IN VIVO OBSERVATION DEVICE

• US 20080234546A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: KAWANO, Hironao, UCHIYAMA, Akio, TAKIZAWA, Hironobu, KIKUCHI, Akira
• Application Number:
  US12/051,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20080234546A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/104
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00048 Constructional features of the display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00089 Hoods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00094 Suction openings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00101 the distal tip features being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00148 using anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6885 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure

Abstract

This in vivo device is provided with a capsular casing and a foreign object removing device. The capsular casing is taken into a living body. The foreign object removing device removes a foreign object between a surface of a body tissue and the casing.

Claims

1. An in vivo device comprising:

a capsular casing that is taken into a living body; and

a foreign object removing device that removes a foreign object between a surface of a body tissue and the casing.

2. An in vivo device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an observation wall provided on the casing; and

an observation device provided within the casing that observes the inside of the living body through the observation wall,

wherein the foreign object removing device removes the foreign object between the surface of the body tissue and the observation wall.

3. An in vivo device according to claim 1, further comprising a drug administration device provided within the casing that administers a drug at a desired site through a drug administration opening,

wherein the foreign object removing device removes the foreign object between the surface of the body tissue and the drug administration opening.

4. An in vivo device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electrode provided on the outer surface of the casing; and

an electrical power supply section provided within the casing that supplies electrical power to the electrode,

wherein electrical power that is supplied to the electrode causes electrical current to flow to the body tissue, thereby contracting the body tissue to promote propulsion of the casing.

5. An in vivo device according to claim 1, wherein the foreign object removing device acts as a contact auxiliary device that causes the casing to closely contact to the surface of the body tissue so as to remove the foreign object.

6. An in vivo device according to claim 1, wherein the foreign object removing device acts as an air discharging device that discharges air so as to remove the foreign object.

7. An in vivo device according to claim 5, wherein the contact auxiliary device is provided in the casing.

8. An in vivo device according to claim 5, wherein the contact auxiliary device acts as an external contact auxiliary device disposed outside the living body and provided with an action generating section that generates an action in the casing from outside the living body.

9. An in vivo device according to claim 7, wherein the contact auxiliary device comprises an external contact auxiliary device disposed outside the living body and provided with an action generating section that generates an action in the casing from outside the living body, and a reacting section that receives the action generated by the action generating section.

10. An in vivo device according to claim 7, wherein:

the casing comprises two openings;

the contact auxiliary device acts as a fluid transfer device that aspirates fluids such as body fluids and gases within the living body from one opening and causes them to flow to another opening; and

the fluid transfer device causes the casing to be closely contacted to the surface of the body tissue.

11. An in vivo device according to claim 7, wherein the contact auxiliary device is in the form of a difference in specific gravity such that the specific gravity of the entire device is set to be greater than the specific gravity of the fluid present in the living body.

12. An in vivo device according to claim 7, wherein

the contact auxiliary device comprises:

a balloon which can be expanded so as to closely contact to the living body; and

an expansion device that expands the balloon by supplying a fluid inside the balloon.

13. An in vivo device according to claim 8, wherein the external contact auxiliary device acts as a pressing section that presses against the living body.

14. An in vivo device according to claim 9, wherein:

the action generating section acts as a magnetic field generating device; and

the reacting section is a permanent magnet or a ferromagnetic body.

15. An in vivo device according to claim 10, further comprising:

an observation wall provided on the casing; and

an observation device provided within the casing that observes the inside of the living body through the observation wall,

wherein the casing is provided with a cylindrical member that protrudes towards the direction of observation of the observation device, and

wherein the fluid transfer device removes the foreign object between the surface of the body tissue and the cylindrical member.

16. An in vivo device according to claim 15, wherein the cylindrical member is removable.

17. An in vivo device according to claim 11, further comprising:

an observation wall provided on the casing; and

an observation device provided within the casing that observes the inside of the living body through the observation wall,

wherein the center of gravity of the in vivo device is shifted to the side of the observation wall.

18. An in vivo device according to claim 12, wherein the expansion device is provided with an acquisition section that acquires body fluid inside the living body, and an expansion section that expands the balloon based on the amount of moisture of the body fluid acquired with the acquisition section.

19. An in vivo device according to claim 12, further comprising a duct provided within the casing that connects the outside and inside of the balloon,

wherein the expansion device is provided with a pump that expands the balloon by supplying fluid from the outside to the inside of the balloon by means of the duct or contacts the balloon by discharging fluid from the inside of the balloon to the outside by means of the duct, and a control section that controls the operation of the pump.

20. An in vivo device according to claim 12, further comprising:

another balloon provided in the casing; and

a duct provided within the casing that respectively communicates with the insides of the balloon and the other balloon,

wherein the expansion device is provided with a pump that mutually supplies the fluid to the insides of the both balloons by means of the duct, and a control section that controls the operation of the pump.

21. An in vivo device according to claim 12, wherein the balloon is provided with a reversing prevention device on the outer surface thereof.

22. An in vivo device according to claim 12, further comprising:

an observation wall provided on the casing; and

an observation device provided within the casing that observes the inside of the living body through the observation wall,

wherein the balloon is provided so as to cover the observation wall, and

wherein the balloon is optically transparent.

23. An in vivo device according to claim 22, wherein a refractive index of the balloon is substantially equal to or lower than a refractive index of the fluid.

24. An in vivo device according to claim 22, wherein:

the fluid is a liquid drug;

a drug administration device is provided within the casing that administers the drug at a desired site through a drug administration opening; and

the drug is optically transparent.

25. An in vivo device according to claim 12, further comprising a drug administration device provided within the casing that administers a drug at a desired site through a drug administration opening,

wherein the drug administration opening is provided on the surface of the balloon.

26. An in vivo device according to claim 25, wherein:

the fluid is a liquid drug;

the balloon is provided with a micropore that allow the drug to be released outside the balloon when the balloon is expanded at a pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined value; and

the expansion device has a pressure raising device that raises the pressure inside the balloon to a pressure equal to or greater than the predetermined value during release of the drug.

27. An in vivo device according to claim 25, further comprising:

an electrode provided on the external surface of the balloon; and

an electrical power supply section provided within the casing that supplies electrical power to the electrode,

wherein the electrical power supply section supplies electrical power to the electrode when the drug is released.

28. An in vivo device according to claim 25, wherein:

the fluid is a liquid drug; and

a duct that connects the outside of the balloon with the inside, a switching valve that is able to open and close the duct and release the drug inside the balloon to the outside, and a switching valve control section that controls operation of the switching valve, are provided in the casing.

29. An in vivo device according to claim 25, wherein:

the fluid is a liquid drug; and

a drug storage section that stores the drug, a duct that connects the drug storage section with the outside of the balloon, a releasing device that releases the drug stored in the drug storage section outside the balloon through the duct, and a control section that operates the releasing device, are provided in the casing.

30. An in vivo device according to claim 13, wherein a grip for operating pressing is provided in the external contact auxiliary device.

31. An in vivo device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a transmission device provided within the casing that transmits data; and

a display section provided in the pressing section that displays data transmitted from the transmission device.

32. An in vivo device according to claim 13, further comprising a location detecting device provided in the external contact auxiliary device that detects the location of the casing.

33. An in vivo device according to claim 13, further comprising:

an antenna for receiving electrical power provided within the casing; and

an antenna for supplying electrical power provided in the pressing section.

34. An in vivo device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a transmission device provided within the casing that transmits data; and

a display section provided in the pressing section that displays data transmitted from the transmission device.

35. An in vivo device according to claim 14, further comprising a location detecting device provided in the external contact auxiliary device that detects the location of the casing.

36. An in vivo device according to claim 14, further comprising:

an antenna for receiving electrical power provided within the casing; and

an antenna for supplying electrical power provided in the pressing section.

37. An in vivo device according to claim 2, further comprising a drug administration device provided within the casing that administers a drug at a desired site through a drug administration opening,

wherein the foreign object removing device further removes the foreign object between the surface of the body tissue and the drug administration opening.