Medical apparatus containing device, discarding device and method of use of medical apparatus

• US 7,850,006 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchiyama, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman; Bryon P
• Application Number:
  US12/145,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20080257768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 206/350, 206363-370, 206/438, 348/68, 348 76- 77, 600109-114, 600/121
• US Class Current: 206/438
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00144 Hygienic packaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00158 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00876 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/36 for collecting or disposing of used articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/818 Magnet

Abstract

A container case contains a capsule endoscope which incorporates a magnet. A magnetic body is disposed so as to guide, from one magnetic pole to the other magnetic pole, a magnetic field which is generated from the magnet of the capsule endoscope that is accommodated between and positioned by a first hold portion of an outer case and a second hold portion of an inner case which position the capsule endoscope. Thereby, there is provided a capsule medical apparatus containing device which can facilitate handling of a capsule medical apparatus and can enhance the efficiency in storage of the capsule medical apparatus.

Claims

1. A medical apparatus containing device, comprising:

a container case configured to contain a medical apparatus, wherein the medical apparatus incorporates a magnet including a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole for generating a magnetic field;

a positioning mechanism configured to position the medical apparatus in the container case in a predefined orientation, when the medical apparatus is contained in the container case; and

a magnetic body in the container case which is positioned relative to the magnet of the medical apparatus when contained so as to guide the magnetic field between the first magnetic pole and the second magnetic pole through the magnetic body, so as to decrease magnetic field leakage outside of the container case when the medical apparatus is contained in the container case and positioned therein by the positioning mechanism,

wherein the magnetic body is configured to be disposed so as to surround the magnet when the medical apparatus is contained in the container case and positioned by the positioning mechanism; and

wherein the medical apparatus is a capsule medical apparatus,

the container case includes an outer case and an inner case,

the positioning mechanism includes a first hold portion formed on the outer case and having a respective recess shape and a second hold portion formed on the inner case and having a respective recess shape, and the first and the second hold portions are configured to hold a part and another part of the capsule medical apparatus, respectively, when the medical apparatus is contained in the container case, and

the magnetic body is mounted on an outside of at least one of the first hold portion and the second hold portion.

2. The medical apparatus containing device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic body is formed as a thin film.

3. The medical apparatus containing device according to claim 2, wherein the thin film is coated with a resin material.

4. The medical apparatus containing device according to claim 3, wherein an adhesive member is attached to the resin material, and the resin material is attached to at least one of the medical apparatus and the medical apparatus containing device.

5. The medical apparatus containing device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic body is configured to be positioned relative to at least one of the medical apparatus and the medical apparatus containing device by an attractive force acting between the magnetic body and the magnet when the medical apparatus is contained in the container case and positioned by the positioning mechanism.

6. The medical apparatus containing device according to claim 1,

wherein the magnetic body is configured to prevent reduction of the magnetic force of the magnet when the medical apparatus is contained in the container case and positioned by the positioning mechanism.

7. The medical apparatus containing device according to claim 1,

wherein the magnetic body has a U-shape, includes a first end portion and a second end portion and is configured to be disposed such that each of the first and second end portions is respectively disposed in a vicinity of the first and second magnetic poles, respectively, when the medical apparatus is contained in the container case and positioned by the positioning mechanism.