Magnetic levitation of intraluminal microelectronic capsule

• US 20060152309A1
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UTI Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: UTI Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Wu, Billy T., Mintchev, Martin P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,235,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 335/58
• 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 1/00158 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/037 Measuring oesophageal pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• 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: H02N 15/00 Holding or levitation devices using magnetic attraction or repulsion, not otherwise provided for electric or magnetic devices for holding work on machine tools B23Q3/15 ; monorail vehicle propulsion or suspension B60L13/00; sliding or levitation devices for railway systems B61B13/08; material handling devices associated with conveyors incorporating devices with electrostatic or magnetic grippers B65G47/92; separating thin or filamentary articles from piles using magnetic force B65H3/16; delivering thin or filamentary articles from magnetic holders by air blast or suction B65H29/24; bearings using magnetic or electric supporting means F16C32/04; relieving bearing loads using magnetic means F16C39/06; magnets H01F7/00; dynamo-electric clutches or brakes H02K49/00 ; electric furnaces with simultaneous levitation and heating H05B6/32

Abstract

A method and apparatus for magnetically levitating and further steering of an intraluminal device, such as a swallowable microelectronic capsule, for monitoring bodily functions is provided. The method comprises diamagnetically-stabilized levitation, followed by dynamic modification of the external magnetic field producing the said levitation, so that the levitating intraluminal device can be steered in desired direction. The said intraluminal device contains appropriate sensors and reports in real time the forces and pressures exerted on it, as well as its position, so that the levitation and the steering can be dynamically adjusted using appropriate dynamic control of external magnetic devices such as solenoids.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the intraluminal position of a capsule in an animal, the method comprising the steps of:

magnetically levitating the capsule; and

controlling the capsule by an external magnetic field that levitates the capsule so that the capsule can be steered within lumens of internal organs of the animal or affixed at a stationary position within the lumens of the internal organs of the animal.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the capsule is diamagnetically levitated.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the capsule is diamagnetically levitated using diamagnetic materials carried by the capsule.

4. The method of claim 2 in which the capsule is diamagnetically levitated using diamagnetic properties of the lumens of the animal.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining and reporting in real time an estimate of forces exerted on the capsule to a controller for dynamic control of the capsule position.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising monitoring one or more of the function, secretion, motility, pH, pressure, impedance, texture, composition, or any other physiological characteristics of the internal organ in which the capsule is positioned using sensors in the device that sense and measure such secretion, motility, pH, pressure, impedance, texture, composition, or other physiological characteristics.

7. The method of claim 2 in which the capsule contains sensors for monitoring external mechanical forces and pressures exerted on the capsule, and a transmitter for reporting the forces and pressures in real time to a receiver outside the animal;

and further comprising the step of controlling the external magnetic field to position and reposition the capsule in response to receiving the reported forces and pressures.

8. The method of claim 2 in which the capsule contains sensors for monitoring position of the capsule, and a transmitter for reporting the position in real time to a receiver outside the animal;

and further comprising the step of controlling the external magnetic field to position and reposition the capsule in response to receiving the reported position.

9. The method of claim 2 in which the capsule contains sensors for monitoring position of the capsule, and a transmitter for reporting the position in real time to a receiver outside the animal;

and further comprising the step of controlling the animal position to position and reposition the capsule in response to receiving the reported position.

10. The method of claim 2 in which the capsule contains one or more sensors for monitoring position of the capsule, and a transmitter for reporting the position in real time to a receiver outside the animal;

and further comprising the step of controlling the location of the external magnetic field to position and reposition the capsule in response to receiving the reported position.

11. The method of claim 10 in which the one or more sensors include a Hall Effect sensor.

12. Apparatus for monitoring one or more physiological characteristics or parameters in a patient'"'"'s gastrointestinal tract, comprising:

a magnetic field generator positioned outside the patient'"'"'s body for producing a magnetic field inside the person'"'"'s gastrointestinal tract; and

a capsule comprising diamagnetic material of sufficient mass to stabilize the capsule in the magnetic field at a desired position in the gastrointestinal tract.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising at least one sensor carried by the capsule that is capable of sensing a physiological condition or parameter in the gastrointestinal tract.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

a controller having output to the magnetic field generator; and

the magnetic field generator being responsive to the output from the controller to vary the magnetic field and control the position of the capsule in the gastrointestinal tract.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

a sensor responsive to the position of the capsule to produce position signals representing the position of the capsule; and

the controller being responsive to the position signals to control the position of the capsule in the gastrointestinal tract.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the sensor is a Hall Effect sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the sensor is carried by the capsule.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a second Hall Effect sensor outside of the body, the controller being responsive to signals from both the Hall Effect sensor in the capsule and the second Hall Effect sensor.

19. A diamagnetially levitatable intraluminal microelectronic capsule, comprising:

a housing of a size and shape suitable for swallowing by a human being;

a magnet carried by or forming part of the housing;

diamagnetic material carried by or forming part of the housing; and

a therapeutic or diagnostic element carried by or forming part of the housing.

20. The diamagnetially levitatable intraluminal microelectronic capsule of claim 19 in which the therapeutic or diagnostic element is a sensor having an output representative of a condition of a human being.

21. The diamagnetially levitatable intraluminal microelectronic capsule of claim 19 further comprising:

a transmitter carried by the housing for transmitting the sensor output to an external receiver.

22. The diamagnetially levitatable intraluminal microelectronic capsule of claim 19 in which the diamagnetic material is part of the housing.

23. The diamagnetically levitatable intraluminal microelectronic capsule of claim 19 in which the capsule carries a Hall Effect sensor and a transmitter for transmitting output of the Hall Effect sensor to an external controller.