capsule bodies;

a soft linking unit which links the plurality of capsule bodies and has an outer diameter less than that of any of the capsule bodies; and

a joining member which joins two or more of the plurality of capsule bodies in a prescribed position.

2. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 1, wherein the joining member comprises a magnetic device provided inside at least two of the plurality of capsule bodies.

3. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 1, wherein the joining member comprises a shape memory material provided inside the soft linking unit.

4. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the capsule bodies is three or more and one of the outer diameters and lengths of two end capsule bodies among the plurality of capsule bodies is less than that of the capsule body other than the two end capsule bodies.

5. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply;

a wireless transmission unit; and

a control unit;

wherein at least one of the power supply, the wireless transmission unit, and the control unit is used commonly for at least one of a plurality of illumination devices and a plurality of observation devices corresponding to the plurality of capsule bodies.

6. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 1, wherein a length of the soft linking unit is substantially equal to or larger than a length of the smallest of the plurality of capsule bodies.

7. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 1, wherein the joining member comprises a magnet or a magnetic substance provided in at least one of the plurality of capsule bodies.

8. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of capsule bodies are linked together such that two of the plurality of capsule bodies are end capsule bodies, at least one of the outer diameters and lengths of the end capsule bodies are the same.

9. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 1, further comprising an electric connection member provided inside the soft linking unit for electrically connecting the plurality of capsule bodies to each other.

10. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 1, further comprising a wire provided inside the soft linking unit for mechanically connecting the plurality of capsule bodies to each other.

11. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 10, wherein the wire is a metal wire and also serves as an electric connection member.

12. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of capsule bodies are each provided with an illumination device and an observation device with mutually different observation directions.

13. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 12, wherein the observation directions of the at least two capsule bodies are forward and backward with respect to a longitudinal axis of the capsule-type medical device.

14. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 12, wherein the observation devices of the at least two capsule bodies comprise objective optical systems with mutually different angles of view.

15. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 12, wherein the observation devices of the at least two capsule bodies comprise objective optical systems inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the capsule-type medical device.

16. The capsule-type medical device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more capsule bodies joined by the joining member is provided with an observation device and another of the two or more capsule bodies is provided with an illumination device.

17. A method for examination, therapy, or treatment of the digestive tract of a human being by using a capsule-type medical device comprising a plurality of capsule bodies, the method comprising:

swallowing the capsule-type medical device in a linear shape;

advancing the capsule-type medical device entirely through the narrow lumen portion of the digestive tract; and

joining at least two of the plurality of capsule bodies in the prescribed position at a predetermined portion of the digestive tract.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising observing inside the wide portion of the digestive tract by one of the capsule body joined in the prescribed position.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined portion of the digestive tract is the stomach.