CAPSULE-TYPE MEDICAL APPARATUS, GUIDANCE SYSTEM AND GUIDANCE METHOD THEREFOR, AND INTRASUBJECT INSERTION APPARATUS

• US 20090281387A1
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawano, Hironao, Uchiyama, Akio, Takizawa, Hironobu, Tanaka, Shinsuke, Chiba, Atsushi
• Application Number:
  US12/089,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20090281387A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/117
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00148 using anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00156 using self propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00158 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/73 Manipulators for magnetic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• 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

Using a guidance system with a simple configuration, propulsive motion along a longitudinal direction and changing of the propulsion direction are easily performed with good precision and stability. There is provided a capsule-type medical apparatus 201 which is inserted into the body of a subject and is guided by an external magnetic field, the capsule-type medical apparatus 201 comprising: a substantially cylindrical capsule 202; a propulsion mechanism 207 for converting rotary motion about a longitudinal axis R of the capsule 202 into propulsive motion along the longitudinal axis R; a magnet 205 accommodated inside the capsule 202 and disposed in such a manner that the magnetic-pole direction thereof can be switched between a direction along the longitudinal axis R and a direction intersecting the longitudinal axis R; and a securing portion 212 for securing the magnet 205 to the capsule 202 in each of the switched states of the magnetic-pole direction.

Claims

1. A capsule-type medical apparatus which is inserted into the body of a subject and is guided by an external magnetic field, the capsule-type medical apparatus comprising:

a substantially cylindrical capsule;

a propulsion mechanism for converting rotary motion about a longitudinal axis of the capsule into propulsive motion along the longitudinal axis;

a magnet accommodated inside the capsule and disposed in such a manner that a magnetic-pole direction thereof can be switched between a direction along the longitudinal axis and a direction intersecting the longitudinal axis; and

a securing portion for securing the magnet to the capsule in each of the switched states of the magnetic-pole direction.

2. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the propulsion mechanism is a spiral mechanism provided on an outer circumferential surface of the capsule.

3. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the magnet is made of a permanent magnet, and

the securing portion includes an engagement member which is engaged with the magnet at a location where magnetic poles are oriented in a direction along the longitudinal axis and at a location where the magnetic poles are oriented in a direction intersecting the longitudinal axis.

4. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the magnet is made of a permanent magnet, and

the securing portion includes a magnetic material which is held in contact with the magnet at a location where the magnetic poles are oriented in a direction along the longitudinal axis and at a location where the magnetic poles are oriented in a direction intersecting the longitudinal axis.

5. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a magnetic-pole-direction switching device for switching the magnetic-pole direction of the magnet.

6. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a magnetic-pole-direction switching device for switching the magnetic-pole direction of the magnet, wherein

the magnet is made of a permanent magnet,

the securing portion includes an electromagnet which is held in contact with the magnet at a location where the magnetic poles are oriented in a direction along the longitudinal axis and at a location where the magnetic poles are oriented in a direction intersecting the longitudinal axis, and

the magnetic-pole-direction switching device includes a magnetic-pole switching device for switching the magnetic poles of the electromagnet.

7. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a magnetic-pole-direction switching device for switching the magnetic-pole direction of the magnet, wherein

the magnet is made of a permanent magnet, and

the magnetic-pole-direction switching device includes a motor for pivoting the magnet about an axis along a radial direction of the capsule.

8. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 3, comprising:

a magnetic-pole-direction switching device for switching the magnetic-pole direction of the magnet, wherein

the magnetic-pole-direction switching device includes a motor for pivoting the magnet about an axis along a radial direction of the capsule.

9. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a magnetic-pole-direction switching device for switching the magnetic-pole direction of the magnet, wherein

the magnet is made of an electromagnet, and

the securing portion and the magnetic-pole-direction switching device include a magnetic-pole switching device for switching and holding the magnetic poles of the electromagnet.

10. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the spiral mechanism is separated from an outer surface of the capsule, and

the capsule-type medical apparatus includes a spiral-outer-diameter change-imparting portion for changing a spiral-outer-diameter of the spiral mechanism which is separated in a diameter direction with respect to the outer surface of the capsule.

11. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the spiral-outer-diameter change-imparting portion secures either one end or the other end of the spiral mechanism movably in an outer circumferential direction of the capsule and changes the spiral-outer-diameter of the spiral mechanism by moving the securing position in the outer circumferential direction of the capsule.

12. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the spiral-outer-diameter change-imparting portion changes the spiral-outer-diameter of the spiral mechanism which is separated from the outer surface of the capsule by inflating and deflating the spiral mechanism in a spiral direction.

13. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the spiral-outer-diameter change-imparting portion provides a balloon between the capsule and the spiral mechanism and changes the spiral-outer-diameter of the spiral mechanism by inflating and deflating the balloon.

14. A capsule-type medical-apparatus guidance system comprising:

a capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1;

a magnetic-field generating apparatus, disposed outside a working area of the capsule-type medical apparatus, for generating an external magnetic field which acts on the magnet inside the capsule-type medical apparatus; and

a magnetic-field control apparatus for controlling the external magnetic field acting on the magnet from the magnetic-field generating apparatus.

15. The capsule-type medical-apparatus guidance system according to claim 14, comprising:

a capsule-orientation detection apparatus for detecting an orientation of the capsule-type medical apparatus, wherein

the magnetic-field control apparatus controls a direction of the external magnetic field at a position of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the orientation of the capsule-type medical apparatus detected by the capsule-orientation detection apparatus.

16. A capsule-type medical-apparatus guidance method for guiding a capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

propelling the capsule-type medical apparatus in the longitudinal direction by switching and fixing the magnetic-pole direction of the magnet to the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction and applying an external magnetic field which rotates about the longitudinal axis; and

changing the propulsion direction of the capsule-type medical apparatus by switching and fixing the magnetic-pole direction of the magnet to the direction along the longitudinal axis and applying an external magnetic field which is formed in an arbitrary direction.

17. An intrasubject insertion apparatus comprising:

an insertion portion main body for insertion into a subject;

a rotation mechanism for rotating the insertion portion main body;

a spiral-structured portion which converts rotary motion of the insertion portion main body due to the rotating mechanism into a propulsive force and which is separated in a diameter direction with respect to an outer surface of the insertion portion main body; and

a spiral-outer-diameter change-imparting portion for changing a spiral-outer-diameter of the spiral-structured portion which is separated in the diameter direction with respect to the outer surface of the insertion portion main body.

18. The intrasubject insertion apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the spiral-outer-diameter change-imparting portion secures either one end or the other end of the spiral-structured portion movably in an outer circumferential direction of the insertion-portion main body and changes the spiral-outer-diameter of the spiral-structured portion by moving the securing position in the outer circumferential direction of the insertion-portion main body.

19. The intrasubject insertion apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the spiral-outer-diameter change-imparting portion changes the spiral-outer-diameter of the spiral-structured portion which is separated from the outer surface of the insertion-portion main body by inflating and deflating the spiral-structured portion in a spiral direction.

20. The intrasubject insertion apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the spiral-outer-diameter change-imparting portion provides a balloon between the insertion-portion main body and the spiral-structured portion and changes the spiral-outer-diameter of the spiral-structured portion by inflating and deflating the balloon.