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Capsule-type medical device

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-07-12
OLYMPUS CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a capsule-type medical device with little useless motions such as eccentric rotations, and which can be smoothly and readily propelled through body cavities.
[0019] It is another object of the present invention to provide a capsule-type medical device which can be readily propelled through bending body cavities.
[0020] To achieve these objects, the capsule-type medical device according to the present embodiment comprises: a capsule main unit provided with functions for performing medical acts such as examination, therapy, and / or treatment; a magnet provided to the capsule main unit, for magnetically acting upon an external magnet outside of the subject; and a propulsion generating unit for converting rotational motion due to the magnet into propelling force; wherein the center of gravity of the capsule main unit generally matches the center axis of the capsule main unit in the longitudinal direction, thereby suppressing useless motions such as eccentric rotations, and enabling the capsule-type medical device to be smoothly propelled through the body cavity to the target position.

Problems solved by technology

However, there are shortcomings within the capsule-type medical devices, such as requiring a long time to reach the object portion unless guided through the body cavity tract.
However, efficiently propelling rotational motion of the main unit is not easy.
However, with the capsule-type medical device described in No. 2001-179700, no consideration has been given to the internal structure of the capsule main unit with regard to rotations of the capsule main unit.
Accordingly, the capsule-type medical device described in No. 2001-179700 may make useless motions such as rotating eccentrically (zigzagging), and accordingly take time to reach the object position in the body cavity tract, rather than reaching the location smoothly.
However, with the arrangement described in this US Patent, the direction of the magnetic polarity generated by the coil or the magnet is in the longitudinal direction of the main unit, so smooth propulsion by an external magnetic field is not easy.
The arrangement described in this US patent has a similar configuration as that in No. 3017770, and smooth propulsion of the endoscope insertion portion or the like is not easy.
Further, the above-described preceding examples do not disclose contents corresponding to the Claims of the Present Invention.

Method used

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Experimental program
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first embodiment

[0061] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 14B. The primary object of the present embodiment is to provide a device and method wherein a capsule-type medical device which performs medical actions can be rotated by external magnetism and thus be smoothly guided to a target portion or beside a target portion; more specifically, to provide a device and method wherein eccentric motion in rotation is suppressed so as to enable effective or smooth propulsion to beside the target portion.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 1, a capsule-type medical device 1 exchanges radio waves with a capsule control device (hereafter referred to simply as “control device”) 3 while passing through the body cavity tract of a patient 2, thus configuring a medical system 4 enabling examination, therapy, and / or treatment, under control of this control device 3.

[0063] The medical system 4 is for performing screening of the esophagus, duodenum, small intestine, ...

second embodiment

[0149] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 through 21. The present embodiment has been made to serve the same purpose as that of the first embodiment. The present embodiment also aims to pass through bent body cavity portions more smoothly.

[0150] The second embodiment comprises a flexible insertion portion (flexible soft portion), detachably mounted to a rigid capsule main unit. Other configurations are approximately the same as the first embodiment, so the same components will be denoted with the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0151] With the capsule-type medical device 150 according to the second embodiment as shown in FIG. 15, the bendable flexible insertion portion 151 is formed so as to be even longer and smaller in diameter than the flexible insertion portion 101 shown in FIG. 11A, for example, and is detachably mounted to the rigid capsule main unit 150A.

[0152] The flexible ins...

third embodiment

[0164] A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 22 and 23. The primary objects of the present embodiment are approximately the same as those of the first and second embodiments. Also, the present embodiment also aims to enable medical examination and / or treatment to be performed even more efficiently.

[0165] With the third embodiment, two capsule main units are provided, a leading-side rigid portion and a trailing-side rigid portion, with the two rigid portions being connected with a string-like material covered with a soft elastic materials such as urethane or silicon rubber or the like which smoothly changes external form as shown in the drawings, for example. Other configurations are approximately the same as the first embodiment, so the same components will be denoted with the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0166] With the capsule-type medical device 200 according to the third embodiment, tw...

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Abstract

A capsule-type medical device comprises a capsule main unit having functions for being inserted into the body cavity and performing medical acts such as taking images or the like. The capsule main unit comprises therein a magnet which is acted upon by external magnetism, and a spiral portion on the outer perimeter, so that rotating force acting upon the magnet is readily converted into a propelling force for propelling the capsule-type medical device. A flexible insertion portion which is long and small in diameter is provided to the capsule main unit to allow smooth progression through the body cavity, and the center of gravity of the device is placed upon the longitudinal center axis of the capsule main unit, thus facilitating smooth progression through the body cavity.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 395,745 filed on Mar. 24, 2003 which claims benefit of Japanese Application No. 2002-84387 filed on Mar. 25, 2002, the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a capsule-type medical device which is passed through the body cavity and is capable of examination, therapy, and / or treatment. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Capsule-type medical devices are known as medical devices which are swallowed by patients to pass through the body cavity tract, which can perform examination, therapy, and / or treatment. [0006] Such capsule-type medical devices comprise treatment tools for performing such medical treatment, such as a medication-depositing unit for depositing medicine, treatment devices such as forceps or the like, treatment devices ...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A61B1/00A61B1/04A61B1/06A61B19/00A61B1/05A61B1/273A61B1/31A61B5/07A61B8/12A61M31/00
CPCA61B1/00016A61B5/7232A61B1/00032A61B1/00087A61B1/00158A61B1/00177A61B1/00179A61B1/00181A61B1/041A61B1/0676A61B1/0684A61B1/2736A61B1/31A61B5/073A61B5/4839A61B8/12A61B8/4472A61B8/56A61B2019/2253A61B2560/0219A61B1/00029A61B34/73
Inventor YOKOI, TAKESHITAKIZAWA, HIRONOBUUCHIYAMA, AKIOMIZUNO, HITOSHI
Owner OLYMPUS CORP
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