Device, system and method for in-vivo analysis

• US 8,290,556 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2005
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Rabinovitz, Elisha, Iddan, Gavriel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WINAKUR, ERIC FRANK
• Application Number:
  US11/597,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20080064923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,704 Days
• Field of Search: 600/310, 600/317, 600/342, 600/473, 600/476, 600/100, 600/160
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1459 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6861 Capsules, e.g. for swallowing or implanting

Abstract

A device, system and method of in-vivo analysis. An in-vivo device may include a chromatography unit to interact in-vivo with a body lumen substance, and a sensor to sense in-vivo a property of the chromatography unit.

Claims

1. An in-vivo device comprising;

a swallowable capsule;

a chromatography unit configured to interact in-vivo with a body lumen substance; and

a sensor to sense in-vivo a property of said chromatography unit.

2. The in-vivo device of claim 1, wherein said chromatography unit is generally internal to the swallowable capsule.

3. The in-vivo device of claim 2, wherein a portion of said chromatography unit protrudes out of the swallowable capsule to draw in a sample of said body lumen substance.

4. The in-vivo device of claim 1, wherein said chromatography unit passes through a tube.

5. The in-vivo device of claim 4, wherein said tube is substantially transparent.

6. The in-vivo device of claim 4, comprising a sealing element to seal the entrance of said tube, and wherein said tube is able to receive said body lumen substance only via said chromatography unit.

7. The in-vivo device of claim 4, comprising a sealing element to seal the entrance of said tube, and wherein said sealing element is openable if a pre-defined condition is met.

8. The in-vivo device of claim 1, wherein said chromatography unit is attached to an external side of said swallowable capsule.

9. The in-vivo device of claim 1, said swallowable capsule further comprising a housing having a substantially transparent portion, and wherein said sensor is configured to sense said property through said housing portion.

10. The in-vivo device of claim 9, comprising a coating insulating said chromatography unit to reflect light emitted from said in-vivo device generally into said in-vivo device.

11. The in-vivo device of claim 10, wherein a portion of said chromatography unit protrudes out of said coating to draw in a sample of said body lumen substance.

12. The in-vivo device of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of said chromatography unit is covered by a dissolvable plug.

13. The in-vivo device of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an in-vivo imager to acquire an image of at least a portion of said chromatography unit.

14. The in-vivo device of claim 1, wherein said sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a photodiode, a photodiodes array, an electrochemical sensing unit, and a magnetic field sensing unit.

15. The in-vivo device of claim 1, comprising an in-vivo camera to acquire an in-vivo image of a body lumen.

16. The in-vivo device of claim 1, comprising a set of binding particles attached to a portion of said chromatography unit.

17. The in-vivo device of claim 16, comprising another set of binding particles attached to another portion of said chromatography unit.

18. The in-vivo device of claim 1, comprising a treatment compartment having a substance able to interact with a sample of said body lumen substance collected by said chromatography unit.

19. The in-vivo device of claim 1, comprising a power source to apply an electric field to said chromatography unit.

20. The in-vivo device of claim 1, comprising:

a transmitter to transmit the sensed data.

21. The in-vivo device of claim 1, wherein said chromatography unit comprises at least one chromatography strip.

22. The in-vivo device of claim 1, wherein said in-vivo device is autonomous.

23. A system comprising:

an in-vivo device comprising at least a swallowable capsule, a chromatography unit configured to interact in-vivo with a body lumen substance, and an imager to image in-vivo a property of said chromatography unit; and

a receiver to receive image data from said in-vivo device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said in-vivo device comprises a transmitter to transmit said image data.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said in-vivo device comprises an in-vivo camera to acquire an image of a body lumen.

26. A method comprising:

swallowing an in-vivo device, said in-vivo device comprising a swallowable capsule, a chromatography unit configured to interact in-vivo with a body lumen substance and an imager; and

acquiring an in-vivo image of said chromatography unit in-vivo.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising:

acquiring in-vivo an image of said body lumen.

28. The method of claim 26, comprising:

transmitting the acquired in-vivo image of said chromatography unit.

29. The method of claim 26, comprising:

analyzing said in-vivo image of said chromatography unit.