COMPUTERIZED APPARATUS WITH INGESTIBLE PROBE

• US 20150150481A1
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West View Research LLC
• Original Assignee: West View Research LLC
• Inventors: Gazdzinski, Robert F.
• Granted Patent: US 10,098,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00006 of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0002 provided with data storages
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00029 externally powered, e.g. wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00032 internally powered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00036 Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode
• 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 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/02 Instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; needle locating or guiding means A61B17/3403; samplers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/26; sampling or preparing biological specimens G01N33/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/04 Endoscopic instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 : Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• 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 5/4255 : Intestines, colon or appendix
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 : combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 : Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 : involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 : Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 : for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4494 : Means for identifying the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 : in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 : involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 : Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 : Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 : the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 : Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1726 : the body parameters being measured at, or proximate to, the infusion site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/07 : Proteins
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/10 : with powered movement mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3507 : with implanted devices, e.g. external control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 : using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1042 : Alimentary tract A61M2210/0618 takes precedence
• 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: A61M 5/145 : using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 : using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 : in combination with another treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1005 : with asymmetrical radiation pattern
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1007 : Arrangements or means for the introduction of sources into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1014 : Intracavitary radiation therapy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/004 : by using forward error control H04L1/0618 takes precedence; coding, decoding or code conversion, for error detection or correction H03M13/00

Abstract

An endoscopic apparatus including a probe which is introduced into, for example, the intestinal tract of a living organism and which operates therein, adapted to perform one or more functions. In one embodiment, the probe communicates wirelessly with a portable electronic device outside the organism, the portable device which acts to relay data between the probe and a remote networked entity. In one variant, the probe includes an accelerometer to, for example, wake the probe up from a sleep mode when the organism is awake or ambulatory.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. Computerized apparatus, comprising:

an electronic probe ingestible by a human being, the electronic probe comprising;

digital integrated circuit apparatus;

a first wireless interface in data communication with the digital integrated circuit apparatus; and

sensor apparatus in data communication with the digital integrated circuit apparatus; and

communication apparatus configured to communicate with both a network interface and the first wireless interface when the communication apparatus is disposed proximate the human being and the probe has been ingested by the human being.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first wireless interface comprises a short range inductive wireless interface, and the network interface comprises a wireless cellular telephony interface.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the short range inductive wireless interface comprises a passive radio frequency apparatus configured to backscatter energy incident thereon.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the communication apparatus comprises a portable personal device configured to be carried by the human being, and further configured to emit an interrogation signal to cause said backscatter.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first wireless interface comprises a wireless interface compliant with a Bluetooth standard, and the network interface comprises a wireless cellular telephony interface.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the communication apparatus comprises a portable user electronic device owned by the user and having a Bluetooth compliant wireless interface capable of communication with the first wireless interface.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communication apparatus is configured to:

receive one or more probe commands from a network entity via the network interface; and

provide at least a portion of said one or more commands to said probe via the first wireless interface.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more commands comprise one or more commands to cause the integrated circuit apparatus to cause the sensor apparatus to collect data.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the probe is configured to enter a reduced power consumption state, and the one or more commands comprise one or more commands to cause the integrated circuit apparatus to transition the probe from the state to another state.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communication apparatus is configured to:

receive one or more commands from a network entity via the network interface; and

in response to at least one of the one or more commands received, transmit radio frequency energy to the probe, and receive at least some data from the probe via the first wireless interface after said transmission.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a data storage device in data communication with the integrated circuit apparatus;

and

wherein the communication apparatus is configured to;

receive one or more commands from a network entity via the network interface; and

in response to at least one of the one or more commands received, transmit radio frequency energy to the probe, the radio frequency energy encoding data to be uploaded to the probe via the first wireless interface for storage on the data storage device.

26. Computerized apparatus, comprising:

an electronic probe ingestible by a human being, the electronic probe comprising;

digital integrated circuit apparatus;

a first wireless interface in data communication with the digital integrated circuit apparatus; and

function-specific apparatus in data communication with the digital integrated circuit apparatus; and

portable communication apparatus comprising a network interface, the portable communication apparatus further comprising wireless apparatus configured to communicate with the probe via the first wireless interface when the portable communication apparatus is carried by the human being and the probe has been ingested by the human being.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the probe further comprises accelerometer apparatus in data communication with the integrated circuit apparatus, the accelerometer apparatus configured to at least detect acceleration of the probe when inside the human being, and to communicate one or more signals indicating such acceleration to the integrated circuit apparatus for transmission to the portable communication apparatus via the first wireless interface.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the portable communication apparatus is further configured to send data relating to the one or more signals to a remote network entity via the network interface, the data relating to the one or more signals apprising the remote entity that the human being is at least one of awake and/or ambulatory.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the portable communication apparatus is further configured to:

receive data encoding one or more commands from the remote network entity via the network interface, the data transmitted by the remote entity after receipt by the remote entity of the data relating to the one or more signals; and

transmit at least a portion of the data relating to the one or more commands to the probe via the wireless apparatus and the first wireless interface so as to cause the probe to activate the function-specific apparatus to accomplish a function associated therewith.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the function comprises a function selected from the group consisting of:

(i) intestinal tissue biopsy;

(ii) delivery of medication; and

(iii) collection of visual-band image data.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the probe further comprises a data storage apparatus in data communication with the integrated circuit apparatus, and the probe is further configured to store a plurality of digital data obtained after activation of the function-specific apparatus, the probe further configured to transmit at least a portion of the stored data to the portable communication apparatus via the wireless apparatus and first wireless interface.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the portable communication apparatus comprises a cellular-enabled portable electronic device, and the wireless apparatus and the first wireless interface each comprises a Bluetooth-compliant transceiver.

33. Computerized apparatus, comprising:

an electronic probe ingestible by a human being, the electronic probe comprising;

digital processing apparatus comprising a power-conserving sleep mode;

a first wireless interface in data communication with the digital processing apparatus;

data storage apparatus in data communication with the digital processing apparatus;

an accelerometer in data communication with the digital processing apparatus and configured to generate a signal based on motion of the human being; and

functional apparatus in data communication with the digital processing apparatus; and

portable communication apparatus configured to communicate wirelessly with the first wireless interface when the portable communication apparatus is carried by the human being and the probe has been ingested by the human being;

wherein the portable communication apparatus is further configured to, substantially in response to receipt of data relating to the signal, issue a command to the probe via the first wireless interface, the command configured to cause the digital processing apparatus to awake from the sleep mode, and activate the functional apparatus to perform a function associated therewith.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the probe comprises a reservoir, and the function comprises delivery of at least a portion of a medication stored in the reservoir.