Capsule-type medical apparatus and drug delivery system using the same

• US 20080051635A1
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Akira, Tsuboi, Hirofumi, Kawano, Hironao, Takizawa, Hironobu, Sato, Ryoji, Tanaka, Shinsuke
• Application Number:
  US11/893,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20080051635A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/160
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0605 for spatially modulated illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery

Abstract

A capsule-type medical apparatus holds a drug such that a drug release such as dissolution can be realized under the same condition as in a case where the drug is delivered to an interior of a living body by itself, and realizes confirmation on whether the drug delivered to the interior of the living body is actually released to a site in the living body or not. The capsule-type medical apparatus includes a capsule-like casing which is formed in a suitable size for insertion into the living body, a net-like drug holding unit which houses a drug in a releasable manner with respect to a site in the living body, and an imaging unit which captures an image covering the drug held in the drug holding unit and a surrounding area of the drug. The imaging unit 4 captures an image as drug-source information indicating a release condition of the drug with respect to the site in the living body.

Claims

1. A capsule-type medical apparatus having a capsule-like casing that can be inserted into an interior of a living body and delivering a drug to a site in the living body, comprising:

a holding unit that holds the drug in such a manner that the drug can be brought into contact with a tissue in the living body; and

a detecting unit that detects a change in the drug in the living body.

2. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a radio communication unit that radio transmits a result of detection of the change in the drug detected by the detecting unit to an outside.

3. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the detecting unit is an imaging unit that captures an image covering the drug and a tissue around the drug in the living body.

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

the detecting unit includes

a light-emitting-element group in which each light-emitting element emits light of predetermined light intensity,

a light-receiving element which receives the light emitted by the light-emitting-element group,

the holding unit holds the drug between the light-emitting-element group and the light-receiving element,

the light intensity of the light emitted by the light-emitting-element group and received by the light-receiving element increases as the drug decreases, and

the light-receiving element detects the light intensity of the light which is emitted by the light emitting-element group and which increases as the drug decreases.

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

the capsule-like casing includes

a light-emission-side partial casing which has the light-emitting-element group,

a light-reception-side partial casing which has the light-receiving element, and

a connecting member that connects the light-emission-side partial casing and the light-reception-side partial casing, and

the connecting member is the holding unit that holds the drug between the light-emitting-element group and the light-receiving element.

6. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the holding unit is a connecting member that connects the capsule-like casing and the drug.

7. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the connecting member is a thread-like member.

8. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the connecting member is a stick-like member.

9. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the connecting member has one end adhered to an outer surface of the capsule-like casing.

10. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the connecting member connects the drug by putting one end of the connecting member into a hole formed substantially at a center of the drug.

11. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the connecting member has one end detachably connected to the capsule-like casing.

12. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the holding unit includes

plural transparent plates that sandwich the drug at a predetermined position in a field of view of the imaging unit,

an elastic member that connects the plural transparent plates with each other and generates a pressing force of the plural transparent plates with respect to the drug, and

a connecting member that connects one of the plural transparent plates and the capsule-like casing.

13. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the holding unit includes

a drug case that houses the drug in such a manner that the drug can be brought into contact with a tissue in the living body, and

a connecting member that connects the capsule-like casing and the drug case.

14. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the connecting member is a shape memory member which memorizes a predetermined shape, and arranges the drug case at a position in the field of view of the imaging unit by changing to the predetermined shape under a predetermined temperature condition.

15. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the detecting unit is a concentration sensor that detects a drug concentration of a drug solution which is a solution of the drug in a body fluid in the living body.

16. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a site detecting unit that detects site information indicating a site in the living body where the drug is changed.

17. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the site detecting unit is an imaging unit which captures an image covering the site in the living body.

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

the site detecting unit is a pH sensor which detects pH of the interior of the living body.

19. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising

a site detecting unit that detects site information indicating a site in the living body where the drug is changed.

20. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

the radio communication unit radio transmits a detected change in the drug detected by the detecting unit with respect to the site of the living body and the site information detected by the site detecting unit.