Treatment techniques using ingestible device

• US 20090149839A1
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Smith, Michael A., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Application Number:
  US12/001,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20090149839A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/890.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• 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 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4261 Evaluating exocrine secretion production A61B3/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control

Abstract

An apparatus, device, methods, computer program product, and systems are described that determine a control command at a patient internal device within a patient, and provide the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient; and

providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to transmit information.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to execute a treatment algorithm and to execute a treatment of the patient based thereon.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof comprises:

providing the control command from the patient internal device to the ingestible device while the patient internal device and tile ingestible device are in wireless communication with one another within the patient.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof comprises:

providing the control command to the ingestible device, the instructions controlling the operation including release of at least one medication from the ingestible device.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof comprises:

providing the control command to the ingestible device, in association with at least one secondary control command received from a patient-external device located externally to the patient.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof comprises:

providing the control command to the ingestible device, the instructions controlling the operation including movement of the ingestible device to a location within the patient specified by the instruction.

42. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof comprises:

providing the control command to the ingestible device, the instructions controlling the operation including opening of a chamber of the ingestible device.

43. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof comprises:

providing the control command to the ingestible device the instructions controlling the operation including measuring a characteristic of the patient using a sensor of the ingestible device.

2-21. -21. (canceled)

24-33. -33. (canceled)

35-36. -36. (canceled)

40-41. -41. (canceled)

44. (canceled)

45. A computer program product comprising:

a signal-bearing medium bearing;

(a) one or more instructions for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient; and

(b) one or more instructions for providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a computer-readable medium.

47. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a recordable medium.

48. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a communications medium.

49. A system comprising:

means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient; and

means for providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command based on an external command received from a patient-external device.

51. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command based on status information associated with the ingestible device.

52. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command based on sensor information associated with the ingestible device.

53. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patent comprises:

means for determining the control command based on a characteristic of a medication associated with the ingestible device.

54. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command based on positional information of the ingestible device within the patient.

55. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command based on patient-external information.

56. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command based on sensor information associated with the patient internal device.

57. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for sensing a condition associated with the patient, using a sensor associated with the patient internal device.

62. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to open a chamber of the ingestible device.

63. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to promote a degradation of a surface of the ingestible device.

64. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to release medication from the ingestible device.

65. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to release a specified amount of medication from the ingestible device.

66. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to stop a motion thereof.

67. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to designate a location within the patient.

70. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to transmit information.

71. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to execute a treatment algorithm and to execute a treatment of the patient based thereon.

72. The system of claim 49 wherein means fur determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to move to a location within the patient.

73. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command as including a command to the ingestible device to cease performance of at least an aspect of the operation.

76. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command at the patient internal device the patient internal device being movable within the patient.

77. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command at the patient internal device, the patient internal device including a secondary ingestible device within the patient.

78. The system of claim 49 wherein means for determining a control command at a patient internal device within a patient comprises:

means for determining the control command at the patient internal device the patient internal device including a secondary ingestible device within the patient having secondary digestion characteristics than the ingestible device.

80. The system of claim 49 wherein means for providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof comprises:

means for providing the control command from the patient internal device to the ingestible device while the patient internal device and the ingestible device are spatially separated from one another within the patient.

81. The system of claim 49 wherein means for providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control operation thereof comprises:

means for providing the control command from the patient internal device to the ingestible device while the patient internal device and the ingestible device are mechanically decoupled from one another within the patient.

85. The system of claim 49 wherein means for providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof comprises:

means for providing the control command to the ingestible device, the instructions controlling the operation including release of at least one medication from the ingestible device.

86. The system of claim 49 wherein means for providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof comprises:

means for providing the control command to the ingestible device, in association with at least one secondary control command received from a patient-external device located externally to the patient.

87. The system of claim 49 wherein means for providing the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof comprises:

means for providing the control command to the ingestible device, the instructions controlling the operation including movement of the ingestible device to a location within the patient specified by the instructions.

58-61. -61. (canceled)

68-69. -69. (canceled)

74-75. -75. (canceled)

79. (canceled)

82-84. -84. (canceled)

88-92. -92. (canceled)

93. A system comprising:

a computing device including computer-executable instructions that when executed on the computing device, cause the computing device to

determine a control command at a patient internal device within a patient; and

provide the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof.

94. The system of claim 93 wherein the computing device comprises:

a memory and a processor implemented in the patient internal device.

95. A system, the system comprising:

(a) control logic configured to determine a control command at a patient internal device within a patient; and

b) a transmitter configured to provide the control command to an ingestible device within the patient, the control command including instructions to the ingestible device to control an operation thereof.

96. The system of claim 95 wherein the control logic is configured to determine the control command based on sensed data received from a sensor of the ingestible device.

97. The system of claim 95 wherein the transceiver is configured to provide the control command to the ingestible device using a wireless communications link.

98-112. -112. (canceled)