Capsulu type medical device

• US 20070161851A1
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kawano, Hironao, Uchiyama, Akio, Takizawa, Hironobu, Homan, Masatoshi, Yokoi, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,257,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/102
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00156 using self propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/31 for the rectum, e.g. proctoscopes, sigmoidoscopes , colonoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/73 Manipulators for magnetic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6886 Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue

Abstract

A capsule type medical device is of a type of a capsule type medical device that is introduced inside the living body to gather in-vivo information, and comprises a capsule shaped casing; an in-vivo information acquisition device for acquiring the in-vivo information; a communication device for sending the in-vivo information acquired by the in-vivo information acquisition device to outside of the living body by wireless; at least one pair of first electrodes provided in a vicinity of one end along an axis of the casing for giving electric stimulation to body tissue in the living body; a first current control device for sending current to the first electrodes; and an interelectrode distance variation device for changing a distance between the electrodes.

Claims

1. A capsule type medical device that is introduced inside a living body to gather in-vivo information, comprising:

a capsule shaped casing;

an in-vivo information acquisition device for acquiring the in-vivo information;

a communication device for sending the in-vivo information which is acquired by the in-vivo information acquisition device to outside of the living body by wireless;

at least one pair of first electrodes which are provided in a vicinity of one end along an axis of the casing, for giving electric stimulation to a body tissue in the living body;

a first current control device for sending current to the first electrodes; and

a first interelectrode distance variation device for changing a distance between the first electrodes.

2. The capsule type medical device according to claim 1, wherein

a maximum distance between the first electrodes which may be changed by the first interelectrode distance variation device is set to at least double an outer diameter of the casing.

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

at least one pair of second electrodes, which are provided in a vicinity of another end along the axis of the casing and in a location not coinciding with the in-vivo information acquisition device, for giving electric stimulation to the body tissue;

a second current control device for sending current to the second electrodes; and

a second interelectrode distance variation device for changing a distance between the second electrodes.

4. The capsule type medical device according to claim 1, wherein

the first interelectrode distance variation device is formed by flexible wires which support the first electrodes at tip ends, and

the flexible wires are supported by the casing at base ends thereof and protrude externally from the casing.

5. The capsule type medical device according to claim 4, wherein

the flexible wires are in a belt shape with a width of the first electrodes being substantially the same as that of the flexible wires.

6. The capsule type medical device according to claim 4, wherein

the flexible wires comprise conductive wire members for sending current from the base ends to the tip ends and insulating covering members for insulating and covering the conductive wire members, and

at least one of the conductive members and the insulation covering members have flexibility and elasticity.

7. The capsule type medical device according to claim 4, wherein

the flexible wires are made of superelastic alloy and/or superelastic polymer material.

8. The capsule type medical device according to claim 4, further comprising a wire bundling device for bundling the flexible wires in a vicinity of the tip end, wherein

the wire bundling device dissolves inside the living body.

9. The capsule type medical device according to claim 1, wherein

the first interelectrode distance variation device is an outer shell unit which is movably attached to the casing to the outward direction, and

the first electrodes are fixed on the outer shell unit.

10. The capsule type medical device according to claim 1, wherein

the first electrodes are provided in a number of two or more along a periphery of the casing, and

the capsule type medical device further comprises an electrode selector for selecting electrodes among the first electrodes to send current to from the current control device.

11. The capsule type medical device according to claim 10, wherein

the electrode selector is an electrode size variation device which changes a size of each first electrode that gives electric stimulation to the body tissue, by selecting some electrodes arbitrarily among the first electrodes.

12. The capsule type medical device according to claim 4, further comprising a wire storage unit for storing the flexible wires inside the casing.

13. The capsule type medical device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a rotation shaft which is connected to the base ends of the flexible wires and is rotatably supported inside the wire storage unit; and

an actuator for driving the rotation shaft.

14. The capsule type medical device according to claim 12, wherein

the flexible wires possess a shape memory property, and wherein

the flexible wires enter a coil-like wound state at 30°

C. or a lower temperature, but returns to substantially straight line at 35°

C. or a higher temperature.

15. The capsule type medical device according to claim 12, further comprising a heating device for heating inside of the wire storage unit, wherein

the flexible wires possess a shape memory property by which they are restored to linear shape at a temperature of 40°

or higher from a substantially coil-like wound state.

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

a power source for supplying electric power to the first electrodes; and

wires, at least part of which possess flexibility, for electrically and mechanically connecting the power source and the electrodes;

wherein

the first interelectrode distance variation device comprises an elastic expansion unit which is expandable elastically and is mounted at least partially on the casing, and

the first electrodes are provided on the elastic expansion unit.

17. The capsule type medical device according to claim 16, further comprising an expansion device for expanding the elastic expansion unit, wherein

the expansion device is provided separate from the casing, and is detachably mounted on the casing.

18. The capsule type medical device according to claim 16, wherein

the elastic expansion unit is detachably mounted on the casing.

19. The capsule type medical device according to claim 16, wherein

a hard member which is harder than other parts of the elastic expansion unit is provided on the elastic expansion unit, and the first electrodes are provided on the hard member.

20. The capsule type medical device according to claim 1, wherein

electric stimulation signals to be sent to the electrodes are generated by the modulation of pulse signals of 100 Hz or less with pulse signals of 1000 Hz or more.