Human intestinal tract research and diagnostic system to evaluate patients and advance medical science and bioengineering and to determine processes in the gut and causes of diseases

• US 8,491,495 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shuck L. Zane
• Original Assignee: Shuck L. Zane
• Inventors: Shuck, L. Zane
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Sean P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stout, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US13/691,169
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• Field of Search: 600/562
• US Class Current: 600/562
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0038 Devices for taking faeces samples; Faecal examination devices anal receptacles A61F5/451
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0061 Alimentary tract secretions, e.g. biliary, gastric, intestinal, pancreatic secretions

Abstract

Many diseases with origin in human gut are of unknown causes, so only symptoms are treated. Endoscopic devices leave about 15′ of gut unexplored other than by autopsy. Thus, a substance and microbe simultaneous sample collecting, testing, evaluation, and characterization system has been invented that will provide data for evaluating functions, macro, and micro processes taking place along entire length of the human digestive and intestinal tract from mouth to anus. The entire digestive process including biochemical reactions and microbe roles, and consequences, as pertain to diseases and illnesses can be ascertained through applications of the system, which includes protocols, for collection and preservation of digestion products for external analysis, measurements of many in vivo conditions, and internally processing data and making decisions based upon said processed data, including administration of medications. The system serves clinical diagnostic, treatment and research purposes, and is a dream tool for gastroenterologists.

Claims

1. A device for acquiring samples of matter along an intestinal track of a user, the device comprising:

a capsule configured to be swallowed and passed through the intestinal track, the capsule including;

a housing defining an opening adapted to allow the samples of matter to pass into the housing,

a belt disposed within the housing and defining a plurality of indentations, each of the indentations having a volume configured to collect the samples of matter, and

a motor disposed within the housing and configured to drive the belt for collecting the samples of matter at a predetermined rate as the capsule passes through the intestinal track.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, the device further comprising a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to monitor the process of the capsule by active telemetry.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, the capsule further comprising a battery, wherein the battery is configured to power the motor.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the batter is a wafer battery.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is opaque to light waves for protection of collected samples of matter.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capsule housing includes multiple ends wherein each end is attached by a thread and sealed with an O-ring.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, the capsule further comprising a mesh attached to the capsule housing configured to prevent the belt from touching the lining, epithelium, villi or obtrusive parts of the intestines.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, the capsule further comprising a spool having a hermetically sealing film;

wherein the spool and film are configured encapsulate the matter samples by attaching the film to the belt after the belt has collected the matter samples.

9. A method for collecting for acquiring samples of matter from along an intestinal track of a user, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a capsule configured to be swallowed and passed through the intestinal track, the capsule including;

a housing defining an opening adapted to allow the samples of matter to pass into the housing,

a belt disposed within the housing and defining a plurality of indentations, each of the indentations having a volume configured to collect the samples of matter, and

a motor disposed within the housing and configured to drive the belt for collecting the samples of matter at a predetermined rate as the capsule passes through the intestinal track,

inserting the capsule into the gastrointestinal track; and

analyzing the collected samples of matter collected by the capsule to determine the composition of the intestinal track.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the step of monitoring or tracking the position of the capsule by x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or active telemetry.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of analyzing the collected samples of matter further includes identifying and characterizing microbes in collected in the indentations.