Medical device

• US 7,637,864 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Sendou, Masahiko, Uchiyama, Akio, Takizawa, Hironobu, Ishiyama, Kazushi, Yokoi, Takeshi, Arai, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker; John P
• Assistant Examiner(s): CANDLER, SAMUEL M
• Application Number:
  US10/541,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20060169293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/114, 600/117, 600/118, 600/127, 600421-424, 600/434, 606/80, 606/170, 606/171, 606/180, 607/143, 408/210, 408/224, 408/230
• US Class Current: 600/114
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00032 internally powered
• 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 1/2736 Gastroscopes
• 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

Abstract

A capsule medical apparatus inserted in the body cavity includes a spiral projected portion on the outer peripheral surface of a body cavity inserting portion. The pitch, height, and cross section of the projected portion and the like are set to have proper values and shapes suitable to the advance thereof. The body cavity inserting portion has a magnet. An external magnetic guiding device applies a rotating magnetic field to the magnet and the magnetic torque acts on a magnet for rotation. Thus, the medical apparatus stably advances.

Claims

1. A medical apparatus, comprising:

a body cavity inserting portion which is inserted into a body and which has a thrust-generating spiral projected portion in contact with a body cavity; and

rotating device for rotating the thrust-generating spiral projected portion, wherein

the rotating device includes;

a magnetic field generating device arranged outside the body for generating a rotating magnetic filed; and

a magnet arranged inside the body cavity inserting portion and driven to rotate by the rotating magnetic field;

the thrust-generating spiral projected portion is set to have a shape with a projection height from not less than 0.3 mm to not more than 3 mm; and

the rotating magnetic field is set to rotate at a rotating speed of not more than 5 Hz.

2. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thrust-generating spiral projected portion is formed in a multi-spiral screw shape having not less than 2 spirals.

3. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thrust-generating spiral projected portion has a cross sectional shape of at least one of a circle, a semicircle and a generally R shape.

4. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thrust-generating spiral projected portion is non-continuously formed.

5. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body cavity inserting portion is a capsule medical apparatus.

6. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the body cavity inserting portion includes a flexible stick portion; and

the thrust-generating spiral projected portion is supported rotatably with respect to the flexible stick portion.

7. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the thrust-generating spiral projected portion is formed in a multi-spiral screw shape having not more than 10 spirals.

8. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

a torque generated by the rotating device is set so as not to surpass a set value.

9. The medical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a set value for the torque generated by therotating device is configured to be arbitrarily settable.

10. The medical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the set value is set to from not less than 0.06 cNm to not more than 1 cNm.

11. The medical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the body cavity inserting portion is a capsule medical apparatus.

12. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of a rising angle and a falling angle at an end portion of the trust-generating spiral projected portion is smoothly formed at an angle not more than 45 degrees.

13. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the thrust-generating spiral projected portion has an outer diameter of not more than 18 mm.

14. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the thrust-generating spiral projected portion has at least one groove formed along the spiral of the thrust-generating spiral projected portion, the groove having a depth smaller than a height of the thrust-generating spiral projected portion.

15. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the thrust-generating spiral projected portion is detachably attached to the body cavity inserting portion.

16. The medical apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the thrust-generating spiral projected portion is formed of elastic rubber.

17. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the thrust-generating spiral projected portion has a generally trapezoidal cross sectional shape.

18. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the thrust-generating spiral projected portion has a spiral pitch which is set to not less than 10 mm.

19. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

a center of gravity of the body cavity inserting portion substantially matches a longitudinal central axis of the body cavity inserting portion.

20. the medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thrust-generating spiral projected portion is set to have a shape with a projection height from not less than 0.3 mm to not more than 2 mm.