FAIL SAFE RADIATION CONCEALMENT MECHANISM

• US 20130172740A1
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Check-Cap Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Check-Cap Ltd.
• Inventors: Kimchy, Yoav, Sommer, Rafi
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/436
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00027 characterised by power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/162 Capsule shaped sensor housings, e.g. for swallowing or implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6861 Capsules, e.g. for swallowing or implanting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/06 Diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4057 by using radiation sources located in the interior of the body A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/425 using detectors specially adapted to be used in the interior of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices

Abstract

An aspect of an embodiment of the invention, relates to an imaging capsule for scanning inside a living body with a fail-safe radiation mechanism that prevents the emission of radiation from the imaging capsule until the imaging capsule is instructed to emit radiation and power is available to activate a motor to unblock the emission of radiation. Optionally, when power is not available the imaging capsule automatically, blocks the emission of radiation.

Claims

1. An imaging capsule for scanning inside a living body, with a fail-safe radiation mechanism, comprising:

a radiation source;

a rotatable disk with the radiation source mounted on the disk and wherein the rotatable disk has a collimator structure allowing the emission of radiation from the radiation source substantially only from a few locations on the circumference of the disk;

an outer ring surrounding the circumference of the disk and configured to rotate relative to the disk;

wherein the outer ring includes areas that block radiation and areas that are transparent to the emission of radiation; and

wherein in a rest position the outer ring is situated relative to the rotatable disk such that the areas that block radiation are blocking the emission of radiation from the few locations on the circumference of the disk that allow the emission of radiation;

a motor for rotating the rotatable disk relative to the outer ring; and

wherein the rotatable disk and outer ring are initially in the rest position blocking the emission of radiation until the motor is activated to rotate the rotatable disk and allow the emission of radiation.

2. An imaging capsule according to claim 1, further comprising a spring coupling the rotatable disk to the outer ring, and wherein the spring is configured to automatically return the rotatable disk and outer ring to the rest position when the motor is deactivated.

3. An imaging capsule according to claim 2, further comprising flaps extending from the outer ring and an encasement with an inner lining enclosing the imaging capsule, wherein the flaps are in contact with the inner lining of the encasement and are held by a force that prevents the outer ring from rotating responsive to the torque of the spring and the rotation of the rotatable disk.

4. An imaging capsule according to claim 3, wherein the force between the flaps and the inner lining is a friction force.

5. An imaging capsule according to claim 3, wherein the force between the flaps and the inner lining is an electromagnetic force.

6. An imaging capsule according to claim 3, wherein the force between the flaps and the inner lining is controllable.

7. An imaging capsule according to claim 6, wherein if the motor is deactivated and the force between the flaps and the inner lining is turned off, the outer ring will rotate to return the rotatable disk and outer ring to the rest position.

8. An imaging capsule according to claim 6, wherein if the motor is deactivated and the force between the flaps and the inner lining is turned on, the rotatable disk will rotate to return the rotatable disk and outer ring to the rest position.

9. An imaging capsule according to claim 8, wherein the motor is connected to the rotatable disk with a clutch that allows the motor to rotate the rotatable disk in a specific direction and the rotatable disk can rotate back freely when the motor is deactivated.

10. An imaging capsule according to claim 2, further comprising an encasement with an inner lining enclosing the imaging capsule, wherein the inner lining applies an electromagnetic force on the outer ring, and wherein the electromagnetic force controllably prevents the outer ring from rotating responsive to the torque of the spring and the rotation of the rotatable disk.

11. An imaging capsule according to claim 2, further comprising a first limiter attached to the rotatable disk and a second limiter attached to the outer ring, wherein the limiters prevent the rotatable disk and outer ring from leaving the rest position under the influence of the spring and the limiters force the outer ring to rotate with the rotatable disk under the force of the motor.

12. An imaging capsule according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable disk and the outer ring are configured to controllably emit radiation 360 degrees around the rotatable disk.

13. An imaging capsule according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable disk and the outer ring are configured to controllably emit radiation for a pre-selected amount of time or a pre-selected number of rotations.

14. An imaging capsule according to claim 1, further comprising a transceiver to receive instructions to activate or deactivate the motor.

15. An imaging capsule according to claim 1, wherein the imaging capsule is pre-programmed to activate or deactivate the motor at specific times.

16. A method of providing fail-safe radiation while scanning inside a living body, comprising:

mounting a radiation source on a rotatable disk;

positioning collimators on the disk so that the radiation is substantially allowed to be emitted only from a few locations on the circumference of the disk;

placing an outer ring to surround the circumference of the disk and configured to rotate relative to the disk;

wherein the outer ring includes areas that block radiation and areas that are transparent to the emission of radiation;

situating the outer ring and rotatable disk initially in a rest position wherein the outer ring is situated relative to the rotatable disk such that the areas that block radiation are blocking the emission of radiation from the few locations on the circumference of the disk that allow the emission of radiation;

receiving instructions to begin emitting radiation;

activating the motor to rotate the rotatable disk relative to the outer ring to a position that allows the emission of radiation.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising:

connecting between the rotatable disk and outer ring with a spring so that they will return to the rest position automatically when the motor is deactivated.