Sampling capsule for alimentary canal in-situ sampling

Abstract

The utility model discloses a sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of a digestive tract. The sampling capsule comprises a capsule shell, a sample cabin door is formed in the capsule shell, a sample cabin, a circuit board and a battery are arranged in the capsule shell, the sample cabin corresponds to the sample cabin door in position, the circuit board is electrically connected with a micro motor, the output end of the micro motor is connected with a gear set, and the gear set is used for amplifying the acting force of the micro motor. The gear set is connected with a sample cabin door on the capsule shell through a transmission shaft; the gear set comprises a driving gear connected with the output end of the micro motor, a driven duplicate gear connected with the driving gear in a meshed mode and a driven gear connected with the driven duplicate gear in a meshed mode. The device can prevent proteins, metabolites and the like from being re-absorbed by colon, can effectively reflect the structures of biome, proteome and metabolome at each stage of the digestive tract, and provides a new device for research on space-time structure of microecology of the digestive tract and composition change of the space-time structure during occurrence and development of diseases.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract. Background Technology

[0002] The spatiotemporal structure of the digestive tract microbiome, proteome, and metabolome reflects and determines local digestive tract physiology and is closely related to the occurrence and development of various diseases. Therefore, the accuracy and effectiveness of sampling devices and methods are crucial when studying the digestive tract microecology.

[0003] Currently, fecal sampling is a commonly used sampling method for studying the link between the digestive tract microecology and disease mechanisms. However, this sampling method has limitations. A large amount of protein and metabolites in the intestine are reabsorbed, and anaerobic bacteria in the intestine are prone to death after being excreted with feces. Therefore, a significant amount of crucial information is lost through fecal sampling. Consequently, the genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics obtained from fecal sampling cannot accurately and comprehensively reflect the actual state of the gut microecology. Furthermore, endoscopic sampling, used in fasted or sedated individuals, while allowing direct observation of the digestive tract, also has significant limitations. It can only access a portion of the digestive tract and cannot perform comprehensive sampling of the entire digestive tract. Moreover, endoscopic sampling requires a professional physician, the procedure is complex, demands high levels of medical resources, and can cause significant discomfort to the patient. In summary, medical personnel currently know very little about the spatiotemporal distribution, environment, and biochemical activities of microorganisms within the living digestive tract. While capsule endoscopes have been developed with advancements in medical technology, they are primarily used for visual observation of the digestive tract. There is currently no effective equipment for in-situ sampling of substances within the digestive tract, making it even more difficult to obtain samples of microorganisms, proteins, and metabolites at different locations and stages within the digestive tract. This fails to meet the needs of medical personnel for in-depth research on the digestive tract's microecology. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an in-situ sampling capsule capable of entering the digestive tract. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract. This ingestible device can collect samples from multiple regions of the human intestine during normal digestion. It avoids the reabsorption of proteins and metabolites by the colon, effectively reflects the structure of the biomics, proteome, and metabolome at various stages of the digestive tract, and provides a new device for studying the spatiotemporal structure of the digestive tract microecology and its compositional changes during disease development.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] The application discloses a sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of a digestive tract, which comprises a capsule shell, a sample cabin door arranged on the capsule shell, a sample cabin arranged in the capsule shell, a circuit board and a battery, wherein the sample cabin is arranged in a position corresponding to the sample cabin door, a micro motor is electrically connected to the circuit board, a gear set is connected to an output end of the micro motor, the gear set is used for amplifying the action force of the micro motor, and the gear set is connected to the sample cabin door of the capsule shell through a transmission shaft.

[0007] The gear set comprises a driving gear connected to the output end of the micro motor, a driven double gear connected to the driving gear in a meshing mode and a driven gear connected to the driven double gear in a meshing mode.

[0008] As a further technical scheme, the inside of the capsule shell is further provided with a switch, wherein the switch is electrically connected to the circuit board; the battery is a button cell, and the battery is connected to the circuit board and used for providing electric energy.

[0009] As a further technical scheme, the driven double gear comprises a first driven double gear and a second driven double gear connected in a meshing mode, the driving gear is meshed with a lower end gear of the first driven double gear, an upper end gear of the first driven double gear is meshed with a lower end gear of the second driven double gear, and an upper end gear of the second driven double gear is meshed with the driven gear.

[0010] As a further technical scheme, the module numbers of the driving gear, the first driven double gear, the second driven double gear and the driven gear are the same.

[0011] As a further technical scheme, the driven gear is connected to the sample cabin door through the transmission shaft, and specifically, one end of the transmission shaft is fixedly connected to a central shaft of the driven gear, and the other end of the transmission shaft is connected to the sample cabin door.

[0012] As a further technical scheme, a limiting shell is arranged outside the gear set, the limiting shell is matched with the gear set in shape and size, and a silica gel gasket is arranged between the limiting shell and the transmission shaft for sealing.

[0013] As a further technical scheme, a direct-current voltage stabilizing circuit is integrated on the circuit board, an input end of the direct-current voltage stabilizing circuit is connected to the battery and used for receiving the battery voltage, an output end of the direct-current voltage stabilizing circuit is connected to a control chip, a monitoring and resetting circuit, an ST-Linker circuit and a direct-current motor driving circuit, and the monitoring and resetting circuit, the ST-Linker circuit and the direct-current motor driving circuit are further connected to the control chip.

[0014] As a further technical scheme, the circuit board is further integrated with a BOOT circuit, a crystal oscillator circuit and a switch circuit, and the BOOT circuit, the crystal oscillator circuit and the switch circuit are connected with the control chip.

[0015] As a further technical scheme, the output end of the direct current motor driving circuit is electrically connected with the input end of the micro motor, and the direct current motor driving circuit is used for receiving a motion instruction of the control chip and driving the micro motor.

[0016] As a further technical scheme, the outer surface of the capsule shell is coated with soft silicone glue except the position of the sample cabin door.

[0017] The one or more technical schemes of the utility model have the following beneficial effects:

[0018] (1)The utility model relates to a device can be swallowed, and the whole is swallowed capsule, and the sample cabin door is arranged on the capsule shell, and the sample cabin is correspondingly arranged in the inside, can reach the intestinal tract directly and carry out in situ sampling, the sample bin is closed after sampling, keeps the state of isolation with the outside environment, avoids the reabsorption of metabolites and protein and the contact of air after discharging outside, causes the change of anaerobic bacteria structure. Can more truly reflect the actual situation of digestive tract microecology in different parts, different time, provide more accurate, reliable data support for the study of the space-time composition of digestive tract microecology and its correlation mechanism with diseases, help in-depth understanding of the internal mechanism of disease occurrence and development, provide scientific basis for disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

[0019] (2)The utility model discloses a gear set is set up to enlarge the action force of micro motor, provides enough torque for sample cabin door opening, and the gear set in the utility model is composed of four gears of driving gear, first driven double gear, second driven double gear and driven gear, and this multistage gear transmission mode can effectively enlarge the action force of micro motor, and enough torque can be provided for sample cabin door opening. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] The drawings accompanying the specification provide further understanding of the utility model, and the illustrative embodiment of the utility model and the explanation thereof are used to explain the utility model, and do not constitute improper limitation to the utility model.

[0021] Figure 1 It is the overall structural drawing of the sampling capsule of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 It is the circuit diagram of the direct current voltage stabilizing circuit in the sampling capsule of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 It is the circuit diagram of the control chip in the sampling capsule of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 The circuit diagram of the monitoring and resetting circuit in the sampling capsule of the utility model is as follows:

[0025] Figure 5 The circuit diagram of the DC motor driving circuit in the sampling capsule of the utility model is as follows:

[0026] Figure 6 The circuit diagram of the ST-Linker circuit in the sampling capsule of the utility model is as follows:

[0027] Figure 7 The circuit diagram of the crystal oscillator circuit in the sampling capsule of the utility model is as follows:

[0028] Figure 8 The circuit diagram of the BOOT circuit in the sampling capsule of the utility model is as follows:

[0029] Figure 9 The circuit diagram of the switch circuit in the sampling capsule of the utility model is as follows:

[0030] 1, capsule shell; 2, sample hatch; 3, sample cabin; 4, circuit board; 5, battery; 6, micro motor; 7, gear set; 8, switch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] It should be noted that the following detailed description is exemplary and is intended to provide further explanation of the utility model. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in the utility model have the same meaning as that generally understood by ordinary skilled persons in the technical field to which the utility model belongs.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] The utility model provides a kind of for digestive tract in situ sampling sampling capsule, such as Figure 1The overall structure of the sampling capsule is shown in the figure. The sampling capsule includes a capsule shell 1, which can be made of ABS, PLA or other plastics. The main function of the capsule shell 1 is to block the internal structure of the capsule shell from the external environment, preventing the internal structure from being eroded by stomach acid and other intestinal substances after the sampling capsule is swallowed into the digestive tract. A sample hatch 2 is provided on the capsule shell 1. The inside of the capsule shell 1 is provided with a sample chamber 3, a circuit board 4 and a battery 5. The position of the sample chamber 3 corresponds to the sample hatch 1. The main function of the sample hatch 2 is to isolate the sample chamber 3 from the external environment, effectively preventing sample leakage and external substances (non-sample, such as oxygen) from entering, ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the sample. The capacity of the sample chamber 3 is between 200 μL and 600 μL, which is used to store the collected digestive tract material and provide sufficient sample quantity for subsequent research. Inside the capsule shell 1, the circuit board 4 is electrically connected with a micro motor 6. The output end of the micro motor 6 is connected with a gear set 7. The size of the micro motor 6 is 4mm*6mm, which serves as the power source of the gear set 7 and provides power support for the opening and closing of the sample hatch. The gear set 7 is used to amplify the force of the micro motor 6, and at the same time, the gear set 7 is connected to the sample hatch 2 on the capsule shell 1 through a transmission shaft, providing sufficient torque for the opening of the sample hatch 2. The inside of the capsule shell 1 is also provided with a switch 8, which is electrically connected with the circuit board 4. In this embodiment, the battery is a button cell, which adopts two silver oxide SR712SW button cells (1.55V, other suitable types of button cells can also be used). The battery is connected with the circuit board, which is used to provide stable electric energy for the circuit board and ensure the normal operation of the whole sampling capsule.

[0034] In the embodiment, the gear set 7 is composed of four gears, including a driving gear connected with the output end of the micro motor 6, a driven double gear connected with the driving gear, and a driven gear connected with the driven double gear, the driven gear is connected with the sample cabin door through a transmission shaft, specifically: one end of the transmission shaft is fixedly connected with the central shaft of the driven gear, the other end of the transmission shaft is connected with the sample cabin door, further, the driven double gear includes a first driven double gear and a second driven double gear connected with each other, the driving gear is a straight gear, the modulus is 0.5, and the number of teeth is 6, the driving gear is engaged with the lower gear of the first driven double gear, the modulus of the lower gear of the first driven double gear is 0.5, and the number of teeth is 12, the upper gear of the first driven double gear is engaged with the lower gear of the second driven double gear, the modulus of the upper gear of the first driven double gear is 0.5, and the number of teeth is 8, the modulus of the lower gear of the second driven double gear is 0.5, and the number of teeth is 10, the upper gear of the second driven double gear is engaged with the driven gear, the modulus of the upper gear of the second driven double gear is 0.5, and the number of teeth is 6, and the modulus of the driven gear is 0.5, and the number of teeth is 12. As can be seen, the moduli of the driving gear, the first driven double gear, the second driven double gear and the driven gear are all 0.5, so that the size of the gear set as a whole is small, which is suitable for the limited space inside the capsule shell, and the gear set can be arranged in a compact space, so that the reasonable arrangement is ensured and no interference occurs. Meanwhile, the number of teeth of the driving gear is 6, the number of teeth of the lower gear of the first driven double gear is 12, the transmission ratio is 2, the first speed reduction and distance increase are realized, the number of teeth of the upper gear of the first driven double gear is 8, the number of teeth of the lower gear of the second driven double gear is 10, and the transmission ratio is 1.25, which further adjusts the power on the basis of the first speed reduction and distance increase, so that the power transmission is more stable, the number of teeth of the upper gear of the second driven double gear is 6, the number of teeth of the driven gear is 12, and the transmission ratio is 2, so that the torque is further enlarged through the last transmission ratio, and the driven gear can obtain a large enough torque to drive the sample cabin door 2 to be stably opened and closed, so that the sample cabin door cannot be opened due to insufficient torque, or unstable phenomenon occurs in the opening process, and multiple speed reductions also avoid damage to the surrounding tissues caused by too fast opening or closing speed of the sample cabin door.

[0035] In the embodiment, a limiting shell is arranged outside the overall structure of the gear set, the shape and size of the limiting shell are matched with the overall gear set, and a silica gel gasket is arranged between the limiting shell and the transmission shaft for sealing, so that the sample in the sample cabin is prevented from entering the space where the gear set is arranged, and the sample is prevented from polluting the gear set and affecting the normal operation of the gear set. In addition, the outer surface of the capsule shell is coated with soft silica gel except the position of the sample cabin door, so that the sampling capsule can effectively avoid stimulating the throat during swallowing of the patient, and the discomfort of the digestive tract is reduced when the sampling capsule passes through the digestive tract.

[0036] In the embodiment, a DC voltage stabilizing circuit is integrated on the circuit board for keeping the voltage from the button cell stable, wherein as shown in the DC voltage stabilizing circuit in Figure 2 , the input end VIN of the DC voltage stabilizing circuit is connected with the button cell for receiving the voltage of the button cell, the output of VIN is connected with the first capacitor C1 and the first resistor respectively, the first capacitor C1 and the first resistor are connected in parallel to play a role of filtering and voltage division, the first capacitor C1 and the first resistor are connected with the second capacitor C2 in parallel to play a further filtering role, the second capacitor C2 is connected with VOUT and VCC respectively, the DC voltage stabilizing circuit can input the voltage of the button cell to the circuit board stably. The output end VCC of the DC voltage stabilizing circuit is connected with the control chip, the monitoring and reset circuit, the ST-Linker circuit and the DC motor driving circuit, wherein the monitoring and reset circuit, the ST-Linker circuit and the DC motor driving circuit are also connected with the control chip, as shown in Figure 3 , the control chip adopts a micro control chip with the model of STM32F042G6U6 for storing control code and issuing motion instructions to the micro motor; as shown in Figure 4 , the REST pin in the monitoring and reset circuit is connected with the NRST pin on the control chip for initializing the micro control chip, the process of initialization is prior art, and the initialization process is not improved in the embodiment, and the existing initialization mode can be directly used; as shown in Figure 6 , the pin 1 and the pin 2 in the ST-Linker circuit are connected with the SWCLK pin and the SWDIO pin on the control chip respectively for code writing, the process and mode of code writing are prior art, the code writing process is not improved in the embodiment, and the existing writing mode can be directly used; as shown in Figure 5 , the two input ends INA and INB in the DC motor driving circuit are connected with the PA3 pin and the PA2 pin on the control chip respectively for receiving the control instructions issued by the control chip, the two output ends OUTA and OUTB in the DC motor driving circuit are connected with a filtering circuit, the filtering circuit is composed of the second resistor and the third capacitor C5 connected in parallel, the power input end of the DC motor driving circuit is connected with VDD in the DC motor driving circuit, and is grounded through the fourth capacitor, and the output end of the DC motor driving circuit is connected with the input end of the micro motor for driving the micro motor according to the control instructions, the process can be realized by prior art, and no improvement is made in the embodiment.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2 , the circuit board further integrates the BOOT circuit, the crystal oscillator circuit and the switch circuit, and the BOOT circuit, the crystal oscillator circuit and the switch circuit are all connected with the control chip, specifically: as shown in Figure 8As shown, the BOOT circuit includes a 10kΩ resistor, the BOOT0 pin of the BOOT circuit is connected with the PB8-BOOT0 pin of the control chip, the level state of boot0 determines where the program in the chip runs, generally BOOT1=x BOOT0=0, starting from the user flash, which is the normal working mode. BOOT1=0 BOOT0=1, starting from the system memory, the program function started in this mode is set by the manufacturer, BOOT1=1 BOOT0=1, starting from the built-in SRAM, this mode can be used for debugging. The BOOT circuit only has the BOOT0 pin, connecting the BOOT0 pin with the ground through a resistor can ensure normal starting from the flash and executing the user program, which is the significance of grounding the BOOT0 pin in the STM32 minimum system. As shown in the figure, Figure 7 As shown, the OSC_IN pin in the crystal oscillator circuit is connected with the PF0-OSC_IN of the control chip, and the OSC_OUT pin in the crystal oscillator circuit is connected with the external timing device, which is used for external timing of the micro control chip. Figure 9 As shown, the input end of the switch circuit is connected with the PB6 pin of the control chip, which is used for sending a start instruction to the control chip to start the operation of the sampling capsule.

[0038] The working principle of the sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract provided in the embodiment is as follows: when the sampling capsule is ready to be used, first open the switch to start the sampling capsule, and then the user swallows the sampling capsule into the digestive tract, and the sampling capsule moves in the digestive tract by relying on the digestive power of the human body. The control chip controls the micro motor through the DC motor driving circuit according to the code written in advance, amplifies the torque through the gear set, controls the sample cabin door to open, so that the sampling capsule can perform sampling operation at a specific position in the digestive tract, for example, set a delay of 1-2 hours when sampling in the stomach, set a delay of 4-6 hours when sampling in the small intestine, and set a delay of 8-10 hours when sampling in the large intestine. After sampling is completed, the sample cabin door is closed, and finally the sampling capsule is discharged out of the body with the feces.

[0039] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not used to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can be variously changed and modified. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract, characterized in that, include: Capsule shell; The capsule shell has a sample compartment door. Inside the capsule shell are a sample compartment, a circuit board, and a battery. The sample compartment is positioned opposite the sample compartment door. The circuit board is electrically connected to a micro motor. The output end of the micro motor is connected to a gear set. The gear set is used to amplify the force of the micro motor. The gear set is connected to the sample compartment door on the capsule shell through a drive shaft. The gear set includes a driving gear connected to the output end of a micro motor, a driven double gear meshing with the driving gear, and a driven gear meshing with the driven double gear.

2. The sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The capsule shell also has a switch inside, which is electrically connected to the circuit board; the battery is a button battery and is connected to the circuit board to provide electrical energy.

3. A sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The driven double gear includes a first driven double gear and a second driven double gear that are meshed together. The driving gear meshes with the lower gear of the first driven double gear, the upper gear of the first driven double gear meshes with the lower gear of the second driven double gear, and the upper gear of the second driven double gear meshes with the driven gear.

4. A sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The driving gear, the first driven double gear, the second driven double gear, and the driven gear all have the same module.

5. A sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The driven gear is connected to the sample chamber door via a drive shaft. Specifically, one end of the drive shaft is fixedly connected to the central shaft of the driven gear, and the other end of the drive shaft is connected to the sample chamber door.

6. A sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A limiting housing is provided on the outside of the gear set. The shape and size of the limiting housing are matched with the gear set. A silicone gasket is provided between the limiting housing and the drive shaft for sealing.

7. A sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The circuit board integrates a DC voltage regulator circuit. The input terminal of the DC voltage regulator circuit is connected to the battery to receive the battery voltage. The output terminal of the DC voltage regulator circuit is connected to a control chip, a monitoring and reset circuit, an ST-Linker circuit, and a DC motor drive circuit. The monitoring and reset circuit, the ST-Linker circuit, and the DC motor drive circuit are also connected to the control chip.

8. A sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The circuit board also integrates a BOOT circuit, a crystal oscillator circuit, and a switching circuit, and the BOOT circuit, crystal oscillator circuit, and switching circuit are all connected to the control chip.

9. A sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The output terminal of the DC motor drive circuit is electrically connected to the input terminal of the micro motor. The DC motor drive circuit is used to receive motion commands from the control chip and drive the micro motor.

10. A sampling capsule for in-situ sampling of the digestive tract as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the capsule shell, except for the sample compartment door, is coated with soft silicone.

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