System for in vivo sampling and analysis

• US 20060106316A1
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Palti, Yoram
• Granted Patent: US 7,684,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0038 Devices for taking faeces samples; Faecal examination devices anal receptacles A61F5/451
• 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 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03

Abstract

A system for in vivo analysis which includes agglutinative particles capable of interacting with at least one analyte so as to cause an optical change; and at least one in vivo imaging system (220, 230, 240) configured for detecting the optical change in vivo. The system may be incorporated within an ingestible capsule (100).

Claims

1. A system for in vivo analysis, said system comprising:

agglutinative particles capable of interacting with at least one analyte so as to cause an optical change; and

at least one in vivo imaging system configured for detecting the optical change.

2. The system according to claim 1 comprising at least one illumination source.

3. The system according to claim 1 comprising at least one chamber, said chamber configured for containing the agglutinative particles and an in vivo sample.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the sampling chamber is at least partially transparent.

5. The system according to claim 3 wherein the imaging system is configured for imaging the chamber.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the imaging system is configured for imaging a body lumen.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the agglutinative particles include at least one molecule selected from the group consisting of:

antibodies, antigens, cells or linkers.

8. The system according to claim 3 wherein the at least one analyte is in the in vivo sample.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein the optical change is selected from the group consisting of:

a change of color, a change of hue, a change of brightness, a change of intensity, a change of optical density, a change of transparency, a change of light scattering or any combination thereof.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the in vivo imaging system includes at least a photodiode, a CCD or a CMOS.

11. The system according to claim 6 wherein the body lumen is a gastrointestinal tract.

12. The system according to claim 1 comprising a transmitter.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein the transmitter is configured for transmitting image data.

14. A device for in vivo analysis, said device comprising the system according to claim 1.

15. The device according to claim 14 wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of:

needles, stents, endoscopes, catheters or ingestible capsules.

16. An ingestible capsule comprising:

an optical window, said window having immobilized thereto agglutinative particles capable of interacting with at least one analyte so as to cause an optical change;

at least one imaging system configured for detecting at least the optical change; and

a transmitter configured for transmitting image data to an external receiving system.

17. The device according to claim 16 comprising at least one chamber, said chamber configured for containing the agglutinative particles and an in vivo sample.

18. A method for in vivo analysis, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a sample from a body lumen;

combining in vivo the sample with agglutinative particles; and

detecting at least one optical change in the combined sample.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the step of detecting at least one optical change includes imaging the combined sample.

20. The method according to claim 18 comprising the step of obtaining at least one image of the body lumen.

21. The method according to claim 18 comprising transmitting data to an external receiving unit.