A digestive tract sampling capsule

Abstract

A digestive tract sampling capsule includes a shell, which is divided into an upper shell and a lower shell, with the lower shell detachably mounted at the lower end of the upper shell; a sampling component installed inside the lower shell; and a shielding component installed at the bottom of the upper shell. This invention uses several sampling components installed inside the lower shell to sample digestive tract fluid from multiple locations. With the shielding component, a dissolving tablet is exposed through a sampling window at a specific location, allowing the tablet to dissolve at that location, and then sampling is completed through a sampling tube. Furthermore, the shielding component allows for selection of an appropriate sampling time, thus preventing the sampling tube from drawing in a large amount of gas, which could lead to insufficient fluid sampling and sampling failure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a sampling device, and more particularly to a digestive tract sampling capsule. Background Technology

[0002] Due to its high reliability and safety, the digestive tract sampling capsule has become an effective diagnostic device for digestive tract diseases and has received high recognition in the international medical device field. The digestive tract sampling capsule is equipped with a camera unit, a data processing unit, and a wireless transmission unit. Swallowed orally by the subject, it can capture images of organs such as the stomach or intestines as they pass through the digestive tract. The captured information is then wirelessly transmitted to an external receiving device, where it is received and displayed on a display screen. Under painless and non-invasive conditions, medical personnel can diagnose gastrointestinal diseases based on the images displayed on the screen. The digestive tract sampling capsule can also collect liquid samples from organs such as the stomach or intestines for subsequent testing, thereby aiding in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases.

[0003] Current sampling capsules use special materials to seal the negative pressure sampling tube inside. These materials degrade in a specific digestive fluid, drawing external substances into the negative pressure sampling tube to complete the sampling. This design utilizes biodegradable materials as a sampling trigger. However, during sampling, the sampling tube is highly susceptible to gas inhalation, leading to insufficient sampling liquid and sampling failure. Furthermore, it can only sample liquid from a single location; multiple sampling capsules are needed when collecting liquid from different sites.

[0004] To address the above issues, we provide a digestive tract sampling capsule. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a digestive tract sampling capsule.

[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved as follows: a digestive tract sampling capsule, comprising a shell, the shell being divided into an upper shell and a lower shell, wherein the lower shell is detachably mounted on the lower end of the upper shell;

[0007] The sampling component is installed inside the lower housing;

[0008] A shielding assembly is installed at the bottom of the upper housing.

[0009] Furthermore, a connecting component is provided between the upper housing and the lower housing.

[0010] Furthermore, the connecting assembly includes a connecting seat, a connecting rod, and a plug-in seat. A plurality of connecting seats are equally spaced on the inner wall of the lower housing. The connecting rod is disposed on the outer side of the connecting seat. The upper end of the connecting rod extends into the interior of the upper housing. A plurality of plug-in seats are equally spaced on the inner wall of the upper housing. The plug-in seats correspond one-to-one with the connecting seats. The plug-in seats are adapted to the connecting rods. The upper end of the connecting rods is detachably inserted into the plug-in seats.

[0011] Furthermore, the sampling assembly includes a connecting plate, a dissolving sheet, a connecting tube, a fixing frame, and a sampling tube. The top of the lower housing has several connecting slots at equal intervals. A connecting plate is installed in each connecting slot. A connecting hole is opened in the middle of the connecting plate. A dissolving sheet is installed in the connecting hole. The rear side of the connecting hole is fixedly connected to the connecting tube. The fixing frame is provided on the inner wall of the lower housing cavity. The sampling tube is snapped into the inner side of the fixing frame. The top end of the sampling tube is detachably connected to the connecting tube. The sampling tube is under negative pressure.

[0012] Furthermore, a negative pressure assembly is installed on one side of the sampling tube.

[0013] Furthermore, the negative pressure assembly includes a negative pressure airbag, a squeezing element, and an installation tube. The outer end of the sampling tube is connected to the installation tube, and the other end of the installation tube is connected to the negative pressure airbag. The squeezing element is adhered to the outer side of the negative pressure airbag.

[0014] Furthermore, the extrusion component includes an extrusion plate and an extrusion rod, with the extrusion plate bonded to both sides of the negative pressure airbag, and the extrusion rod connected to the outer sides of the two extrusion plates.

[0015] Furthermore, the shielding assembly includes a motor plate, a motor, a gear, a shielding ring, and a rack. The motor plate is disposed on the inner wall of the upper housing, the motor is mounted below the motor plate, the gear is disposed at the output end of the motor, the shielding ring is rotatably connected to the lower end of the upper housing, a sampling window is provided through the side wall of the shielding ring, the size of the sampling window is adapted to the connecting plate, and the rack is disposed on the inner side of the shielding ring, the rack meshing with the gear for transmission.

[0016] Furthermore, a digestive tract sampling capsule also includes a clamping assembly installed inside the upper shell.

[0017] Further, the clamping assembly includes a clamping push rod, a clamping seat, a top rod, a clamping push rod, a clamping connecting rod, a sliding seat, a linkage rod, a rotating seat, a rotating shaft, and a mounting rod. The clamping push rod is installed in the middle of the inner cavity of the upper housing. The output end of the clamping push rod is provided with the clamping seat. Several top rods are provided at the bottom end of the clamping seat. The clamping push rod is installed at one end of the top rod. Several sets of clamping connecting rods are rotatably connected to the rotating shaft. Each set of clamping connecting rods includes an even number of clamping connecting rods. The sliding seat is slidably connected to the inner side of the rear end of the clamping connecting rod. The linkage rod is rotatably connected to the inner side of the sliding seat. The other end of several linkage rods is rotatably connected to the rotating seat. The output end of the clamping push rod is fixedly connected to the rotating base. The mounting rod is provided between the top end of the rotating shaft and the clamping seat. The mounting rod is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft and fixedly connected to the clamping seat.

[0018] Furthermore, the front end of the clamping link has an arc-shaped structure, which is adapted to the outer wall of the sampling tube.

[0019] Furthermore, a disassembly assembly is provided at the bottom of the connecting tube, and the disassembly assembly corresponds one-to-one with the sampling tube.

[0020] Furthermore, a solenoid valve is installed between the connecting pipe and the sampling pipe, and the solenoid valve is connected to the sampling pipe via a pipe.

[0021] Furthermore, the disassembly assembly includes a latching component, a disassembly push rod, and a disassembly base. The latching component is snapped onto the outside of the solenoid valve. The latching component is fixedly connected to the output end of the disassembly push rod. The disassembly base is installed on the inner wall of the lower housing cavity, and the disassembly push rod is installed on the outside of the disassembly base.

[0022] Advantages of this invention:

[0023] The technical solution of this application uses several sampling components installed inside the lower housing to sample digestive tract fluids from multiple locations. With the assistance of a shielding component, a dissolving tablet is exposed through a sampling window at a specific location, allowing the tablet to dissolve at that location before sampling is completed through a sampling tube. Furthermore, the shielding component allows for selection of an appropriate sampling time, thus preventing the sampling tube from drawing in large amounts of gas, which could lead to insufficient fluid sampling and sampling failure. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a digestive tract sampling capsule.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a digestive tract sampling capsule.

[0026] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the clamping component structure Figure 1 .

[0027] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the clamping component structure Figure 2 .

[0028] Figure 5 This is an enlarged view of point A.

[0029] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of sampling component, negative pressure component, and disassembly component. Figure 1 .

[0030] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of sampling component, negative pressure component, and disassembly component. Figure 2 .

[0031] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the shading component.

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Shell, 11. Upper shell, 12. Lower shell, 121. Connecting groove;

[0033] 2. Connecting component; 21. Connecting base; 22. Connecting rod; 23. Plug-in socket;

[0034] 3. Sampling assembly; 31. Connecting plate; 311. Connecting hole; 32. Dissolving tablet; 33. Connecting tube; 34. Fixing bracket; 35. Sampling tube;

[0035] 4. Negative pressure assembly; 41. Negative pressure airbag; 42. Extrusion component; 421. Extrusion plate; 422. Extrusion rod; 43. Mounting tube;

[0036] 5. Shielding assembly; 51. Motor board; 52. Motor; 53. Gear; 54. Shielding ring; 55. Rack;

[0037] 6. Clamping assembly; 61. Clamping push rod; 62. Clamping seat; 63. Push rod; 64. Clamping push rod; 65. Clamping connecting rod; 66. Sliding seat; 67. Linkage rod; 68. Rotating seat; 69. Rotating shaft; 610. Mounting rod;

[0038] 7. Solenoid valve;

[0039] 8. Disassemble the components; 81. Clips; 82. Disassemble the push rod; 83. Disassemble the base. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0041] This application provides a digestive tract sampling capsule.

[0042] Example 1, as Figure 1-8 As shown.

[0043] A digestive tract sampling capsule includes a shell 1, which is a hollow capsule-shaped structure. The shell 1 is divided into an upper shell 11 and a lower shell 12, and the lower shell 12 is detachably mounted on the lower end of the upper shell 11. The upper shell 11 and the lower shell 12 are detachably connected.

[0044] A connecting component 2 is provided between the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 12 to connect the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 12.

[0045] The connecting assembly 2 includes a connecting seat 21, a connecting rod 22, and a plug-in seat 23. A plurality of connecting seats 21 are evenly spaced along the inner wall of the lower housing 12. The connecting rod 22 is positioned outside the connecting seat 21, with its upper end extending into the interior of the upper housing 11. A plurality of plug-in seats 23 are evenly spaced along the inner wall of the upper housing 11. Each plug-in seat 23 corresponds to one of the connecting seats 21, and the plug-in seat 23 is adapted to the connecting rod 22. The upper end of the connecting rod 22 is detachably inserted into the plug-in seat 23. In use, simply align the plug-in seat 23 on the inner side of the upper housing 11 with the connecting rod 22.

[0046] A digestive tract sampling capsule includes a sampling component 3, which is installed inside the lower shell 12 to sample liquid in the digestive tract.

[0047] The sampling assembly 3 includes a connecting plate 31, a dissolving tablet 32, a connecting tube 33, a fixing frame 34, and a sampling tube 35. The top of the lower housing 12 has several equally spaced connecting slots 121. A connecting plate 31 is installed within each connecting slot 121. A connecting hole 311 is formed in the middle of the connecting plate 31, and a dissolving tablet 32 ​​is installed within the connecting hole 311. The rear side of the connecting hole 311 is fixedly connected to the connecting tube 33. The fixing frame 34 is disposed on the inner wall of the lower housing 12. The sampling tube 35 is snapped into place inside the fixing frame 34. The top end of the sampling tube 35 is detachably connected to the connecting tube 33, meaning the sampling tube 35 is inserted into the top end of the connecting tube 33, and the sampling tube 35 is under negative pressure. The dissolving tablet 32 ​​is made of a specific material. In a specific digestive fluid, the dissolving tablet 32 ​​degrades, thereby drawing external substances into the sampling tube 35 through the connecting tube 33, thus completing the sampling of the digestive tract fluid.

[0048] The sampling component 3 is provided in multiple parts, so that different materials of the dissolving tablet 32 ​​can be used to sample the digestive tract fluid in different parts.

[0049] A negative pressure component 4 is installed on one side of the sampling tube 35 to further increase the sampling success rate.

[0050] The negative pressure assembly 4 includes a negative pressure airbag 41, a squeezing element 42, and an installation tube 43. The sampling tube 35 is connected to the installation tube 43 at one end, and the other end of the installation tube 43 is connected to the negative pressure airbag 41. The squeezing element 42 is adhered to the outside of the negative pressure airbag 41. When the dissolving tablet 32 ​​dissolves, the external substance, i.e., gas or liquid, enters the sampling tube 35 through the connecting tube 33. The negative pressure airbag 41 further increases the suction force of the sampling tube 35 and the sampling quantity. Furthermore, the design of the negative pressure assembly 4 allows gas to preferentially enter the negative pressure airbag 41, while liquid flows to the bottom of the sampling tube 35 due to gravity, making it easier to discharge the liquid during subsequent testing. To discharge the liquid, simply squeeze the squeezing element 42 to expel the sampled liquid from the sampling tube 35 using pressure.

[0051] The extrusion component 42 includes an extrusion plate 421 and an extrusion rod 422. The extrusion plate 421 is bonded to both sides of the negative pressure airbag 41, and the extrusion rod 422 is connected to the outer sides of the two extrusion plates 421. The design of the extrusion plate 421 increases the contact area with the negative pressure airbag 41, making it easier to discharge the sampled liquid.

[0052] A digestive tract sampling capsule includes a shielding component 5 installed at the bottom of the upper shell 11. The dissolving tablet 32 ​​can be actively exposed at an appropriate time for sampling of digestive tract fluids.

[0053] The shielding assembly 5 includes a motor plate 51, a motor 52, a gear 53, a shielding ring 54, and a rack 55. The motor plate 51 is disposed on the inner side wall of the upper housing 11, and the motor 52 is mounted below the motor plate 51. The gear 53 is disposed at the output end of the motor 52. The shielding ring 54 is rotatably connected to the lower end of the upper housing 11. A sampling window is provided through the side wall of the shielding ring 54, and the size of the sampling window is adapted to the connecting plate 31. The rack 55 is disposed on the inner side of the shielding ring 54, and the rack 55 meshes with the gear 53 for transmission. When the motor 52 is started, the meshing of the gear 53 and the rack 55 drives the shielding ring 54 to rotate, thereby aligning the sampling window with different parts of the dissolving sheet 32, or shielding each of the dissolving sheets 32. This achieves active control of the sampling timing, thereby avoiding the intake of a large amount of gas into the sampling tube 35 due to incorrect sampling timing, which would lead to sampling failure.

[0054] A digestive tract sampling capsule further includes a clamping assembly 6 installed inside the upper shell 11. The clamping assembly 6 is used to remove the sampling tube 35. Due to the small size of the capsule, multiple sampling tubes 35 are not easily removed from the lower shell 12.

[0055] The clamping assembly 6 includes a clamping push rod 61, a clamping seat 62, a top rod 63, a clamping push rod 64, a clamping connecting rod 65, a sliding seat 66, a linkage rod 67, a rotating seat 68, a rotating shaft 69, and a mounting rod 610. The clamping push rod 61 is installed in the middle of the inner cavity of the upper housing 11. The clamping push rod 61 is an electric push rod that can extend or retract. The output end of the clamping push rod 61 is provided with the clamping seat 62. The bottom end of the clamping seat 62 is provided with several top rods 63. Each top rod 63 corresponds to one sampling tube 35. One end of the top rod 63 is provided with the clamping push rod 64. The clamping push rod 64 is an electric push rod that can extend, retract, or retract. Several sets of clamping connecting rods 65 are rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 69. Each set of clamping connecting rods 65 includes an even number of clamping connecting rods 65. The sliding seat 66 is slidably connected to the inner side of the rear end of the clamping connecting rod 65. The linkage rod 67 is rotatably connected to the inner side of the sliding seat 66. The other end of several linkage rods 67 is rotatably connected to the rotating seat 68. The output end of the clamping push rod 64 is fixedly connected to the rotating base. The mounting rod 610 is provided between the top end of the rotating shaft 69 and the clamping seat 62. The mounting rod is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft and fixedly connected to the clamping seat. The clamping assembly 6 is located directly above the sampling tube 35. When it is necessary to clamp the sampling tube 35, the clamping push rod 61 extends, driving the clamping push rod 64 to move to the upper outer side of each sampling tube 35. Then, the clamping push rod 64 extends, driving the rotating seat 68 to move towards the rear end of the clamping push rod 64 through the linkage rod 67, thereby opening the rear end of the clamping push rod 64 and causing the front end of the clamping push rod 64 to rotate inward, clamping the sampling tube 35. At this time, when the upper housing 11 is removed, several sampling tubes 35 can be taken out from the lower housing 12. The front end of the clamping connecting rod 65 has an arc-shaped structure, which is adapted to the outer wall of the sampling tube 35, making the clamping of the sampling tube 35 more secure.

[0056] The bottom end of the connecting pipe 33 is provided with a disassembly component 8, which corresponds one-to-one with the sampling pipe 35. This avoids interference caused by removing the sampling pipe 35 from the various pipes.

[0057] A solenoid valve 7 is installed between the connecting pipe 33 and the sampling pipe 35, and the solenoid valve 7 is connected to the sampling pipe 35 via a pipe. When sampling is to be performed in the sampling pipe 35, the solenoid valve 7 opens, and after sampling is completed, the solenoid valve 7 closes.

[0058] The disassembly assembly 8 includes a latching member 81, a disassembly push rod 82, and a disassembly base 83. The latching member 81 is engaged with the outer side of the solenoid valve 7. The latching member 81 is fixedly connected to the output end of the disassembly push rod 82. The disassembly base 83 is installed on the inner wall of the lower housing 12, and the disassembly push rod 82 is installed on the outer side of the disassembly base 83. The disassembly push rod 82 is an electric push rod that can extend or retract. When it is necessary to remove the sampling tube 35, the disassembly assembly 8 is activated. The disassembly push rod 82 drives the latching member 81, pulling the solenoid valve 7 backward, thereby pulling apart the pipe connected to the sampling tube 35, disconnecting the pipe from the sampling tube 35. Then, the sampling tube 35 is removed by the clamping assembly 6.

[0059] The housing 1 is equipped with sensors and a communication module, which facilitates external positioning of the capsule when the patient swallows it. Additionally, the housing 1 contains a magnetic module, allowing the capsule to rotate and move under the influence of an external magnetic field.

[0060] When using this invention:

[0061] The patient swallows the capsule, which then moves along the patient's digestive tract.

[0062] At this point, a suitable location is selected for fluid sampling based on the patient's actual condition.

[0063] During sampling, the solenoid valve opens, the shielding mechanism activates (i.e., the motor starts), and the meshing of the gear and rack drives the shielding ring to rotate, thereby aligning the sampling window with the dissolving tablet at a specific location. When the dissolving tablet degrades under the action of the digestive tract fluid, external substances are drawn into the sampling tube through the connecting tube, completing the sampling of the digestive tract fluid.

[0064] After sampling is completed at each site and the capsule is expelled from the body, the disassembly assembly and the clamping assembly are activated. The disassembly assembly activates, and the disassembly push rod drives the latching member to pull the solenoid valve backward, thereby pulling apart the pipe connected to the sampling tube and disconnecting the pipe from the sampling tube. The clamping assembly activates, and the clamping push rod extends, moving the clamping push rod to the upper outer side of each sampling tube. Then, the clamping push rod extends, and the linkage rod drives the rotating seat to move towards the rear end of the clamping push rod, thereby opening the rear end of the clamping push rod and causing the front end of the clamping push rod to rotate inward, clamping the sampling tube. At this point, when the upper shell is removed, several sampling tubes can be taken out from the lower shell.

[0065] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as “first” and “second” are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0066] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the application disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the claims. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A digestive tract sampling capsule, characterized in that: It includes a housing, which is divided into an upper housing and a lower housing, and the lower housing is detachably installed at the lower end of the upper housing; The sampling component is installed inside the lower housing; The shielding assembly is installed at the bottom of the upper housing; The sampling assembly includes a connecting plate, a dissolving plate, a connecting tube, a fixing frame, and a sampling tube. The top of the lower housing has several equally spaced connecting slots, in which a connecting plate is installed. A connecting hole is formed in the center of the connecting plate, and a dissolving plate is installed in the connecting hole. The rear side of the connecting hole is fixedly connected to the connecting tube. The fixing frame is installed on the inner wall of the lower housing, and the sampling tube is snapped into place on the inner side of the fixing frame. The top end of the sampling tube is detachably connected to the connecting tube, and the sampling tube is under negative pressure. A negative pressure assembly is installed on one side of the sampling tube; The negative pressure assembly includes a negative pressure airbag, a squeezing component, and an installation tube. The outer end of the sampling tube is connected to the installation tube, and the other end of the installation tube is connected to the negative pressure airbag. The squeezing component is adhered to the outer side of the negative pressure airbag.

2. The digestive tract sampling capsule according to claim 1, characterized in that: A connecting component is provided between the upper housing and the lower housing.

3. The digestive tract sampling capsule according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting assembly includes a connecting seat, a connecting rod, and a plug-in seat. A plurality of connecting seats are equally spaced on the inner wall of the lower housing. The connecting rod is disposed on the outer side of the connecting seat. The upper end of the connecting rod extends into the interior of the upper housing. A plurality of plug-in seats are equally spaced on the inner wall of the upper housing. Each plug-in seat corresponds to one of the connecting seats. The plug-in seat is adapted to the connecting rod. The upper end of the connecting rod is detachably inserted into the plug-in seat.

4. The digestive tract sampling capsule according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extrusion component includes an extrusion plate and an extrusion rod. The extrusion plate is bonded to both sides of the negative pressure airbag, and the extrusion rod is connected to the outer sides of the two extrusion plates.

5. A digestive tract sampling capsule according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shielding assembly includes a motor plate, a motor, a gear, a shielding ring, and a rack. The motor plate is disposed on the inner wall of the upper housing, and the motor is installed below the motor plate. The gear is disposed on the output end of the motor. The shielding ring is rotatably connected to the lower end of the upper housing. A sampling window is provided through the side wall of the shielding ring. The size of the sampling window is adapted to the connecting plate. The rack is disposed on the inner side of the shielding ring, and the rack meshes with the gear for transmission.

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