Medical capsule device actuated by radio-frequency (RF) signal

• US 5,167,626 A
• Filed: 01/27/1992
• Issued: 12/01/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert A. Casper
• Original Assignee: Glaxo, Inc. (Glaxo Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Casper, Robert A., Parr, Alan F., McCartney, Michael L., Jochem, Warren J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US07/826,407
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 604/93, 604/113, 604/890.1, 604/892.1, 604/20, 128/769, 128/631, 600/2, 600/3, 600/7
• US Class Current: 604/891.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0045 Devices for taking samples of body liquids devices for taking blood samples A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0061 Alimentary tract secretions, e.g. biliary, gastric, intestinal, pancreatic secretions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• 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: A61F 2210/0023 operated at different temperatures whilst inside or touching the human body, heated or cooled by external energy source or cold supply

Abstract

A medical capsule device for releasing a substance at a defined location in the gastrointestinal tract. The device has a capsule body defining one or more apertures in the circumferential wall thereof and a sleeve valve rotatably positioned therein having one or more corresponding apertures in the circumferential wall thereof. The sleeve valve comprises a coil and electrically connected heatable resistor which are operatively associated with an actuator member formed of a shape memory alloy responsive to heat and which will move from a non-heated first shape to a heated second shape. Actuator stop means are provided in the capsule body for being engaged by the actuator member during movement from the non-heated first shape to the heated second shape so that the actuator member movement will serve to rotate the sleeve valve to an open position.

Claims

1. A medical capsule device adapted for release and/or collection of a substance at a defined location in the alimentary tract, said device comprising:

a capsule body defining one or more apertures in the circumferential wall thereof;

a rotatably movable sleeve member positioned within said capsule body and defining one or more apertures in the circumferential wall thereof corresponding to said apertures in said capsule body, said sleeve member adapted to be rotatably movable from a closed position at which said apertures thereof are not in registration with said capsule body apertures to an open position at which said apertures thereof are in registration with said capsule body apertures and back to said closed position;

actuator means positioned in said sleeve member for rotatably moving said sleeve member and comprising (1) a circuit inductively coupled to an alternating magnetic field and operatively connected with (2) at least one actuator member made of a shape memory alloy responsive to heat obtained from said circuit; and

actuator engagement means associated with said capsule body and engaged by said actuator member during heat responsive movement so that said actuator member movement will thereby serve to rotatably move said sleeve member from said closed position to said open position and back to said closed position.

2. A medical capsule device according to claim 1 wherein said capsule body defines a plurality of spaced-apart apertures around the circumference thereof.

3. A medical capsule device according to claim 1 wherein said capsule body includes a removable plug at one end thereof to facilitate the insertion of a substance therein or the removal of a substance therefrom.

4. A medical capsule device according to claim 3 wherein said capsule body further includes a removable cap at the other end thereof to facilitate insertion and removal of said sleeve member therefrom.

5. A medical capsule device according to claim 1 wherein said sleeve member defines a first open compartment at one end for receiving said actuator means and a second open compartment at the other end for receiving a substance to be released and/or collected, said compartments being separated by a fluid impermeable wall therebetween and said one or more apertures being located in the circumferential wall of said second compartment.

6. A medical capsule device according to claim 5 wherein said one or more apertures in said sleeve member comprises a plurality of spaced-apart apertures around the circumference of said second open compartment thereof.

7. A medical capsule device according to claim 1 wherein said circuit comprises a ferrite core having three coils orthogonally wound thereon wherein each coil is electrically connected to a respective capacitor and a respective heatable resistor, and wherein a heat conductive plate is secured to said sleeve member and operatively connected to said heatable resistors.

8. A medical capsule device according to claim 7 wherein said actuator means comprises a shape memory alloy finger and an elongate finger-like spring each secured at one end to said heat conductive plate so the secured ends thereof are spaced apart and both, said shape memory alloy finger and said finger-like spring extend generally in the same direction, said shape memory alloy finger being adapted to engage said actuator engagement means with the other end thereof and to compress said finger-like spring against said actuator engagement means when imparting opening rotational movement to said sleeve member, and said finger-like spring being adapted to engage said actuator engagement means when imparting closing rotational movement to said sleeve member.

9. A medical capsule device according to claim 7 wherein said actuator means comprises a pair of two-way shape memory alloy fingers which are each secured at one end to said heat conductive plate and which engage said actuator engagement means with the other end thereof, said fingers being adapted to impart opening rotational movement to said sleeve member when heated and to impart closing rotational movement to said sleeve member when not heated.

10. A medical capsule device according to claim 7 wherein said actuator means comprises a pair of shape memory alloy fingers having different Martensitic transition temperatures wherein the first of said fingers is secured at one end to said heat conductive plate and the second of said fingers is secured at one end to said capsule body, said shape memory alloy fingers being adapted for engagement at the unsecured ends thereof so as to impart opening rotational movement to said sleeve member when heated to said first Martensitic transition temperature, and to impart second and closing rotational movement in the same direction to said sleeve member when heated to said second Martensitic transition temperature.