Device, system and method for selective activation of in vivo sensors

Abstract

A device, system and method for selectively activating or altering the operational mode of an autonomous in vivo device in response to in vivo conditions. The system includes an in vivo sensing device with a condition tester, and a controller. The in vivo sensing device may be in communication with an external receiver.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to the field of in vivo devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device, system and method for selectively activating or altering the operational mode of an in vivo device, for example, in response to in vivo conditions. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Certain in vivo devices may be introduced into a body in a location remote to the area where their sensing, diagnosing or other functions may be performed. For example, an in vivo device for imaging areas of the small intestine may be introduced into a body through the mouth and pass through the stomach and other parts of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by way of peristalsis until reaching the small intestine. Similarly, an in vivo device may be introduced into a body wherein the location of an area of interest or of a suspected pathology may be unknown or uncertain, thereby necessitating that an in vivo device pass from its point of introduction and ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] There is thus provided according to one embodiment of the invention, a system for in vivo sensing including for example an in vivo sensing device with a condition tester,

Problems solved by technology

The performance of such superfluous sensing may inefficiently utilize the power supply, data collection, data transfer (bandwidth), data storage capacity and / or other of the sometimes limited resource of the in vivo sensor.

The capturing of data by an in vivo sensor based on a fixed schedule may result on the one hand, in superfluous data being collected in areas that may be of little diagnostic or other interest, and, on the other hand, in insufficient sensory data being captured of in vivo areas that may be of particular diagnostic or other interest.

While such frame capture rate may be for example sufficient to generally capture adequate images of most of the small bowel, such frame capture rate may be too slow to achieve the level of imaging detail that may be required for areas such as the esophagus or other areas.

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