Medical or veterinary digestive tract utilization systems and methods

• US 20090112048A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Boyden, Edward S., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Smith, Michael A., Langer, Robert, 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 8,707,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/036 by means introduced into body tracts A61B5/032 and A61B5/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• 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 5/6861 Capsules, e.g. for swallowing or implanting
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0517 Esophageal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0519 Endotracheal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/06 using magnetic fields produced by permanent magnets A61N2/12 takes precedence

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. A medical or veterinary system comprising:

a medical or veterinary utility module small enough to pass through a digestive tract per vias naturales, the medical or veterinary utility module including at least a wireless-control component having at least an engaging state and a disengaging state, the engaging state operable to cause the medical or veterinary utility module at least to remain within a portion of the digestive tract, the disengaging state allowing the medical or veterinary utility module to exit the digestive tract per vias naturales.

2. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the medical or veterinary utility module further comprises:

the medical or veterinary utility module, configured to be supported by one or more tethers in the digestive tract.

3. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the wireless-control component comprises:

the wireless-control component operable to remain in the engaging state for longer than a day.

4. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the wireless-control component comprises:

a disengagement-inducing actuator; and

circuitry for invoking the disengagement-inducing actuator responsive to one or more module disengagement signals.

5. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the wireless-control component comprises:

a ferromagnetic element generating a magnetic field;

a conductive coil; and

a current source operable for generating a current in the conductive coil at least partly in opposition to the magnetic field.

6. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the wireless-control component comprises:

a dispenser-releasing actuator; and

circuitry for invoking the dispenser-releasing actuator responsive to one or more dispenser release signals.

7. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the wireless-control component comprises:

a reservoir-opening actuator; and

circuitry for invoking the reservoir-opening actuator responsive to one or more reservoir-opening signals.

8. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the wireless-control component comprises:

a dosage-adjustment actuator; and

circuitry for invoking the dosage-adjustment actuator responsive to one or more dosage-adjustment signals.

9. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the wireless-control component comprises:

an adhesive-containing dispenser.

10. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the wireless-control component comprises:

an anticoagulant-agent-containing dispenser.

11. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the wireless-control component comprises:

an antibiotic-containing dispenser.

13. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the wireless-control component comprises:

a magnetic-flux-guiding element.

14. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more magnetic-field-generating elements at least partly outside the digestive tract.

15. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more radio frequency communication elements at least partly outside the digestive tract.

16. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more optical communication elements at least partly outside the digestive tract.

17. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

a remote control module operable for transmitting a wireless signal to the wireless-control component.

18. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

a remote module operable for receiving information from the medical or veterinary utility module.

19. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

a remote module operable for receiving status-indicative data from the medical or veterinary utility module.

20. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more mooring modules operable to support the medical or veterinary utility module.

21. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more other modules tethered to the medical or veterinary utility module.

22. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the medical or veterinary utility module further comprises:

one or more mooring component modules; and

one or more medical or veterinary utility component modules releasably supported by at least one of the one or more mooring modules.

23. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the medical or veterinary utility module further comprises:

the medical or veterinary utility module, configured to be supported by one or more tethers in the digestive tract, and having a median width W and a length L>

4*W.

40. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the wireless-control component comprises:

a ferromagnetic element generating a magnetic field;

a conductive coil;

a current source operable for generating a current in the conductive coil at least partly in opposition to the magnetic field.

one or more dispensers selected from the group consisting of an adhesive-containing dispenser, an adhesive-solvent-containing dispenser, an anticoagulant-agent-containing dispenser, and an antibiotic-containing dispenser;

one or more actuators selected from the group consisting of a disengagement-inducing actuator, a dispenser-releasing actuator, a reservoir-opening actuator, and a dosage-adjustment actuator; and

circuitry for controlling the one or more actuators, the current source, and the one or more dispensers responsive to one or more wireless signals, selectively operable to maintain the wireless-control component in one or more modes of the engaging state for longer than a week.

41. The medical or veterinary system of claim 40, further comprising:

one or more magnetic-field-generating elements operable to influence at least a first one of the one or more wireless signals from outside the digestive tract;

one or more radio frequency communication elements operable to influence at least a second one of the one or more wireless signals from outside the digestive tract;

one or more optical communication elements operable to influence at least a third one of the one or more wireless signals from outside the digestive tract;

a remote module operable for receiving information from the medical or veterinary utility module and for receiving status-indicative data from the medical or veterinary utility module;

one or more mooring modules operable to remain in the digestive tract for longer than a month; and

one or more tethers operable for permitting at least one of the one or more mooring modules to support at least the medical or veterinary utility module for longer than a week.

42. The medical or veterinary system of claim 40 in which the medical or veterinary utility module further comprises:

one or more mooring component modules having a median width W and a length L>

4*W; and

one or more medical or veterinary utility component modules configured to be releasably supported by at least one of the one or more mooring component modules by one or more tethers in the digestive tract.

12. (canceled)

24-39. -39. (canceled)

43-211. -211. (canceled)