System for marking a location for treatment within the gastrointestinal tract

• US 7,824,347 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Entrack, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Entrack, Inc.
• Inventors: Colliou, Oliver K., Tenhoff, Harm, Layman, Ted W., Lake, Sharon L., Hughes, Timothy J., Imran, Mir A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOEKSTRA, JEFFREY GERBEN
• Application Number:
  US10/427,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20040068204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,742 Days
• Field of Search: 600/593, 600/587, 600/586, 600/561, 600/546, 600/547, 600/549, 600/407, 600/424, 600/459, 600/25, 600/437, 600/438, 600/472, 600/101, 600/109, 601/2, 601/46, 601/47, 601/55, 292/355, 381/150, 381/166, 594/0
• US Class Current: 600/593
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00482 Digestive system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/162 Capsule shaped sensor housings, e.g. for swallowing or implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/036 by means introduced into body tracts A61B5/032 and A61B5/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• 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 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• 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 5/14503 : invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 : for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1459 : invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1464 takes precedence
• 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 5/4233 : oesophagus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4255 : Intestines, colon or appendix
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 : combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 : specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6873 : Intestine
• 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 5/172 : electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• 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 1/36007 : of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 : Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula

Abstract

A device and method for mapping, diagnosing and treating the intestinal tract is provided using a capsule passing through the intestinal tract. Further, a capsule tracking system is provided for tracking a capsule'"'"'s location along the length of an intestinal tract as various treatment and/or sensing modalities are employed. In one variation, an acoustic signal is used to determine the location of the capsule. A map of sensed information may be derived from the pass of a capsule. Capsules may be subsequently passed through to treat the intestinal tract at a determined location along its length. One variation uses an electrical stimulation capsule to treat and/or diagnose a condition in the intestinal tract.

Claims

1. A system for marking a location for treatment within a gastrointestinal tract comprising:

a capsule sized to pass through an intestinal tract of a patient;

an acoustic transmitter coupled to the capsule, the acoustic transmitter configured to transmit an acoustic tracking signal between the capsule and a location external to a patient'"'"'s body, to track a three dimensional location of the capsule within the patient'"'"'s body as the capsule is passing through the intestinal tract;

a reference signal generator coupled to the capsule, the reference signal generator configured to generate and transmit a reference signal for identifying a time of tracking signal origination; and

an actuation mechanism comprising a controller configured to actuate a pump within the capsule for marking of the three dimensional location as the capsule is passing through the intestinal tract at a desired treatment location in the intestinal tract based on the capsule location.

2. The capsule of claim 1 wherein the capsule further comprises a container containing a material for marking the location, and wherein the actuation mechanism comprises a release configured to release the material.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the material is selected from a group comprising a dye, a radiopaque marker, a radioactive material, and a fluorescing compound.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the capsule further comprises an immobilization mechanism configured to immobilize the capsule at the location, and wherein the actuating mechanism is configured to actuate the immobilizing mechanism to immobilize the capsule at the location.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the immobilizing mechanism comprises a wall engaging member.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the wall engaging member comprises an expandable member.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the wall engaging member comprises an anchor.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the capsule further comprises an identification mechanism actuable by the actuating mechanism.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the identification mechanism is selected from a group comprising:

a dye, a radiopaque marker, a radioactive material, a fluorescing compound, and a detectable energy emitter.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the capsule further comprises a telemetry circuit configured to receive a telemetry signal to instruct the actuating mechanism to operate to mark the location.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of acoustic transducers configured to receive the tracking signal.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the plurality of acoustic transducers are arranged in a cartesian coordinate system.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the plurality of acoustic transducers are configured to receive and transmit signals between each other.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a sensor coupled to the capsule, configured to sense a parameter corresponding to the location to be marked for treatment.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the parameter sensed by the sensor comprises a location parameter corresponding to the location of the capsule.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the sensor is configured to sense a characteristic of the intestinal tract adjacent the location of the capsule.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the reference signal travels faster in the patient'"'"'s body then the tracking signal so as to determine the time of tracking signal origination.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein a reference signal transit time of the reference signal traveling through the patient'"'"'s body is negligible in comparison to a tracking signal transit time of the tracking signal traveling through the patient'"'"' body.