Capsule-shaped medication device and charging system for capsule-shaped medication device

Abstract

A capsule-shaped medication device 10 comprises: a capsule-shaped housing 1; a substrate 2 disposed in the interior of the housing 1; a power receiving coil 3 disposed on the substrate; and a secondary battery 4 that can be charged with power received by the power receiving coil 3. The center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is at a position: differing from the center 12 of a cross-section 13 produced by cutting the capsule-shaped medication device 10 in a plane in which the center of gravity 11 passes through a position and which is orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the capsule-shaped medication device 10; and overlapping with the substrate 2 when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the substrate 2.　This charging system for a capsule-shaped medication device comprises: an accommodation sheet that has a plurality of accommodation sections and a metal cover that covers opening sections of the plurality of accommodation sections; capsule-shaped medication devices 10 that are accommodated in the accommodation sections; and a charger which has a power transmission coil and on which is placed the accommodation sheet in which the capsule-shaped medication devices 10 are accommodated.

Description

Capsule-shaped medication device and charging system for capsule-shaped medication device

[0001] The present invention relates to a capsule-type medication device and a charging system for the capsule-type medication device.

[0002] There is a need for a method to confirm whether a patient has taken the prescribed medication, and a method to confirm what biological reactions occur when a patient takes a medication. For this reason, development of medication devices that transmit signals from inside the body to outside the body after being ingested along with medication is underway.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes a system that detects that a medication device containing medication has been taken by causing an electric current to flow through a conductive liquid such as gastric juice to a drive circuit included in the medication device, transmitting a signal, and receiving the signal with an external receiving device.

[0004] Patent No. 5730822

[0005] Here, so-called gastric acid batteries, which pass current to a drive circuit via a conductive liquid such as gastric juice, are suitable for systems that require power for only a short time, but are not suitable for systems that require a medication device to remain inside the body for a long time to acquire biological information and then transmit the acquired biological information to the outside of the body. For this reason, a configuration in which a small secondary battery that can supply power when needed is installed inside the medication device can be considered.

[0006] However, when a small secondary battery is provided inside a medication device, particularly a capsule-shaped medication device, it is difficult to efficiently charge such a secondary battery.

[0007] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a capsule-shaped medication device that can efficiently charge a secondary battery installed inside, and a charging system for a capsule-shaped medication device.

[0008] The capsule-shaped medication device of the present invention comprises a capsule-shaped housing, a substrate arranged inside the housing, a receiving coil provided on the substrate, and a secondary battery capable of charging the power received by the receiving coil, and is characterized in that the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device is at a position different from the center of the cross section when the capsule-shaped medication device is cut in a plane that passes through the position of the center of gravity and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the capsule-shaped medication device, and is at a position that overlaps with the substrate when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

[0009] The charging system for capsule-shaped medication devices of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a storage sheet having a plurality of storage sections and a metal cover covering the openings of the plurality of storage sections; a capsule-shaped medication device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 stored in the storage section of the storage sheet; and a charger having a power transmission coil and on which the storage sheet with the capsule-shaped medication device stored in the storage section is placed.

[0010] When the capsule-shaped medication device of the present invention is placed on a charger having a power transmitting coil, the power receiving coil and the power transmitting coil are not positioned orthogonal to each other, allowing for efficient wireless power transfer and efficient charging of the secondary battery. Furthermore, when the capsule-shaped medication device is placed on a charger having a power transmitting coil, the relative positional relationship between the power transmitting coil and the power receiving coil is uniquely determined, thereby reducing charging variations during wireless charging.

[0011] According to the charging system for capsule-shaped medication devices of the present invention, charging can be performed with high charging efficiency simply by placing a storage sheet in which a capsule-shaped medication device is stored in a storage section on a charger having a transmission coil.

[0012] 1A is a side view schematically showing a capsule-shaped medication device in one embodiment, (b) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the capsule-shaped medication device shown in FIG. 1A when cut along line 1B-1B, and (c) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the capsule-shaped medication device shown in FIG. 1A when cut along line 1C-1C. FIG. 1B is a plan view schematically showing the shape of a receiving coil provided on a substrate. FIG. 1C is a diagram schematically showing the external shapes of a first divided housing and a second divided housing that constitute a housing. FIG. 1D is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a charging system for a capsule-shaped medication device. 1A is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the posture of a capsule-shaped medication device when it is charged in one embodiment, (b) is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the posture of a capsule-shaped medication device when it is charged, in which the center of gravity coincides with the center of a cross section when the capsule-shaped medication device is cut along a plane that passes through the position of the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the capsule-shaped medication device, and (c) is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the posture of a capsule-shaped medication device when it is charged, in which the center of gravity is at a position different from the center of the cross section but does not overlap with the substrate when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. A diagram for explaining the angle θ between a line connecting the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device and the center of the cross section when the capsule-shaped medication device is cut along a plane that passes through the position of the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the capsule-shaped medication device, and a reference line that passes through the center of the cross section and extends in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. This figure shows the relationship between the angle θ between a line connecting the center of gravity of a capsule-shaped medication device and the center of the cut surface when the capsule-shaped medication device is cut in a plane that passes through the position of the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the capsule-shaped medication device, and a reference line that passes through the center of the cut surface and extends in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, and the output voltage of a rectifier bridge circuit installed downstream of the receiving coil.

[0013] The features of the present invention will be specifically described below by showing embodiments of the present invention.

[0014] In one embodiment, the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is taken together with a drug, and is capable of transmitting, for example, biological information to the outside of the body. The drug taken together with the capsule-shaped medication device 10 may be any drug.

[0015] FIG. 1(a) is a side view schematically showing a capsule-shaped medication device 10 in one embodiment. FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 shown in FIG. 1(a) when cut along line 1B-1B. FIG. 1(c) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 shown in FIG. 1(a) when cut along line 1C-1C. In FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c), the X-axis direction is the longitudinal direction of the capsule-shaped medication device 10, and the Y-axis direction is the lateral direction. The Z-axis is an axis perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis.

[0016] In one embodiment, a capsule-shaped medication device 10 comprises a capsule-shaped housing 1 , a substrate 2 , a receiving coil 3 , and a secondary battery 4 .

[0017] The housing 1 is made of, for example, a biocompatible resin or a general-purpose resin coated with a biocompatible material on its surface. An example of a biocompatible resin that can be used is epoxy resin. It is preferable that the material used for the housing 1 be one that will not dissolve in stomach acid or the like after the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is taken into the body and will be excreted from the body.

[0018] The substrate 2 is disposed inside the housing 1. There may be one or more substrates 2 disposed inside the housing 1. For example, the substrates 2 may include a substrate on which the power receiving coil 3 is provided, a substrate on which the secondary battery 4 is provided, and a substrate on which a control IC is provided.

[0019] The receiving coil 3 is paired with the transmitting coil to perform wireless power transfer, and is provided on the substrate 2. The receiving coil 3 is made of, for example, copper. Wireless power transfer can be performed using electromagnetic induction technology or magnetic resonance technology. Note that magnetic resonance is a type of electromagnetic induction, as current flows through the receiving coil 3 in response to changes in the magnetic field created by the transmitting coil. Figure 2 is a plan view schematically showing the shape of the receiving coil 3 provided on the substrate 2. Note that, although not shown in Figure 2, the receiving coil 3 is connected to a secondary battery 4.

[0020] The secondary battery 4 can be charged with power received by the receiving coil 3. The secondary battery 4 may be any battery that can be charged and discharged, such as an all-solid-state battery having a solid electrolyte. The secondary battery 4 is provided, for example, on the substrate 2 on which the receiving coil 3 is provided. However, the location where the secondary battery 4 is provided is not limited to above the substrate 2 on which the receiving coil 3 is provided.

[0021] The capsule-shaped medication device 10 may further include a bioinformation acquisition unit 5 and a signal transmission unit 6. Power is supplied to the bioinformation acquisition unit 5 and the signal transmission unit 6 from a secondary battery 4. In Fig. 1, the bioinformation acquisition unit 5 and the signal transmission unit 6 are shown provided on the substrate 2 on which the power receiving coil 3 is provided, but the locations at which the bioinformation acquisition unit 5 and the signal transmission unit 6 are provided are not limited to on the substrate 2.

[0022] The biological information acquisition unit 5 acquires biological information such as the internal position of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 taken together with the medication, the internal temperature, etc. For example, the biological information acquisition unit 5 has a clock capable of measuring time, measures the time elapsed since the capsule-shaped medication device 10 was taken into the body, and estimates the internal position of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 based on the measured time. As another example, the biological information acquisition unit 5 is equipped with a temperature sensor to detect the internal temperature. Note that biological information includes any information related to a living organism, and the biological information acquisition unit 5 can be configured to acquire any biological information.

[0023] The signal transmitting unit 6 transmits the bioinformation acquired by the bioinformation acquiring unit 5. That is, after the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is taken into the body, the signal transmitting unit 6 transmits the bioinformation acquired by the bioinformation acquiring unit 5 to the outside of the body. The signal transmitting unit 6 is, for example, a piezoelectric element, and transmits the bioinformation as an ultrasonic signal. Materials such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate), BT (barium titanate), and KNN (potassium sodium niobate) can be used for the piezoelectric element. In this case, the capsule-shaped medication device 10 includes an IC for controlling the piezoelectric element. When the signal transmitting unit 6 is a piezoelectric element, the bioinformation can be reliably transmitted to the outside of the body as an ultrasonic signal. The signal transmitted from the signal transmitting unit 6 is received by a signal receiving unit provided outside the body.

[0024] In addition, when the signal transmitter 6 is a piezoelectric element and transmits an ultrasonic signal, if the vibration mode is a lateral displacement type (d31 mode), the longer the piezoelectric element, the stronger the ultrasonic signal. Because the capsule-shaped medication device 10 in this embodiment has a capsule-like shape, it is possible to accommodate a long piezoelectric element inside and transmit a strong ultrasonic signal.

[0025] However, the signal transmitting unit 6 is not limited to a piezoelectric element. For example, the signal transmitting unit 6 may be configured to transmit biological information by wireless communication.

[0026] As described above, the biometric information acquisition unit 5 and the signal transmission unit 6 are supplied with power from the secondary battery 4. By supplying power to the biometric information acquisition unit 5 from the secondary battery 4 instead of the gastric acid battery, the biometric information acquisition unit 5 can acquire biometric information from any position in the body. Furthermore, by supplying power to the signal transmission unit 6 from the secondary battery 4 instead of the gastric acid battery, the signal transmission unit 6 can transmit biometric information from any position in the body.

[0027] Figure 1(c) shows a cross section 13 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 taken along a plane that passes through the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the capsule-shaped medication device 10. In this embodiment, the cross section 13 is circular, as shown in Figure 1(c). The center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 can be determined by a known method.

[0028] In the capsule-shaped medication device 10 of this embodiment, the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is at a position different from the center 12 of the cut surface 13 when the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is cut in a plane that passes through the position of the center of gravity 11 and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the capsule-shaped medication device 10, as shown in Figure 1(c), and is at a position that overlaps with the substrate 2 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 2, as shown in Figure 1(b).

[0029] As an example, the housing 1 is configured by combining a first divided housing 1a and a second divided housing 1b. Fig. 3 shows the first divided housing 1a and the second divided housing 1b before they are combined. In Fig. 3, the board 2 is indicated by a dotted line to show an example of the arrangement position of the board 2, as will be described later.

[0030] The first and second divided housings 1a and 1b are formed by cutting the housing 1 along a plane that passes through the center of the short side of the housing 1 and is parallel to the longitudinal direction. The first and second divided housings 1a and 1b can be manufactured by a manufacturing method using, for example, injection molding or a 3D printer. The first and second divided housings 1a and 1b can be combined using an adhesive or the like.

[0031] In order to position the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 at a position different from the center 12 of the above-mentioned cross-section 13, for example, the weight of the first divided housing 1a and the weight of the second divided housing 1b are configured to be different. For example, by making the weight of the second divided housing 1b heavier than the weight of the first divided housing 1a, the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 can be adjusted to be located on the second divided housing 1b side. In this way, the housing 1 is configured by combining the first divided housing 1a and the second divided housing 1b, and by making the weight of the first divided housing 1a and the weight of the second divided housing 1b different, the position of the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 can be easily set to a desired position.

[0032] In order to make the weight of the first divided housing 1 a different from the weight of the second divided housing 1 b, for example, a weight may be provided on either the first divided housing 1 a or the second divided housing 1 b. In order to ensure that the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is located at a position overlapping with the substrate 2 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 2, it is preferable to provide the weight at a position where at least a portion of the weight overlaps with the substrate 2 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 2, and it is more preferable to provide the weight at a position where the entire weight overlaps with the substrate 2.

[0033] The substrate 2 may be provided inside the second divided housing 1b or the first divided housing 1a as shown in Fig. 3. The substrate 2 may be disposed inside the second divided housing 1b or the first divided housing 1a by fitting it therein, or may be disposed using screws, adhesive, double-sided tape, or the like.

[0034] Instead of providing the weight on either the first divided housing 1a or the second divided housing 1b, the weight may be provided on the substrate 2, and the substrate 2 with the weight may be placed inside either the first divided housing 1a or the second divided housing 1b.

[0035] 4 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a capsule-shaped medication device charging system 100. The capsule-shaped medication device charging system 100 includes a capsule-shaped medication device 10, a container sheet 20, and a charger 30.

[0036] The storage sheet 20 has a plurality of storage sections 21 and a metal cover 22 that covers the openings of the plurality of storage sections 21. The storage sheet 20 is, for example, a PTP (Press Through Pack) sheet. Of the storage sheet 20, the portions that form the storage sections 21 are made of, for example, resin, and the metal cover 22 is made of, for example, aluminum.

[0037] The capsule-shaped medication device 10 is housed in the housing section 21 of the housing sheet 20. Fig. 4 shows the state in which the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is housed through the opening of the housing section 21 and the opening is covered with a metal cover 22. As shown in Fig. 4, each housing section 21 houses one capsule-shaped medication device 10. However, one housing section 21 may house multiple capsule-shaped medication devices 10.

[0038] Alternatively, one storage section 21 may store a drug to be taken at one time and the capsule-shaped medication device 10. If there are multiple drugs to be taken at one time, one storage section 21 can store multiple drugs and one capsule-shaped medication device 10.

[0039] The secondary battery 4 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 housed in the housing section 21 of the housing sheet 20 can be charged by a charger 30. The charger 30 has a power transmission coil 31 for wireless power supply. The charger 30 may be provided with a plurality of power transmission coils 31, or may be provided with only one power transmission coil 31. When charging the secondary battery 4 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10, the housing sheet 20 with the capsule-shaped medication device 10 housed in the housing section 21 is placed on the mounting surface 30a of the charger 30. As shown in FIG. 4 , the portion of the housing sheet 20 that contacts the charger 30 is on the opposite side from the metal cover 22. When a current flows through the power transmission coil 31 of the charger 30 in this state, a current flows through the power receiving coil 3 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 due to electromagnetic induction, thereby charging the secondary battery 4.

[0040] The power transmission coil 31 is preferably provided on the placement surface 30a of the charger 30 on which the storage sheet 20 is placed, or in a position close to the placement surface 30a. By providing the power transmission coil 31 on the placement surface 30a of the charger 30, or in a position close to the placement surface 30a, the distance between the power transmission coil 31 and the power receiving coil 3 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 becomes short, allowing wireless charging to be performed with high charging efficiency.

[0041] As described above, when charging the secondary battery 4 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10, the portion of the receiving sheet 20 that comes into contact with the charger 30 is the side opposite the metal cover 22. That is, as shown in Fig. 4, the receiving sheet 20 is placed on the mounting surface 30a of the charger 30 so that the portion of the receiving sheet 20 opposite the metal cover 22 faces the mounting surface 30a of the charger 30. By charging in this state, the receiving sheet 20 is less susceptible to the effects of electromagnetic waves from the side where the metal cover 22 is provided, i.e., the side of the receiving sheet 20 opposite the charger 30, and therefore charging can be carried out efficiently.

[0042] In addition, in the capsule-shaped medication device charging system 100 of the present invention, the capsule-shaped medication device 10 contained in the storage section 21 of the storage sheet 20 can be charged by the patient taking the medication, or by the pharmacy that hands over the capsule-shaped medication device 10 to the patient along with the medication.

[0043] As described above, in the capsule-shaped medication device 10 of this embodiment, the center of gravity 11 is at a position different from the center 12 of the cross section 13 when the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is cut along a plane that passes through the position of the center of gravity 11 and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and is at a position that overlaps with the substrate 2 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 2. With this configuration, when the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is placed on the mounting surface 30a of the charger 30, wireless power supply can be performed efficiently, and the secondary battery 4 can be efficiently charged. This will be explained with reference to FIG. 5 .

[0044] Fig. 5(a) is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the posture of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 of this embodiment when charging. Fig. 5(b) is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the posture of the capsule-shaped medication device 10X when charging, in which the center of gravity 11X coincides with the center 12X of the above-mentioned cross-section 13X. Fig. 5(c) is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the posture of the capsule-shaped medication device 10Y when charging, in which the center of gravity 11Y is at a position different from the center 12Y of the above-mentioned cross-section 13Y but does not overlap with the substrate 2Y when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 2Y. Figures 5(a) to 5(c) omit the charger 30, but show the capsule-shaped medication devices 10, 10X, and 10Y placed on the mounting surface 30a of the charger 30, as in Fig. 4. That is, in Figs. 5(a) to 5(c), the charger 30 is positioned vertically below the capsule-shaped medication devices 10, 10X, and 10Y.

[0045] The capsule-shaped medication device 10X shown in Fig. 5(b) and the capsule-shaped medication device 10Y shown in Fig. 5(c) are not capsule-shaped medication devices of the present invention. Here, among the components of the capsule-shaped medication device 10X, those corresponding to the capsule-shaped medication device 10 will be described using the same reference numerals with an X added. Furthermore, among the components of the capsule-shaped medication device 10Y, those corresponding to the capsule-shaped medication device 10 will be described using the same reference numerals with an Y added.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 5(b), when the center of gravity 11X of the capsule-shaped medication device 10X coincides with the center 12X of the above-mentioned cross-section 13X, when the capsule-shaped medication device 10X is placed on the mounting surface 30a of the charger 30, the capsule-shaped medication device 10X can rotate around a center line passing through the center of gravity 11X and parallel to the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the capsule-shaped medication device 10X is prone to rotational movement within the housing section 21 of the housing sheet 20, and the relative positional relationship between the power transmitting coil 31 of the charger 30 and the power receiving coil 3X of the capsule-shaped medication device 10X is not uniquely determined. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the substrate 2X of the capsule-shaped medication device 10X may be positioned perpendicular to the mounting surface 30a of the charger 30. In this case, the power receiving coil 3X provided on the substrate 2X and the power transmitting coil 31 of the charger 30 are positioned orthogonal to each other, which reduces the power supply efficiency of the wireless power supply and therefore reduces the charging efficiency of the secondary battery 4X. Furthermore, as described above, the capsule-shaped medication device 10X is prone to rotational movement within the storage section 21 of the storage sheet 20, so when the secondary batteries 4X of multiple capsule-shaped medication devices 10X are charged, variations in charging occur depending on the posture.

[0047] 5(c), if the center of gravity 11Y of capsule-shaped medication device 10Y is at a position different from the center 12Y of the above-mentioned cross-section 13Y but is at a position that does not overlap with substrate 2Y when viewed in a direction perpendicular to substrate 2Y, the angle between mounting surface 30a of charger 30 and substrate 2Y becomes large, and therefore the amount of magnetic flux generated by current flowing through power transmitting coil 31 that passes through power receiving coil 3Y becomes small, resulting in low power supply efficiency of wireless power supply and low charging efficiency of secondary battery 4X.

[0048] In contrast, in the capsule-shaped medication device 10 of the present embodiment, in which the center of gravity 11 is located at a position different from the center 12 of the above-mentioned cross-section 13 and overlaps with the substrate 2 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 2, the relative positional relationship between the power transmitting coil 31 and the power receiving coil 3 is uniquely determined when the device is placed on the charger 30. That is, since the center of gravity 11 is located vertically below the center 12 of the above-mentioned cross-section 13, the angle formed between the mounting surface 30a of the charger 30 and the substrate 2 does not change. Therefore, it is possible to suppress variations in charging when wirelessly charging the secondary batteries 4 of the multiple capsule-shaped medication devices 10 housed in the multiple housing sections 21 of the housing sheet 20.

[0049] Furthermore, when the capsule-shaped medication device 10 in this embodiment is placed on the charger 30, it does not assume the positional relationship shown in Figure 5(b), i.e., a positional relationship in which the receiving coil 3 and the transmitting coil 31 are perpendicular to each other, so wireless power supply can be performed efficiently and the secondary battery 4 can be charged efficiently.

[0050] 5(a), the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is preferably located on a reference line 14 that passes through the center 12 of the above-mentioned cross-section 13 and extends in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 2. When the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is located on the reference line 14 that passes through the center 12 of the above-mentioned cross-section 13 and extends in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 2, when the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is placed on the mounting surface 30a of the charger 30, the mounting surface 30a of the charger 30 and the substrate 2 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10, more specifically, the main surface of the substrate 2 on which the power receiving coil 3 is provided, are located parallel to each other. Therefore, the power receiving coil 3 and the power transmitting coil 31 are positioned parallel to each other, allowing wireless power transfer with the highest power transfer efficiency and the secondary battery 4 to be charged most efficiently.

[0051] Here, by changing the position of the center of gravity 11, the angle θ (see FIG. 6 ) between the line 15 connecting the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 to the center 12 of the cross-section 13 and the reference line 14 passing through the center 12 of the cross-section 13 and extending perpendicular to the substrate 2 was changed, and the voltage when wireless power was supplied using the charger 30 was investigated. The results are shown in FIG. 7 . The horizontal axis of FIG. 7 represents the angle θ, and the vertical axis represents the output voltage of the rectifier bridge circuit installed downstream of the receiving coil 3. A high output voltage of the rectifier bridge circuit eliminates the need for a boost circuit to fully charge the secondary battery 4, thereby reducing the number of components. It is desirable to charge the secondary battery 4 from the rectifier bridge circuit with a linear regulator (LDO) or a charge monitoring IC installed to ensure stable charging of the secondary battery 4. Note that even when a linear regulator is installed, the high output voltage of the rectifier bridge circuit still provides an advantage.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 7, when the angle θ between the line 15 connecting the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 and the center 12 of the cross-section 13 and the reference line 14 is 0°, i.e., when the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 is located on the reference line 14 as shown in Fig. 5(a), the output voltage of the rectifier bridge circuit is the highest. On the other hand, when the angle θ is 90°, i.e., when the substrate 2 and the mounting surface 30a of the charger 30 are orthogonal to each other as shown in Fig. 5(b), the output voltage of the rectifier bridge circuit is the lowest.

[0053] 7, when the angle θ is 75° or less, the output voltage of the rectifier bridge circuit is 60% or more of the output voltage of the rectifier bridge circuit when the angle θ is 0°. Therefore, it is preferable that the angle θ between the line 15 connecting the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 and the center 12 of the cut surface 13 and the reference line 14 passing through the center 12 of the cut surface 13 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 2 is 75° or less.

[0054] 7, the output voltage of the rectifier bridge circuit when the angle θ is 45° or less is 80% or more of the output voltage of the rectifier bridge circuit when the angle θ is 0°. Therefore, it is more preferable that the angle θ between the line 15 connecting the center of gravity 11 of the capsule-shaped medication device 10 and the center 12 of the cut surface 13 and the reference line 14 passing through the center 12 of the cut surface 13 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 2 is 45° or less.

[0055] Even when the angle θ is large, it is possible to increase the output voltage of the rectifier bridge circuit by increasing the voltage applied to the transmitting coil 31 of the charger 30. However, increasing the voltage applied to the transmitting coil 31 increases the electromagnetic field strength, which may affect other electronic components. Therefore, in order to increase the output voltage of the rectifier bridge circuit without increasing the voltage applied to the transmitting coil 31, it is preferable to set the angle θ to 75° or less, and more preferably 45° or less.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various applications and modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0057] The present application provides a capsule-shaped medication device and a charging system for the capsule-shaped medication device as follows: <1> A capsule-shaped medication device comprising: a capsule-shaped housing; a substrate disposed inside the housing; a receiving coil provided on the substrate; and a secondary battery capable of charging with power received by the receiving coil, wherein the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device is located at a position different from the center of a cross section when the capsule-shaped medication device is cut along a plane that passes through the position of the center of gravity and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the capsule-shaped medication device, and at a position that overlaps with the substrate when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. <2> The capsule-shaped medication device according to <1>, wherein the angle between a line connecting the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device and the center of the cross section and a reference line that passes through the center of the cross section and extends in a direction perpendicular to the substrate is 75° or less. <3> The capsule-shaped medication device according to <2>, characterized in that the angle between the line connecting the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device and the center of the cut surface and the reference line is 45° or less. <4>. The capsule-shaped medication device according to any one of <1> to <3>, characterized in that the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device is located on a reference line that passes through the center of the cut surface and extends in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. <5>. The capsule-shaped medication device according to any one of <1> to <4>, characterized in that it further comprises: a biological information acquisition unit that acquires biological information; and a signal transmission unit that transmits the biological information acquired by the biological information acquisition unit. <6>. The capsule-shaped medication device according to <5>, characterized in that the signal transmission unit is a piezoelectric element. <7>. The capsule-shaped medication device according to any one of <1> to <6>, characterized in that the housing is formed by combining a first divided housing and a second divided housing, and the weight of the first divided housing is different from the weight of the second divided housing.<8>. A charging system for a capsule-shaped medication device, comprising: a storage sheet having a plurality of storage compartments and a metal cover covering the openings of the plurality of storage compartments; a capsule-shaped medication device according to any one of <1> to <7> stored in the storage compartment of the storage sheet; and a charger having a power transmission coil and on which the storage sheet with the capsule-shaped medication device stored in the storage compartment is placed. <9>. The charging system for a capsule-shaped medication device according to <8>, wherein the portion of the storage sheet that comes into contact with the charger when charging the secondary battery is on the opposite side to the metal cover.

[0058] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing 1a First divided housing 1b Second divided housing 2 Substrate 3 Power receiving coil 4 Secondary battery 5 Biometric information acquisition unit 6 Signal transmission unit 10 Capsule-shaped medication device 11 Center of gravity of capsule-shaped medication device 12 Center of cut surface when capsule-shaped medication device is cut on a plane that passes through the position of the center of gravity and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 13 Cut surface when capsule-shaped medication device is cut on a plane that passes through the position of the center of gravity and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 14 Reference line 20 Storage sheet 21 Storage section 22 Metal cover 30 Charger 31 Power transmission coil 100 Charging system for capsule-shaped medication device

Claims

1. A capsule-like medication device, comprising: A capsule-shaped housing; A substrate disposed inside the housing; A receiving coil provided on the substrate; a secondary battery capable of being charged with the power received by the power receiving coil; Equipped with The capsule-shaped medication device is characterized in that the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device is at a position different from the center of a cross section when the capsule-shaped medication device is cut on a plane that passes through the position of the center of gravity and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the capsule-shaped medication device, and is at a position that overlaps with the substrate when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

2. The capsule-shaped medication device described in claim 1, characterized in that the angle between a line connecting the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device and the center of the cut surface and a reference line passing through the center of the cut surface and extending in a direction perpendicular to the substrate is 75° or less.

3. 3. The capsule-shaped medication device according to claim 2, wherein an angle between a line connecting the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device and the center of the cut surface and the reference line is 45° or less.

4. A capsule-shaped medication device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the center of gravity of the capsule-shaped medication device is located on a reference line that passes through the center of the cut surface and extends in a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

5. A biometric information acquisition unit for acquiring biometric information; a signal transmission unit that transmits the biometric information acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit; The capsule-shaped medication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

6. 6. The capsule-type medication device according to claim 5, wherein the signal transmitting unit is a piezoelectric element.

7. The housing is configured by combining a first divided housing and a second divided housing, 4. The capsule-shaped medication device according to claim 1, wherein the weight of the first divided housing is different from the weight of the second divided housing.

8. A storage sheet having a plurality of storage sections and a metal cover covering the openings of the plurality of storage sections; The capsule-shaped medication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is accommodated in the accommodation section of the accommodation sheet; a charger having a power transmission coil, on which the storage sheet having the capsule-shaped medication device stored in the storage portion is placed; A charging system for a capsule-shaped medication device comprising:

9. 9. A charging system for a capsule-shaped medication device as described in claim 8, wherein the portion of the containing sheet that comes into contact with the charger when charging the secondary battery is on the opposite side to the metal cover.