BODY-INSERTABLE APPARATUS SYSTEM

• US 20100179381A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: KAWANO, Hironao, TANAKA, Shinsuke, UCHIYAMA, Akio
• Granted Patent: US 8,529,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/104
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00087 Tools A61B17/00234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00158 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3478 Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/732 arranged around the patient, e.g. in a gantry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/73 Manipulators for magnetic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery

Abstract

A body-insertable apparatus system has a body insertable apparatus that is inserted into a subject and a control apparatus. The body-insertable apparatus includes a magnetic responding unit that is provided within a casing forming the body-insertable apparatus and has a magnetization direction; and a needle that is protruded and retracted with respect to a surface of the casing. The control apparatus includes a magnetic field generator that generates a magnetic field; and a control unit that causes the magnetic field generator to generate a magnetic field for changing an orientation of the magnetic responding unit based on the magnetization direction of the magnetic responding unit in the body-insertable apparatus, a position of the needle in the body-insertable apparatus, and a distal end direction of the needle, thereby changing an orientation of the entire body-insertable apparatus to enable the protruded needle to puncture a puncture target layer.

Claims

1. A body-insertable apparatus system comprising a body insertable apparatus that is inserted into a subject and a control apparatus that controls an operation of the body-insertable apparatus, wherein

the body-insertable apparatus comprises

a magnetic responding unit that is provided within a casing forming the body-insertable apparatus and has a magnetization direction;

and

a needle that is protruded and retracted with respect to a surface of the casing, and

the control apparatus comprises

a magnetic field generator that generates a magnetic field within the subject; and

a control unit that causes the magnetic field generator to generate a magnetic field for changing an orientation of the magnetic responding unit based on the magnetization direction of the magnetic responding unit in the body-insertable apparatus, a position of the needle in the body-insertable apparatus, and a distal end direction of the needle, thereby changing an orientation of the entire body-insertable apparatus to enable the protruded needle to puncture a puncture target layer.

2. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the orientation of the magnetic responding unit by changing a direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator, thereby changing the orientation of the entire body-insertable apparatus.

3. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 2, wherein the magnetization direction of the magnetic responding unit is approximately parallel to a radial direction of the casing.

4. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit causes the magnetic field generator to generate a rotating magnetic field to rotate the magnetic responding unit, thereby rotating the entire body-insertable apparatus around a long axis of the casing as a center axis.

5. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 4, wherein a helical structure that propels the body-insertable apparatus is provided on an outer surface of the casing.

6. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 4, further comprising a connecting member that connects the magnetic responding unit to the casing and switches a connection state of the magnetic responding unit with respect to the casing between a fixed state and a movable state.

7. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 6, wherein the movable state of the magnetic responding unit is a state where the magnetic responding unit is movable relative to the casing.

8. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 7, further comprising a protruding and retracting mechanism that protrudes or retracts the needle from or into the casing in accordance with relative rotation of the magnetic responding unit with respect to the casing.

9. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 7, wherein the body-insertable apparatus rotates with rotation of the magnetic responding unit in the fixed state with respect to the casing.

10. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 2, wherein the needle is positioned such that the distal end direction of the needle is in a same plane as the magnetization direction of the magnetic responding unit.

11. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 10, wherein the needle has a length that realizes a distance between a distal end of the protruded needle and an outer circumference of the casing equal to or larger than 1 millimeter on a line connecting the distal end of the protruded needle and a long axis of the casing by a most direct way.

12. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein an angle of the needle formed by an external tangent of the needle on a side of the casing and a tangent line at a position where the generatrix intersects with the outer circumference of the casing is equal to or smaller than 45°

.

13. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein a length of the needle when protruded is equal to or larger than 1.26 millimeters.

14. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein an outside diameter of the casing is equal to or smaller than 20 millimeters.

15. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein a length (L) of the needle when protruded has a relation with an outside diameter (2r) of the casing:

L+2^1/2(r/2)≧

(r²/2+2r+1)^1/2.

16. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the orientation of the magnetic responding unit by changing an intensity of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator, thereby changing the orientation of the entire body-insertable apparatus.

17. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 16, wherein the magnetization direction of the magnetic responding unit is approximately parallel to a long axis direction of the casing.

18. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein the needle has a distal end cut at an angle about 30°

.

19. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 18, wherein the needle is positioned in the casing to cause a cut surface to face an outer side of the casing.

20. The body-insertable apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein the body-insertable apparatus includes an image obtaining unit that obtains in-vivo images of the subject, and

the needle is positioned within a visual field of the image obtaining unit when protruded outside the casing.