Medical capsule device
First Claim
1. A medical capsule device comprising:
- a capsule body provided with a chamber inside and a communicating path for communicating the chamber with the outside;
a movable member arranged in the chamber and movable between a liquid-pushing position at which the volume of said chamber is made smallest and a liquid-receiving position at which the volume of said chamber is made largest;
a coiled operating member made of a shape memory alloy whose crystalline structure shows martensite or mother phase according to changes of its temperature for selectively moving the movable member to the liquid-receiving or liquid-pushing position according to temperature changes of said operating member itself; and
a temperature adjustment mechanism arranged in the capsule body including a power supply source electrically connected to the operating member, and a switching circuit connected between the power supply source and the operating member and capable of being remotely operated to start or stop the flow of current from the power supply source to the operating member, said temperature adjustment mechanism adjusting the temperature of said operating member to selectively move the movable member to the liquid-pushing or liquid-receiving position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A medical capsule device includes a capsule body provided with a chamber inside and a communicating path for communicating the chamber with the outside, a movable member arranged in the chamber and movable between a liquid-pushing position at which the volume of the chamber is made smallest and a liquid-receiving position at which the volume of the chamber is made largest, a coiled operating member made of a shape memory alloy for selectively moving the movable member to the liquid-receiving or -pushing position according to temperature changes of the operating member itself, and a switching circuit and power supply source arranged in the capsule body and adjusting the temperature of the operating member to selectively move the movable member to the liquid-pushing or -receiving position.
274 Citations
5 Claims
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1. A medical capsule device comprising:
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a capsule body provided with a chamber inside and a communicating path for communicating the chamber with the outside; a movable member arranged in the chamber and movable between a liquid-pushing position at which the volume of said chamber is made smallest and a liquid-receiving position at which the volume of said chamber is made largest; a coiled operating member made of a shape memory alloy whose crystalline structure shows martensite or mother phase according to changes of its temperature for selectively moving the movable member to the liquid-receiving or liquid-pushing position according to temperature changes of said operating member itself; and a temperature adjustment mechanism arranged in the capsule body including a power supply source electrically connected to the operating member, and a switching circuit connected between the power supply source and the operating member and capable of being remotely operated to start or stop the flow of current from the power supply source to the operating member, said temperature adjustment mechanism adjusting the temperature of said operating member to selectively move the movable member to the liquid-pushing or liquid-receiving position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification