Medical or veterinary digestive tract utilization systems and methods

• US 20090104250A1
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Smith, Michael A., Langer, Robert, Boyden, Edward S., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. JR., Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,789,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/435
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/036 by means introduced into body tracts A61B5/032 and A61B5/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14503 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/42 Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the gastrointestinal, the endocrine or the exocrine systems A61B1/00, A61B5/4857, A61B5/486, A61B5/4866, A61B5/4869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6882 Anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/008 Detecting noise of gastric tract, e.g. caused by voiding
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for implementing or deploying medical or veterinary utility modules (a) operable for mooring at least partly within a digestive tract, (b) small enough to pass through the tract per vias naturales and including a wireless-control component, (c) having one or more attachment protrusions positionable adjacent to a mucous membrane, (d) configured to facilitate redundant modes of attachment, (e) facilitating a “primary” material supply deployable within a stomach for an extended and/or controllable period, (f) moored by one or more adaptable extender modules supported by a subject'"'"'s head or neck, and/or (g) configured to facilitate supporting at least a sensor within a subject'"'"'s body lumen for up to a day or more.

Claims

1-75. -75. (canceled)

76. A medical or veterinary system comprising:

a module body small enough for a subject to swallow;

an earlier-acting attachment feature operable for coupling the module body to a first portion of a mucous membrane; and

a later-acting attachment feature operable for initially coupling the module body to a second portion of the mucous membrane at least one minute after the earlier-acting attachment feature initially couples the module body to the first portion of the mucous membrane.

77. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the module body comprises:

one or more sensors.

78. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the module body comprises:

a binding agent curing element.

79. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the module body comprises:

one or more anti-hyperglycemic-medication-containing reservoirs.

80. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the module body comprises:

one or more appetite-suppressant-containing reservoirs.

81. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the module body comprises:

at least some of the earlier-acting attachment feature.

82. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the module body comprises:

at least some of the later-acting attachment feature.

83. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the earlier-acting attachment feature comprises:

one or more actuators operable for initially coupling the module body to the first portion of the mucous membrane; and

circuitry for invoking at least one of the one or more actuators operable for initially coupling the module body to the first portion of the mucous membrane responsive to an apparent ingestion of the module body.

84. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the earlier-acting attachment feature comprises:

a delay-inducing element; and

one or more actuators operable for initially coupling the module body to the first portion of the mucous membrane responsive to the delay-inducing element.

85. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the earlier-acting attachment feature comprises:

one or more piercing elements.

86. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the earlier-acting attachment feature comprises:

one or more gripping elements.

87. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the earlier-acting attachment feature comprises:

one or more magnetic-flux-guiding elements.

88. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the later-acting attachment feature comprises:

one or more actuators operable for initially coupling the module body to the second portion of the mucous membrane; and

circuitry for invoking at least one of the one or more actuators operable for initially coupling the module body to the second portion of the mucous membrane.

89. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the later-acting attachment feature comprises:

one or more binding agent secretion ports.

90. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the later-acting attachment feature comprises:

a polymer-containing binding agent.

91. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76, further comprising:

a carrier at least partly supporting the module body and one or more other bodies.

92. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76, further comprising:

a tether.

93. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76, further comprising:

another attachment feature operable for engaging the mucous membrane.

109. The medical or veterinary system of claim 76 in which the earlier-acting attachment feature comprises:

one or more attachment elements selected from a group consisting of a piercing element, a gripping element, a magnetic-flux-guiding element, or an adhesive material;

a first delay-inducing element responsive to an apparent ingestion of the module body;

a first actuator operable for coupling the module body to the first portion of the mucous membrane by using the one or more attachment elements; and

circuitry for invoking at least the first actuator responsive to the delay-inducing element.

110. The medical or veterinary system of claim 109 in which the module body comprises:

a sensor-containing module comprising one or more of a carbohydrate sensor or a pH sensor;

a reservoir containing a therapeutic material comprising one or more of an appetite suppressant or an anti-hyperglycemic-medication;

a second delay-inducing element responsive to the apparent ingestion of the module body, the second delay-inducing element being nominally slower than the first delay-inducing element by at least an hour; and

the later-acting attachment feature including at least a second actuator operable for injecting a polymer-containing binding agent into a binding location suitable for coupling the module body to the second portion of the mucous membrane responsive to the second delay-inducing element.

94-108. -108. (canceled)

111-211. -211. (canceled)