Fail safe radiation concealment mechanism
First Claim
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1. An imaging capsule for scanning inside a living body, with a fail-safe radiation mechanism, comprising:
- an encasement for holding and protecting elements forming the imaging capsule;
wherein the encasement and elements are configured to be swallowed by a user and flow through a gastrointestinal tract of the user without damaging the elements;
the elements comprising;
a power source;
a radiation source comprising a radioisotope that emits Xrays and/or gamma rays;
a rotatable disk with the radiation source mounted on the rotatable disk and wherein the rotatable disk has a collimator structure allowing the emission of radiation from the radiation source from one or more locations on the circumference of the rotatable disk;
an outer ring surrounding the circumference of the rotatable disk and configured to rotate relative to the rotatable disk;
the outer ring includes areas with a material that blocks radiation and areas with a material that does not block radiation;
wherein the areas that block radiation on the outer ring are positioned so that there exists a rest position of the outer ring relative to the rotatable disk in which the areas that block radiation on the outer ring coincide with the one or more locations on the circumference of the rotatable disk that do not block the emission of radiation;
a motor powered by the power source for rotating the rotatable disk relative to the outer ring;
wherein the rotatable disk and outer ring are initially in the rest position blocking the emission of radiation until the motor is activated to rotate the rotatable disk and allow the emission of radiation; and
a spring coupling the rotatable disk to the outer ring, wherein the spring is configured to automatically return the rotatable disk and the outer ring to the rest position when the motor is deactivated, thus providing a fail-safe radiation mechanism.
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Abstract
An aspect of an embodiment of the invention, relates to an imaging capsule for scanning inside a living body with a fail-safe radiation mechanism that prevents the emission of radiation from the imaging capsule until the imaging capsule is instructed to emit radiation and power is available to activate a motor to unblock the emission of radiation. Optionally, when power is not available the imaging capsule automatically, blocks the emission of radiation.
8 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An imaging capsule for scanning inside a living body, with a fail-safe radiation mechanism, comprising:
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an encasement for holding and protecting elements forming the imaging capsule;
wherein the encasement and elements are configured to be swallowed by a user and flow through a gastrointestinal tract of the user without damaging the elements;the elements comprising; a power source; a radiation source comprising a radioisotope that emits Xrays and/or gamma rays; a rotatable disk with the radiation source mounted on the rotatable disk and wherein the rotatable disk has a collimator structure allowing the emission of radiation from the radiation source from one or more locations on the circumference of the rotatable disk; an outer ring surrounding the circumference of the rotatable disk and configured to rotate relative to the rotatable disk;
the outer ring includes areas with a material that blocks radiation and areas with a material that does not block radiation;
wherein the areas that block radiation on the outer ring are positioned so that there exists a rest position of the outer ring relative to the rotatable disk in which the areas that block radiation on the outer ring coincide with the one or more locations on the circumference of the rotatable disk that do not block the emission of radiation;a motor powered by the power source for rotating the rotatable disk relative to the outer ring;
wherein the rotatable disk and outer ring are initially in the rest position blocking the emission of radiation until the motor is activated to rotate the rotatable disk and allow the emission of radiation; anda spring coupling the rotatable disk to the outer ring, wherein the spring is configured to automatically return the rotatable disk and the outer ring to the rest position when the motor is deactivated, thus providing a fail-safe radiation mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17)
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15. A method of providing fail-safe radiation while scanning inside a living body, comprising:
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enclosing elements in an encasement to form an image capsule with protected elements;
wherein the encasement and elements are configured to be swallowed by a user and flow through a gastrointestinal tract of the user without damaging the elements;assembling the elements of the imaging capsule comprising; mounting a radiation source comprising a radioisotope that emits Xrays and/or gamma rays on a rotatable disk; positioning collimators on the rotatable disk so that the radiation is allowed to be emitted from one or more locations on the circumference of the rotatable disk; placing an outer ring to surround the circumference of the rotatable disk and configured to rotate relative to the rotatable disk;
wherein the outer ring includes areas with a material that blocks radiation and areas with a material that does not block the emission of radiation;situating the outer ring and rotatable disk initially in a rest position in which the location of the areas that block radiation on the outer ring coincide with the one or more locations on the circumference of the rotatable disk that do not block the emission of radiation; receiving instructions to begin emitting radiation; and activating a motor powered by a power source in the encasement to rotate the rotatable disk relative to the outer ring to a position that allows the emission of radiation; connecting between the rotatable disk and the outer ring with a spring so that they will return to the rest position automatically when the motor is deactivated, thus providing a fail-safe radiation mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification