Ingestible device platform for the colon
First Claim
1. An ingestible pill, adapted to recognize entry to a colon, comprising:
- an ingestible-pill body, adapted to be swallowed by a living being and adapted for traveling down a gastrointestinal tract of the living being, the body including an expansion mechanism and an outer portion, wherein at least part of the outer portion is adapted to be moved by said expansion mechanism relative to an opposite part of the outer portion and wherein the part of the outer portion includes at least one radioactive-emission detector for detecting pathologies in the colon; and
a colon-recognition trigger mechanism, associated with the ingestible-pill body and configured to produce a colon-entry signal, when the ingestible-pill body enters the colon of the living being,wherein the outer portion comprises a skin, andwherein the at least one radioactive-emission detector contacts the skin.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ingestible pill platform for colon imaging is provided, designed to recognize its entry to the colon and expand in the colon, for improved imaging of the colon walls. On approaching the external anal sphincter muscle, the ingestible pill may contract or deform, for elimination. Colon recognition may be based on a structural image, based on the differences in diameters between the small intestine and the colon, and particularly, based on the semilunar fold structure, which is unique to the colon. Additionally or alternatively, colon recognition may be based on a functional image, based on the generally inflammatory state of the vermiform appendix. Additionally or alternatively, pH, flora, enzymes and (or) chemical analyses may be used to recognize the colon. The imaging of the colon walls may be functional, by nuclear-radiation imaging of radionuclide-labeled antibodies, or by optical-fluorescence-spectroscopy imaging of fluorescence-labeled antibodies. Additionally or alternatively, it may be structural, for example, by visual, ultrasound or MRI means. Due to the proximity to the colon walls, the imaging in accordance with the present invention is advantageous to colonoscopy or virtual colonoscopy, as it is designed to distinguish malignant from benign tumors and detect tumors even at their incipient stage, and overcome blood-pool background radioactivity.
-
Citations
28 Claims
-
1. An ingestible pill, adapted to recognize entry to a colon, comprising:
-
an ingestible-pill body, adapted to be swallowed by a living being and adapted for traveling down a gastrointestinal tract of the living being, the body including an expansion mechanism and an outer portion, wherein at least part of the outer portion is adapted to be moved by said expansion mechanism relative to an opposite part of the outer portion and wherein the part of the outer portion includes at least one radioactive-emission detector for detecting pathologies in the colon; and a colon-recognition trigger mechanism, associated with the ingestible-pill body and configured to produce a colon-entry signal, when the ingestible-pill body enters the colon of the living being, wherein the outer portion comprises a skin, and wherein the at least one radioactive-emission detector contacts the skin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method of colon recognition, by an ingestible pill, comprising:
-
providing an ingestible pill, which comprises; an ingestible-pill body, adapted to be swallowed by a living being and adapted for traveling down a gastrointestinal tract of the living being, the body including an expansion mechanism and an outer portion including a part which includes at least one radioactive-emission detector for detecting pathologies in the colon, wherein the outer portion comprises a skin which contacts the at least one radioactive-emission detector; and a colon-recognition trigger mechanism, associated with the ingestible-pill body and configured to produce a colon-entry signal, when the ingestible-pill body enters the colon of the living being; administering the ingestible pill to the living being; recognizing colon-entry by the colon-recognition trigger mechanism; producing the colon-entry signal, upon the recognizing; and expanding the expansion mechanism, thereby moving said part of said outer portion relative to an opposite part of the outer portion. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
Specification