Magnetic type path-finding capsule
By using flexible shell and timing device in the Pathfin capsule, the electromagnet and magnetic plug are used to attract digestive fluid into the preset time, which solves the problem of uncontrollable disintegration time of Pathfin capsules and achieves a safer digestive tract Disintegration process.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411496553.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-23
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-14
AI Technical Summary
The time of disintegration in the existing road-stripping capsules in the digestive tract is uncontrollable, resulting in an increased risk of intestinal obstruction.
A magnetic pathfinder capsule is designed, including a flexible shell and a timing device, and the electromagnet and magnetic plug are used to attract digestive fluid into the capsule after a preset time to achieve disintegration.
Accurately control the disintegration time of the strata capsule in the digestive tract and reduce the risk of intestinal obstruction.
Smart Images
Figure CN119302594A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a magnetic pathfinder capsule. Background Art
[0002] During capsule endoscopy clinical examinations, some patients have intestinal stenosis, and the capsule endoscope may be retained in the patient's body. The capsule endoscope is non-degradable and must be removed if retained in the body. Currently, pathfinder capsules are often used in medicine to pre-evaluate the intestinal patency and determine whether the patient is suitable for capsule endoscopy.
[0003] The pathfinder capsule in the prior art is usually composed of an outer shell and an internal soluble filling material. The soluble filling material is used to control the disintegration time through the action of digestive fluid in the digestive tract. However, since each person's digestive tract is very different, the disintegration time cannot be controlled, and there is a risk of intestinal obstruction due to failure to disintegrate in time.
[0004] Therefore, in view of the above technical problems, how to control the disintegration time of the pathfinder capsule in the digestive tract is a technical problem that technical personnel in this field need to solve. Summary of the invention
[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide a magnetic pathfinder capsule, which starts the electromagnet through a timing device to control timing. The electromagnet absorbs the magnetic plug into the flexible shell, and the digestive fluid enters the capsule through the through hole, causing disintegration to occur, thereby reducing the risk of intestinal obstruction.
[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application provides a magnetic pathfinder capsule, including a flexible shell and a timing device arranged in the flexible shell, the output end of the timing device is connected to an electromagnet, the electromagnet is placed in the flexible shell, a through hole corresponding to the position of the electromagnet is opened on one side of the flexible shell, a magnetic plug is movably embedded in the through hole, the electromagnet is used to generate a magnetic force to absorb the magnetic plug, and to make the magnetic plug detach from the through hole to enter the interior of the flexible shell, and the through hole is used to allow digestive fluid to flow into the interior of the flexible shell.
[0007] In some embodiments, the flexible shell is filled with a filling material that is soluble in digestive fluid, and the filling material is used to support the timing device and the electromagnet to be stably arranged in the flexible shell.
[0008] In some embodiments, the flexible shell is a flexible insoluble ABS plastic, and after the filling material in the flexible shell is dissolved, the flexible shell collapses inwardly and wraps at least the timing device, the electromagnet and the magnetic plug.
[0009] In some embodiments, the timing device includes a microcontroller with a timing function, the output pin of the microcontroller is connected to the electromagnet, and when the microcontroller turns on the timing function and reaches a preset timing time, the electromagnet is energized to generate magnetic force.
[0010] In some embodiments, an activation key of the timing function of the microcontroller is disposed near the inner wall of the flexible housing so that the timing function can be activated by pressing the flexible housing.
[0011] In some embodiments, the microcontroller is in the form of a 3×3 mm UQFN package, and the inner cavity diameter of the flexible housing is 8-10 mm and the length is 18-20 mm.
[0012] In some embodiments, the electromagnet includes a ferrite cylindrical core with a diameter of 2.5-3mm and a length of 8-10mm, and a plurality of circles of enameled wire with a wire diameter of 0.03mm are wound around the outer periphery of the core, and the enameled wire is electrically connected to the output pin of the microcontroller.
[0013] In some embodiments, the magnetic plug comprises a ferromagnetic material with a diameter of 1.5-2 mm and a length of 1.5-2 mm, and the through hole is adapted to the specifications of the magnetic plug.
[0014] In some embodiments, a power supply device is further disposed in the flexible housing, and the power supply device is used to provide electrical energy to the microcontroller.
[0015] Compared with the above background technology, the present application sets a timing device in the flexible shell, and uses the cooperation between the timing device and the electromagnet. After the timing device reaches the preset time, the electromagnet is energized to generate a magnetic force to attract the magnetic plug, so that the magnetic plug enters the inside of the flexible shell, and the digestive fluid can flow into the capsule through the through hole, thereby causing the capsule to disintegrate quickly. The present application can accurately control the disintegration time of the pathfinder capsule in the digestive tract, overcome the problem of different disintegration times of the pathfinder capsule due to differences in the digestive tracts of different people, and reduce the risk of intestinal obstruction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a magnetic pathfinder capsule provided in an embodiment of the present application.
[0018] In the figure: 1-flexible housing; 2-timing device; 3-electromagnet; 4-magnetic plug; 5-through hole; 6-filling material. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0020] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the directions or positional relationships indicated by "upper", "lower", "front", "back", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0021] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.
[0022] As shown in FIG1 , in this embodiment, a magnetic pathfinder capsule is provided, which includes a flexible shell 1 and a timing device 2 disposed in the flexible shell 1. The flexible shell 1 serves as the outer shell of the capsule, and has a hollow structure inside, and the hollow structure is filled with sugar and soluble substances, etc. The output end of the timing device 2 is connected to an electromagnet 3. Similarly, the electromagnet 3 is also disposed in the flexible shell 1, and a through hole 5 corresponding to the position of the electromagnet 3 is opened on one side of the flexible shell 1. A magnetic plug 4 is movably embedded in the through hole 5, and the magnetic plug 4 also corresponds to the position of the electromagnet 3.
[0023] It can be seen that the flexible shell 1 of the pathfinder capsule is exposed outside, and part of the magnetic plug 4 is also exposed outside. When the pathfinder capsule enters the digestive tract, it can ensure that the filling material 6 inside the pathfinder capsule will not accidentally disintegrate. Only after the preset time is reached, the digestive fluid will enter the pathfinder capsule, and then the digestive fluid solution filling material 6 will be disintegrated.
[0024] Since the output end of the timing device 2 is connected to the electromagnet 3, when the timing device 2 is started and reaches the preset time, the output voltage of the timing device 2 will act on the electromagnet 3, so that the electromagnet 3 generates a magnetic force, and the magnetic plug 4 moves toward the electromagnet 3 under the action of the magnetic force, and until the magnetic plug 4 is separated from the through hole 5 or the magnetic plug 4 is adsorbed on the electromagnet 3, at this time, the magnetic plug 4 enters the flexible shell 1, and the through hole 5 will form a flow of digestive fluid, so that the digestive fluid enters the flexible shell 1 to realize the disintegration of the pathfinder capsule.
[0025] In summary of the above embodiments, the present application sets a timing device 2 in the flexible housing 1, and utilizes the cooperation between the timing device 2 and the electromagnet 3. After the timing device 2 reaches the preset time, the electromagnet 3 is energized to generate a magnetic force to attract the magnetic plug 4, so that the magnetic plug 4 enters the interior of the flexible housing 1, and the digestive fluid can flow into the capsule through the through hole 5, thereby causing the capsule to disintegrate rapidly. The present application can accurately control the disintegration time of the pathfinder capsule in the digestive tract, overcome the problem of different disintegration times of the pathfinder capsule due to differences in the digestive tracts of different people, and reduce the risk of intestinal obstruction.
[0026] Among them, it is pointed out above that the flexible shell 1 is filled with a filling material 6 that is soluble in digestive juices. The filling material 6 can be filled in the flexible shell 1, so that the flexible shell 1 has a relatively stable capsule shape so as to enter the digestive tract. At the same time, the filling material 6 can also serve as a supporting structure for the timing device 2 and the electromagnet 3, so that the timing device 2 and the electromagnet 3 are also stably arranged in the flexible shell 1; of course, the filling material 6 has a certain compressibility, so it does not affect the smooth entry of the magnetic plug 4 into the flexible shell 1.
[0027] In some embodiments, the flexible shell 1 is a flexible, insoluble ABS (a terpolymer of three monomers: acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene) plastic having certain forming properties and capable of maintaining the shape of a capsule. After the filling material 6 inside the shell dissolves, the flexible shell 1 will collapse as the filling material 6 dissolves, and its volume will be reduced to half of its previous volume. The electromagnet 3, timing device 2, magnetic plug 4, and corresponding batteries will all be wrapped in the flexible shell 1 and excreted from the body along with the digestive system, thereby preventing the electromagnet 3, timing device 2, magnetic plug 4, and batteries from accidentally detaching from the flexible shell 1 and causing unnecessary damage to the digestive system.
[0028] The timing device 2 includes a microcontroller with a timing function, such as a microcontroller of model PIC12F1503-I / MG. The output pin of the microcontroller is connected to the electromagnet 3. When the microcontroller turns on the timing function and reaches a preset timing time, the electromagnet 3 is energized to generate magnetic force.
[0029] Furthermore, the start button of the timing function of the microcontroller is arranged near the inner wall of the flexible shell 1, and the timing function can be started by pressing the flexible shell 1; that is, before the patient swallows the capsule, the flexible shell 1 is manually pressed to start the timing device 2, and the capsule is swallowed after starting. When the timing time reaches the preset time, the electromagnet 3 is energized to generate magnetic force, and the magnetic plug 4 is sucked into the flexible shell 1, and the digestive fluid can flow into the flexible shell 1 through the through hole 5, thereby causing the capsule to disintegrate.
[0030] In some embodiments, the inner cavity diameter of the flexible housing 1 is 8-10 mm and the length is 18-20 mm, which are the dimensions of common pathfinder capsules. To ensure that the microcontroller and the electromagnet 3 can be smoothly arranged in the flexible housing 1, the controller can be set to a UQFN package with a length and width of 3×3 mm. The electromagnet 3 includes a ferrite cylindrical core with a diameter of 2.5-3 mm and a length of 8-10 mm. Several circles of enameled wire with a wire diameter of 0.03 mm are wound around the outer circumference of the core, and the enameled wire is electrically connected to the output pin of the microcontroller. At this time, the timing device 2 and the electromagnet 3 can be easily placed in the flexible housing 1.
[0031] In addition, the magnetic plug 4 includes a ferromagnetic material with a diameter of 1.5-2 mm and a length of 1.5-2 mm. The through hole 5 is adapted to the specifications of the magnetic plug 4. The electromagnet 3 can generate a suction force of not less than 25N on the magnetic plug 4.
[0032] Of course, a power supply device is also provided in the flexible shell 1, which can provide electrical energy to the microcontroller and the electromagnet 3 to ensure the normal use of the timing device 2 and the electromagnet 3. After the pathfinder capsule disintegrates, the power supply device can also be wrapped in the flexible shell 1 and discharged from the body along with the digestive system.
[0033] It should be noted that, in this specification, relational terms such as first and second are merely used to distinguish one entity from other entities, but do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities.
[0034] Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application, and the description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core ideas of the present application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, without departing from the principles of the present application, several improvements and modifications can be made to the present application, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present application.
Claims
1. A magnetic pathfinder capsule, characterized in that: The invention comprises a flexible shell (1) and a timing device (2) arranged in the flexible shell (1), wherein the output end of the timing device (2) is connected to an electromagnet (3), the electromagnet (3) is arranged in the flexible shell (1), a through hole (5) corresponding to the position of the electromagnet (3) is opened on one side of the flexible shell (1), a magnetic plug (4) is movably embedded in the through hole (5), the electromagnet (3) is used to generate a magnetic force for adsorbing the magnetic plug (4), and to make the magnetic plug (4) detach from the through hole (5) to enter the interior of the flexible shell (1), and the through hole (5) is used to allow digestive fluid to flow into the interior of the flexible shell (1).
2. The magnetic pathfinder capsule according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible housing (1) is filled with a filling material (6) that is soluble in digestive fluid, and the filling material (6) is used to support the timing device (2) and the electromagnet (3) so that they are stably arranged in the flexible housing (1).
3. The magnetic pathfinder capsule according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flexible shell (1) is made of flexible insoluble ABS plastic. After the filling material (6) in the flexible shell (1) dissolves, the flexible shell (1) collapses inwards and at least wraps around the timing device (2), the electromagnet (3) and the magnetic plug (4).
4. The magnetic pathfinder capsule according to claim 1, characterized in that: The timing device (2) comprises a microcontroller with a timing function, wherein an output pin of the microcontroller is connected to the electromagnet (3), and when the microcontroller turns on the timing function and a preset timing time is reached, the electromagnet (3) is energized to generate magnetic force.
5. The magnetic pathfinder capsule according to claim 4, characterized in that: The activation key of the timing function of the microcontroller is arranged close to the inner wall of the flexible housing (1), so that the timing function can be activated by pressing the flexible housing (1).
6. The magnetic pathfinder capsule according to claim 4, characterized in that: The microcontroller is in the form of a UQFN package with a specification of 3×3 mm, and the inner cavity diameter of the flexible housing (1) is 8-10 mm and the length is 18-20 mm.
7. The magnetic pathfinder capsule according to claim 4, characterized in that: The electromagnet (3) comprises a ferrite cylindrical core with a diameter of 2.5-3 mm and a length of 8-10 mm, and a plurality of turns of enameled wire with a wire diameter of 0.03 mm are wound around the outer circumference of the core, and the enameled wire is electrically connected to the output pin of the microcontroller.
8. The magnetic pathfinder capsule according to claim 4, characterized in that: The magnetic plug (4) comprises a ferromagnetic material with a diameter of 1.5-2 mm and a length of 1.5-2 mm, and the through hole (5) is adapted to the specifications of the magnetic plug (4).
9. The magnetic pathfinder capsule according to claim 4, characterized in that: A power supply device is also provided in the flexible housing (1), and the power supply device is used to provide electrical energy to the microcontroller.