Methods and systems for acoustic data transmission

• US 8,512,241 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innurvation Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innurvation Incorporated
• Inventors: Bandy, William Robert, Davenport, Roger Allen, Okunev, Yuri
• Primary Examiner(s): Ketter, Jim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghafoorian, Reza
• Application Number:
  US11/896,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,175 Days
• Field of Search: 600/302
• US Class Current: 600/302
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00036 Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• 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 5/6861 Capsules, e.g. for swallowing or implanting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4236 characterised by adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

A method of communicating with an ingestible capsule includes detecting the location of the ingestible capsule, focusing a multi-sensor acoustic array on the ingestible capsule, and communicating an acoustic information exchange with the ingestible capsule via the multi-sensor acoustic array. The ingestible capsule includes a sensor that receives a stimulus inside the gastrointestinal tract of an animal, a bidirectional acoustic information communications module that transmits an acoustic information signal containing information from the sensor, and an acoustically transmissive encapsulation that substantially encloses the sensor and communications module, wherein the acoustically transmissive encapsulation is of ingestible size. The multi-sensor array includes a plurality of acoustic transducers that receive an acoustic signal from a movable device, and a plurality of delays, wherein each delay is coupled to a corresponding acoustic transducer. Each delay may be adjusted according to a phase of a signal received by the corresponding acoustic transducer.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with an ingestible capsule, comprising:

selecting a first and a second carrier frequency that are associated with a first and a second frequency channel, respectively, based on a hopping pattern;

acoustically transmitting, by the ingestible capsule, a first portion of data through a body of an animal as, an original waveform in accordance with the first carrier frequency for a duration of the first frequency channel; and

switching, by the ingestible capsule, from the first carrier frequency to the second carrier frequency before a reflection of the original waveform is received by a receiver that is communicatively coupled to the ingestible capsule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein acoustically transmitting the first portion of the data comprises:

acoustically transmitting the first carrier frequency for a first portion of the duration of the first frequency channel; and

ceasing transmission, of the first carrier frequency for a second portion of the duration of the first frequency channel, the second portion of the duration of the first frequency channel including a number of delay intervals that are associated with a logic value of the first portion of the data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein acoustically transmitting the first portion of the data comprises:

adjusting a phase of the first carrier frequency in accordance with a logic value of the first portion of the data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first and the second carrier frequencies comprises:

selecting the first carrier frequency from among a first set or a second set of carrier frequencies in accordance with a logic value of the first portion of the data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein acoustically transmitting the first portion of the data comprises:

acoustically transmitting the first portion of the data in accordance with the selected carrier frequency.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein acoustically transmitting the first portion of the data further comprises:

adjusting a phase of the selected carrier frequency in accordance with the logic value.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acoustically transmitting, by the ingestible capsule, a second portion of the data through the body of the animal in accordance with the second carrier frequency for a duration of the second frequency channel.

7. A method of communicating with an ingestible capsule, comprising:

selecting a first and a second carrier frequency that are associated with a first and a second frequency channel, respectively, based on a hopping pattern;

acoustically receiving, by a receiver that is communicatively coupled to the ingestible capsule, data through a body of an animal as an original waveform in accordance with the first carrier frequency for a duration of the first frequency channel; and

switching, by the receiver, from the first carrier frequency to the second carrier frequency before receiving a reflection of the original waveform.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein acoustically receiving the data comprises:

acoustically receiving the first carrier frequency for a first portion of the duration of the first frequency channel; and

measuring a second portion of the first frequency channel, the second portion of the duration of the first channel including a number of delay intervals that are associated with a logic value of the data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein acoustically receiving the data comprises:

detecting a phase of the first carrier frequency to determine a logic value of the data.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting the first and the second carrier frequencies comprises:

selecting the first carrier frequency from among a first set or a second set of carrier frequencies in accordance with a logic value of the data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein acoustically receiving the data comprises:

acoustically receiving the data in accordance with the selected carrier frequency.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein acoustically receiving the data further comprises:

detecting a phase of the selected carrier frequency.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

acoustically receiving, by the receiver, remaining data, that was not transmitted over the first frequency channel, through the body of the animal in accordance with the second carrier frequency for a duration of the second frequency channel.

15. An ingestible capsule, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a received stimulus relating to a body of an animal to provide a sensor output signal; and

a communications module configured to;

select a first and a second carrier frequency that are associated with a first and a second frequency channel, respectively, based on a hopping pattern,

acoustically transmit data relating to the sensor output signal through the body of the animal as an original waveform in accordance with the first carrier frequency for a duration of the first frequency channel, and

switch from the first carrier frequency to the second carrier frequency before a reflection of the original waveform is received by a receiver that is communicatively coupled to the ingestible capsule.

16. The ingestible capsule of claim 15, wherein the communications module is further configured to acoustically transmit the first carrier frequency for a first portion of the duration of the first frequency channel and to cease transmission of the first carrier frequency for a second portion of the duration of the first channel, the second portion of the duration of the first channel including a number of delay intervals that are associated with a logic value the data.

17. The ingestible capsule of claim 15, wherein the communications module is further configured to adjust a phase of the first carrier frequency in accordance with a logic value of the data.

18. The ingestible capsule of claim 15, wherein the communications module is further configured to select the first carrier frequency from among a first set or a second set of carrier frequencies in accordance with a logic value of the data.

19. The ingestible capsule of claim 18, wherein the communications module is further configured to acoustically transmit the data in accordance with the selected carrier frequency.

20. The ingestible capsule of claim 19, wherein the communications module is further configured to adjust a phase of the selected carrier frequency in accordance with the logic value.

21. The ingestible capsule of claim 15, wherein the communications module is further configured to acoustically transmit remaining data, that was not transmitted over the first frequency channel, through the body of the animal in accordance with the second carrier frequency for a duration of the second frequency channel.