Ingestible device for radioimaging of the gastrointestinal tract
First Claim
1. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
- providing a swallowable pill-like device having an overall size small enough for being fully ingested, the device comprising a probe, which comprises a plurality of nuclear radiation detectors, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by nuclear radiation of a radiopharmaceutical;
administrating said radiopharmaceutical;
swallowing said swallowable device, a predetermined time relative to said administrating said radiopharmaceutical;
producing diagnostic signals with said probe, as said ingestible device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic image; and
recording information of said diagnostic image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ingestible device, adapted to travel in the gastrointestinal tract and perform a diagnostic image of tissue therein, is provided. The diagnostic image may comprise diagnostic information as a function of time, or diagnostic information as a function of distance traveled within the gastrointestinal tract. Specifically, the ingestible device may be arranged to perform a diagnostic image of nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical, scintillation of a scintillation liquid, responsive to nuclear radiation of a radiophamaceutical, optical fluorescence of a fluorescing-pharmaceutical or of bare gastrointestinal-tract tissue, infrared radiation of the gastrointestinal-tract tissue, temperature-differences along the gastrointestinal-tract, impedance, ultrasound reflection, magnetic resonance, and a combination thereof. The ingestible device may be adapted for general screening of a large population, on the one hand, and for specific diagnoses of suspected pathologies, on the other.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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providing a swallowable pill-like device having an overall size small enough for being fully ingested, the device comprising a probe, which comprises a plurality of nuclear radiation detectors, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by nuclear radiation of a radiopharmaceutical; administrating said radiopharmaceutical; swallowing said swallowable device, a predetermined time relative to said administrating said radiopharmaceutical; producing diagnostic signals with said probe, as said ingestible device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic image; and recording information of said diagnostic image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 28, 29, 30, 31, 35, 38)
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19. A method of identifying a pathology, using a clock-like property of radioisotopes, comprising:
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providing a swallowable pill-like device having an overall size small enough for being fully ingested, the device comprising a probe, which comprises a plurality of nuclear radiation detectors, wherein at least one of said plurality of nuclear radiation detectors is arranged for distinguishing between at least two forms of radiation, associated with at least two radioisotopes; administering a radiopharmaceutical which includes said at least two radioisotopes; swallowing said swallowable device, a predetermined time relative to said administrating said radiopharmaceutical; performing diagnostic images by nuclear radiation for each of said at least two radioisotopes; evaluating an activity ratio for said at least two radioisotopes; and identifying said pathology, by an observed change in said activity ratio. - View Dependent Claims (32, 36, 39)
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20. A swallowable device, arranged for traveling within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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a probe, which comprises a plurality of nuclear radiation detectors wherein at least one of said nuclear radiation detectors is optimized for detecting gamma particles, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by nuclear radiation of a gamma-emitting radiopharmaceutical; data-handling apparatus, in signal communication with said probe, for receiving and handling imaging data, generated by said probe; a power source, for powering said probe and data-handling apparatus; and a shell, which encapsulates said probe, data-handling apparatus, and power source within, wherein said plurality of radiation detectors are arranged around said shell, wherein the swallowable device is a swallowable pill-like device and has an overall size small enough for being fully ingested. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 33, 40)
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24. A method of performing tissue diagnosis within a gastrointestinal tract of a body, comprising:
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providing a swallowable pill-like device having a size small enough for ingestion, the device comprising a probe, which comprises a plurality of nuclear radiation detectors, wherein at least one nuclear radiation detector is optimized for detecting gamma particles, operative to perform, along said gastrointestinal tract, a diagnostic image by nuclear radiation of a gamma-emitting radiopharmaceutical; administrating said radiopharmaceutical; swallowing said swallowable device, a predetermined time relative to said administrating said radiopharmaceutical; producing diagnostic signals with said probe, as said swallowable device travels in said gastrointestinal tract, thus forming said diagnostic image; and recording information of said diagnostic image. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 34, 37, 41)
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Specification