Medical or veterinary digestive tract utilization systems and methods

• US 20090112189A1
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Boyden, Edwards 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.
• Application Number:
  US11/986,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112189A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/891.100
• 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

1-42. -42. (canceled)

43. A medical or veterinary system comprising:

a protruding surface narrow enough to be positioned adjacent to a mucous membrane;

a first binding agent secretion port operable for binding at least to a first portion of the protruding surface; and

a second binding agent secretion port operable for binding at least to a first portion of the mucous membrane.

44. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43 in which the protruding surface comprises:

one or more convex regions overlapping the first portion of the mucous membrane.

45. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43, further comprising:

one or more light-emitting elements operable for curing a light-curable material secreted by the first binding agent secretion port.

46. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43, further comprising:

one or more hormone-containing reservoirs.

47. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43, further comprising:

one or more metered-dose dispensers.

48. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43, further comprising:

one or more releasable dispensers.

49. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43, further comprising:

update implementation circuitry.

50. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43, further comprising:

a temperature sensor.

51. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43, further comprising:

a material concentration sensor.

52. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43, further comprising:

one or more magnetic-flux-guiding elements.

53. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43, further comprising:

one or more valves operable for controlling material flow to the first binding agent secretion port.

54. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43, further comprising:

one or more valves operable for controlling material flow to the second binding agent secretion port.

55. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43 in which the first binding agent secretion port comprises:

a portion of the protruding surface overlapping the first binding agent secretion port.

56. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43 in which the first binding agent secretion port comprises:

the first binding agent secretion port, operable for secreting at least a first binding agent operable for binding to a second binding agent secreted by the second binding agent secretion port.

57. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43 in which the first binding agent secretion port comprises:

the first binding agent secretion port, operable for secreting at least a more-viscous binding agent and a less-viscous binding agent.

58. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43 in which the first binding agent secretion port comprises:

the first binding agent secretion port, operable for secreting at least a proton inhibitor.

59. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43 in which the second binding agent secretion port comprises:

the second binding agent secretion port, operable for secreting at least a binding agent adjacent the first portion of the mucous membrane and another protruding surface of the medical or veterinary system.

60. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43 in which the second binding agent secretion port comprises:

the second binding agent secretion port, operable for secreting at least one binding agent in contact with the first portion of the protruding surface and with the first portion of the mucous membrane.

74. The medical or veterinary system of claim 43, further comprising:

one or more hormone-containing reservoirs;

one or more metered-dose dispensers;

one or more releasable dispensers;

update implementation circuitry;

a temperature sensor;

a material concentration sensor;

one or more magnetic-flux-guiding elements;

one or more valves operable for controlling material flow to the first binding agent secretion port; and

one or more valves operable for controlling material flow to the second binding agent secretion port.

75. The medical or veterinary system of claim 74 in which the first binding agent secretion port comprises:

a portion of the protruding surface overlapping a portion of the first binding agent secretion port operable for secreting at least a more-viscous, proton-inhibitor-containing binding agent operable for binding to a less-viscous, proton-inhibitor-containing binding agent in contact with the first portion of the protruding surface and with the first portion of the mucous membrane and secreted by the second binding agent secretion port.

61-73. -73. (canceled)

76-211. -211. (canceled)