Capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora and a control method of the capsule robot. The capsule robot comprises a capsule robot body and a rotatable collecting module installed in the capsule robot body. A collecting port is formed in the capsule robot body, a plurality of collecting cabins are formed in the rotating face of the collecting module, and the collecting module rotates to enable the collecting cabins to be communicated with or not communicated with the collecting port. The capsule robot is small in size and capable of achieving the flora sampling function at the same time, all the assemblies are compactly integrated in the capsule robot, the cross contamination problem between different detection parts and different collection cabins is avoided through structural design and certain sealing treatment, a control circuit is a small-size control panel, and the control circuit is simple in structure and convenient to operate. According to the capsule robot, circuit layout and space utilization are optimized, the size is reduced, meanwhile, functional integrity is guaranteed, remote non-contact collection in the body of a patient can be achieved through Bluetooth communication wireless control, and the capsule robot has the long-acting power management capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Intestinal flora refers to the microbial community living in the human intestine, which has an important impact on human health. The composition and balance of intestinal flora are related to multiple physiological processes such as digestion and absorption, immune regulation, and metabolic function. Its imbalance is closely related to various diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, diabetes, and depression. Therefore, accurate collection and analysis of intestinal flora is of great significance for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases.

[0003] In recent years, capsule robots have been widely used in the medical field, especially in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive system diseases, due to their small size, swallowability, and non-invasiveness. For example, capsule endoscopes are used for non-invasive examination of the gastrointestinal tract and can transmit images of the inner cavity in real time to help doctors make diagnoses. However, existing capsule robots are mainly focused on imaging and treatment functions, and lack designs specifically for collecting microbiota.

[0004] At present, the collection of intestinal flora mainly relies on the collection of fecal samples. However, this method has limited sample representativeness. Fecal samples can only reflect the situation of the lower intestinal flora, and cannot fully reflect the distribution of flora in different parts of the entire intestine. It lacks real-time performance and cannot achieve real-time monitoring of the dynamic changes of intestinal flora. It is highly dependent on operations, and the collection process depends on the cooperation of the patient, which leads to sample contamination problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art and to provide a capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora and a control method thereof, which can avoid cross-contamination problems between collection chambers through structural design and certain sealing treatments.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented by adopting the following technical solutions: On the one hand, the present invention provides a capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora, comprising a capsule robot body and a collection module rotatably installed in the capsule robot body; A collection port is provided on the capsule robot body, and a plurality of collection chambers are provided on the rotating surface of the collection module. The collection module rotates to connect or disconnect the collection chambers with the collection port.

[0007] The capsule robot in the present invention has a small size and can realize the flora sampling function. Various components are compactly integrated inside the capsule robot, ensuring that the capsule robot is of moderate size, easy to swallow and can pass through the intestine smoothly.

[0008] Optionally, a groove is provided between adjacent collection chambers, and a sealing strip is installed in the groove.

[0009] Optionally, it also includes a button battery, a control circuit, and a stepper motor; The button battery, control circuit, stepper motor and acquisition module are sequentially installed in the capsule robot body, the button battery supplies power to the control circuit, the control circuit is connected to the stepper motor, and the stepper motor is also connected to the acquisition module. The button battery can output a large current to ensure the strength of the radio frequency signal when the Bluetooth microprocessor broadcasts and to output sufficient torque when the stepper motor rotates to drive the acquisition module to rotate.

[0010] Optionally, a stepper motor positioning baffle is fixedly installed in the capsule robot body, and the stepper motor positioning baffle is located on the side of the stepper motor away from the collection module. The stepper motor positioning baffle is used to position the stepper motor when installing it so that the collection chamber can be aligned with the collection port.

[0011] Optionally, the stepper motor positioning partition is provided with a through hole for passing the wiring connecting the control circuit and the stepper motor.

[0012] Optionally, the control circuit is a multi-layer circuit board structure; The top circuit board integrates the Bluetooth microprocessor, stepper motor driver chip and Bluetooth RF antenna, and the bottom circuit board integrates the crystal oscillator and low-dropout voltage regulator; The Bluetooth microprocessor is respectively connected to the stepper motor driver chip, the crystal oscillator, the low-voltage dropout linear regulator, and the external Bluetooth device; The stepper motor drive chip is connected to the stepper motor, and the input end of the low voltage drop linear regulator is connected to the button battery. The control circuit is a small volume control board, which optimizes the circuit layout and space utilization, improves the integration and reliability of the system, reduces the volume while ensuring the integrity of the function, and can achieve remote contactless collection in the patient's body through Bluetooth communication wireless control. The capsule robot has long-term power management capabilities, adopts low-power Bluetooth microprocessor technology and crystal chip sleep program design, and ensures that the control circuit can always be in working condition during the collection process.

[0013] Optionally, it further includes a permanent magnet, which is installed in the capsule robot body; The permanent magnet and the external magnetic drive system work together to control the directional movement of the capsule robot. The movement of the capsule robot is controlled by the external magnetic field, which solves the problem of passive movement of the capsule robot and makes it possible to implement bacterial collection in a complex in vivo environment.

[0014] Optionally, the capsule robot body includes a capsule shell and capsule covers installed at both ends of the capsule shell; The capsule shell is a hollow structure, and the capsule cover comprises a column cover and a connecting structure for installing the column cover and the capsule shell.

[0015] Optionally, the capsule robot body is made of biocompatible materials and prepared by photocuring printing to ensure good biosafety.

[0016] On the other hand, the present invention further provides a control method for a capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora, using the capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora described in the first aspect, the method comprising: Use human imaging technology to identify the location of the capsule robot; After the capsule robot reaches the target position, the collection module is controlled to rotate, and the collection chamber in the collection module is aligned with the collection port on the capsule robot body to collect intestinal flora; After the collection is completed, the collection module is controlled to rotate, and the collection chamber in the collection module is not aligned with the collection port on the capsule robot body, so that the intestinal flora is not collected.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The capsule robot in the present invention has a small volume and can realize the function of flora sampling. Various components are compactly integrated inside the capsule robot. Through structural design and certain sealing treatments, cross-contamination problems between different detection parts and different collection chambers can be avoided. The control circuit is a small-volume control board, which optimizes circuit layout and space utilization, reduces the volume while ensuring functional integrity. Through Bluetooth communication wireless control, remote contactless collection in the patient's body can be achieved. The capsule robot has long-term power management capabilities, adopts low-power Bluetooth microprocessor technology and crystal oscillator chip sleep program design, to ensure that the control circuit can always be in working state during the collection process; the movement of the capsule robot is controlled by an external magnetic field, to solve the problem of passive movement of the capsule robot, making it possible to implement flora collection in a complex in vivo environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 The figure shows an overall exploded schematic diagram of a capsule robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of assembling a capsule robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the capsule robot body of the present invention in one embodiment; Figure 4 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a capsule shell of the present invention in one embodiment; Figure 5FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the installation of a stepping motor and a collection module in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the FPC cable connection between the stepping motor and the control circuit in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the top circuit board of the control circuit of the present invention in one embodiment; Figure 8 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the bottom circuit board of the control circuit of the present invention in one embodiment; Fig. 9 The figure is a schematic diagram of the control flow of the capsule robot of the present invention in one embodiment; In the figure: 1-capsule shell; 2-collection port; 3-stepper motor positioning partition; 4-capsule front cover; 5-capsule back cover; 6-button battery; 7-control circuit; 8-permanent magnet; 9-stepper motor; 10-collection module; 71-Bluetooth microprocessor; 72-stepper motor driver chip; 73-Bluetooth RF antenna; 74-crystal oscillator; 75-low voltage difference regulator; 101-collection cabin; 102-groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The technical solution of the present invention is described in detail below through the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention and the specific features in the embodiments are detailed descriptions of the technical solution of the present invention, rather than limitations on the technical solution of the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention and the technical features in the embodiments may be combined with each other unless there is a conflict.

[0020] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and the like are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", and the like may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0021] Example 1

[0022] like Figure 1-8As shown, this embodiment introduces a capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora. It has a small size and can realize the flora sampling function. Various components are compactly integrated inside the capsule robot. Through structural design and certain sealing treatments, cross-contamination problems between different detection parts and different collection chambers can be avoided.

[0023] Specifically, it includes a capsule robot body and a button battery 6, a control circuit 7, a permanent magnet 8, a stepper motor 9 and a collection module 10 which are sequentially installed in the capsule robot body. Figure 1 , 2 shown.

[0024] The capsule robot body comprises a capsule shell 1 and a capsule front cover 4 and a capsule rear cover 5 installed at both ends of the capsule shell 1. Figure 3 As shown, the shell material of the capsule robot body is made of biocompatible material, such as polylactic acid (PLA) or polycaprolactone (PCL), and is prepared by photocuring printing to ensure good biosafety.

[0025] The capsule shell 1 is a hollow structure with a collection port 2 formed thereon. The capsule front cover 4 and the capsule rear cover 5 are of the same shape and size, and both include a cylinder with chamfered edges and a connecting structure for mounting the cylinder and the capsule shell 1 .

[0026] The capsule shell 1 is provided with a collection port 2, and a stepper motor positioning partition 3 is provided in the hollow cylinder. Figure 4 As shown, the stepper motor positioning baffle 3 is installed between the permanent magnet 8 and the stepper motor 9. The stepper motor positioning baffle 3 is used to position the stepper motor 9 when it is installed so that the acquisition module 10 can be aligned with the acquisition port 2 on the capsule robot body. A through hole is left on the stepper motor positioning baffle 3 for passing the FPC cable connecting the control circuit 7 and the stepper motor 9. Figure 6 Shown is a connection diagram of the FPC cable.

[0027] In a specific embodiment, the thickness of the capsule front cover and the capsule back cover is 3 mm, the capsule shell is a hollow cylinder with an outer diameter of 15 mm and an inner diameter of 13 mm, a collection port 2 mm long and 1 mm wide is opened 4 mm away from one end of the capsule front cover, and a stepper motor positioning partition is provided inside the hollow cylinder 15 mm away from one end of the collection port. The overall shape of the capsule robot is approximately 15×31 mm.

[0028] The button battery 6 is installed on one side of the capsule rear cover 5 , and the button battery 6 is connected to the control circuit 7 to supply power to the control circuit 7 .

[0029] In a specific embodiment, the button battery includes two lithium batteries (LIR1240, XINLGO, China), which are connected in parallel. Through the combination of the lithium batteries in parallel, a maximum current of about 150mA can be provided under the premise of reaching the operating voltage of the chip in the control circuit, thereby enabling the control circuit to have a stronger Bluetooth broadcast signal and the stepper motor to output a greater torque.

[0030] The control circuit 7 is installed and connected closely to the button battery 6. The control circuit 7 is a multi-layer circuit board structure. The top circuit board integrates a low-power Bluetooth microprocessor (MCU) 71 (nRF52810-CAAA, Nordic, Norway), a stepper motor driver chip 72 (DRV8833RYTR, Ti, America) and a Bluetooth radio frequency antenna 73 (OA-C07, HWJELEC, China). The bottom circuit board integrates a crystal oscillator 74 (YSX321SL, Shenzhen Yangxing Technology Co., Ltd., China) and a low-voltage dropout linear regulator 75 (ME6211A25M3G-N, Microne, China). The top and bottom circuit boards also integrate the resistance and capacitance required by each chip. The top circuit board and the bottom circuit board of the control circuit 7 are respectively as shown in FIG. Figure 7 , 8 shown.

[0031] In a specific embodiment, the control circuit PCB has a diameter of 12 mm and a thickness of 1.6 mm. It uses a four-layer board and the selected resistors and capacitors are all 0402 packages to achieve miniaturization of the control circuit, optimize circuit layout and space utilization, improve system integration and reliability, reduce volume while ensuring functional integrity, and achieve remote contactless collection in the patient's body through Bluetooth communication wireless control. The capsule robot has long-term power management capabilities.

[0032] The MCU 71 is respectively connected to the stepper motor driver chip 72, the crystal oscillator 74, the low-voltage difference linear regulator 75, and the external Bluetooth device; the stepper motor driver chip is connected to the stepper motor, and the input end of the low-voltage difference linear regulator is connected to the button battery. When the capsule robot is working, the MCU with Bluetooth function on the control circuit is connected to the external Bluetooth device, such as a mobile phone, a computer or other Bluetooth host device. When the capsule robot is detected to arrive at the collection position, the external Bluetooth device sends instructions to the MCU via Bluetooth. The control circuit needs to receive the control instructions and accurately control the stepper motor to rotate the collection module.

[0033] In a specific embodiment, Fig. 9As shown, part of the power input from the button battery is directly applied to the stepper motor driver chip to drive the stepper motor, and the other part is converted to 3.3V by a low-voltage difference linear regulator to power the MCU and its minimum system. An external crystal oscillator is set for clock wake-up of the MCU in low-power sleep mode. When the MCU receives a signal from an external Bluetooth device, it sends a control signal to the stepper motor driver chip to control the stepper motor rotation acquisition module.

[0034] The permanent magnet 8 is installed in the body of the capsule robot. In this embodiment, it is installed close to the control circuit 7 and is located on one side of the stepper motor positioning partition 3. The permanent magnet 8 and the external magnetic drive system work together to control the directional movement of the capsule robot. The movement of the capsule robot is controlled by the external magnetic field, which solves the problem of passive movement of the capsule robot and makes it possible to implement flora collection in a complex in vivo environment.

[0035] The stepper motor 9 is located at the other side of the stepper motor positioning partition 3 . The stepper motor 9 receives the control signal transmitted by the control circuit 7 and controls the rotation angle of the acquisition module 10 .

[0036] The acquisition module 10 is installed and connected closely to the stepping motor 9, and the acquisition module 10 can rotate. Figure 5 As shown, the rotating surface of the collection module 10 includes a plurality of collection chambers 101 and grooves 102 located between adjacent collection chambers 101, and a sealing strip is installed in the groove 102. The sealing strip is obtained by cutting an O-ring. In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the collection module can rotate smoothly, Vaseline (America) is applied to the sealing strip for lubrication; when the collection port on the capsule shell is aligned with the collection chamber in the collection module, the capsule robot is in an open collection state, and when the collection module rotates until the sealing strip is aligned with the collection port, the capsule robot is in a closed state. At this time, the sealing strip will block the collection port to avoid cross-contamination of bacteria between different detection sites and different chambers.

[0037] Example 2

[0038] This embodiment introduces a control method for a capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora, using the capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora described in Embodiment 1, and specifically comprising the following steps: Step 1: Pair and initialize the system with the capsule robot through a mobile phone, computer or other Bluetooth host device. After ensuring the Bluetooth connection is normal, the patient swallows the flora detection capsule robot.

[0039] Step 2: Identify the position of the capsule robot in real time through B-ultrasound and other human imaging technologies.

[0040] Step 3: After the capsule robot reaches the target position, the external device sends a control signal to the control circuit 7 via Bluetooth. The control circuit 7 controls the stepper motor 9 to rotate a specific angle so that a collection chamber 101 is connected to the collection port 2. At this time, the capsule robot is in an open collection state, and the intestinal flora enters the collection chamber for collection.

[0041] Step 4: After the collection is completed, the stepper motor 9 drives the collection module 10 to rotate until the sealing strip is connected to the collection port. At this time, the capsule robot is in a closed state, waiting for the next collection signal.

[0042] Repeat steps 2 to 4 to collect bacterial flora samples from multiple areas in turn.

[0043] Step 5: After the collection is completed, the capsule robot is discharged from the body through natural excretion, and the collected materials inside are retained for subsequent analysis and research.

[0044] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by specific circumstances.

[0045] The term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0046] The embodiments of the present invention are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the enlightenment of the present invention, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the scope of protection of the purpose of the present invention and the claims, which all fall within the protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora, characterized in that: It includes a capsule robot body and a rotatable collection module installed in the capsule robot body; A collection port is provided on the capsule robot body, and a plurality of collection chambers are provided on the rotating surface of the collection module. The collection module rotates to connect or disconnect the collection chambers with the collection port.

2. The capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora according to claim 1, characterized in that: A groove is provided between adjacent collection chambers, and a sealing strip is installed in the groove.

3. The capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes button batteries, control circuits, and stepper motors; The button battery, control circuit, stepper motor and acquisition module are sequentially installed in the capsule robot body, the button battery supplies power to the control circuit, the control circuit is connected to the stepper motor, and the stepper motor is also connected to the acquisition module.

4. The capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora according to claim 3, characterized in that: A stepper motor positioning baffle is fixedly installed in the capsule robot body, and the stepper motor positioning baffle is located at a side of the stepper motor away from the acquisition module.

5. The capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora according to claim 4, characterized in that: The stepper motor positioning partition is provided with a through hole for passing the wiring connecting the control circuit and the stepper motor.

6. The capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control circuit is a multi-layer circuit board structure; The top circuit board integrates the Bluetooth microprocessor, stepper motor driver chip and Bluetooth RF antenna, and the bottom circuit board integrates the crystal oscillator and low-dropout voltage regulator; The Bluetooth microprocessor is respectively connected to the stepper motor driver chip, the crystal oscillator, the low-voltage dropout linear regulator, and the external Bluetooth device; The stepper motor driving chip is connected to the stepper motor, and the input end of the low voltage difference linear regulator is connected to a button battery.

7. The capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora according to claim 3, characterized in that: Also includes a permanent magnet, which is installed in the capsule robot body; The permanent magnet and the external magnetic drive system cooperate to control the directional movement of the capsule robot.

8. The capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora according to claim 1, characterized in that: The capsule robot body comprises a capsule shell and capsule covers installed at both ends of the capsule shell; The capsule shell is a hollow structure, and the capsule cover comprises a column cover and a connecting structure for installing the column cover and the capsule shell.

9. The capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora according to claim 1, characterized in that: The capsule robot body is made of biocompatible materials.

10. A control method for a capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora, characterized in that: Using the capsule robot for collecting intestinal flora according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprises: Use human imaging technology to identify the location of the capsule robot; After the capsule robot reaches the target position, the collection module is controlled to rotate, and the collection chamber in the collection module is aligned with the collection port on the capsule robot body to collect intestinal flora; After the collection is completed, the collection module is controlled to rotate, and the collection chamber in the collection module is not aligned with the collection port on the capsule robot body, so that the intestinal flora is not collected.

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