Ingestible device and information acquisition system for ingestible device

Abstract

An ingestible device (10A) that transmits information via the vibration of the device (10A) itself, the ingestible device (10A) comprising: a substrate (40) having a first main surface (41) and a second main surface (42); a piezoelectric element (20) mounted on the first main surface (41); a heating element (51) that generates heat by causing the ingestible device (10A) to function; and a housing (30) that houses the substrate (40), the piezoelectric element (20), and the heating element (51). The heating element (51) is mounted on the second main surface (42).

Description

Administered device and administered device information acquisition system

[0001] The present invention relates to a medication device and an information acquisition system for a 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 swallowing sensor device that includes sensors including a sensor and a device for wirelessly transmitting information detected by the sensor, and a group of substrates formed by stacking multiple rigid substrates.

[0004] Patent No. 6914567

[0005] However, the swallowing sensor device described in Patent Document 1 communicates using radio waves, so signals are transmitted omnidirectionally, both inside and outside the body, and there is a possibility that they may be obtained by a third party, posing a security issue.

[0006] In response to this, it is conceivable to use an ingestible device equipped with a piezoelectric element that emits an ultrasonic signal, and receive the ultrasonic signal emitted from the piezoelectric element of the ingested device with, for example, a receiver attached to the surface of the user's body. With this method, the ultrasonic signal emitted from the piezoelectric element basically propagates within the user's body, but is reflected at the interface between the body and the air, so it hardly leaks into the air, reducing the possibility of it being obtained by a third party.

[0007] However, the resonant frequency of a piezoelectric element varies with external disturbances, particularly temperature changes. More specifically, temperature changes cause (1) a change in the elastic modulus or spring constant of the piezoelectric element, and (2) the element is affected by thermal expansion. As a result, communication is affected.

[0008] Therefore, when communicating by ultrasonic method using a piezoelectric element, there is room for improvement in terms of making the piezoelectric element less susceptible to disturbances, particularly temperature changes.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a medication device that can reduce the effect of temperature changes on a piezoelectric element, and an information acquisition system for a medication device that includes the medication device.

[0010] The medication device of the present invention is a medication device that transmits information by vibrating the device itself, and comprises a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface, a piezoelectric element mounted on the first main surface, a heating element that generates heat when the medication device is operated, and a housing that houses the substrate, the piezoelectric element, and the heating element, and the heating element is mounted on the second main surface.

[0011] The information acquisition system for a medication device of the present invention comprises a medication device of the present invention, a processing device, and a receiver that acquires information from the medication device by receiving an ultrasonic signal emitted from the piezoelectric element and transmits the acquired information to the processing device.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a medication device capable of reducing the effect of temperature changes on a piezoelectric element, and a medication device information acquisition system including the medication device.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a medication device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing an example of a cross section of the medication device shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line A1-A1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a medication device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the reflection of ultrasound in a medication device. FIG. 5 is a view schematically showing an example of the arrangement of a piezoelectric element mounted on the first main surface of a substrate and other electronic components in a medication device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically showing another example of a piezoelectric element. FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing yet another example of a piezoelectric element. FIG. 8 is a view schematically showing another example of the arrangement of a piezoelectric element mounted on the first main surface of a substrate and other electronic components in a medication device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a view schematically showing an example of the arrangement of a piezoelectric element mounted on the first main surface of a substrate and other electronic components in a medication device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing another example of the positional relationship between a piezoelectric element mounted on the first main surface of the substrate and other electronic components mounted on the second main surface of the substrate in a taken device according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a taken device according to embodiment 5 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a side view schematically showing another example of a piezoelectric element whose vibration direction is perpendicular to the first main surface of the substrate. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a taken device according to embodiment 6 of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a modified example of the taken device according to embodiment 6 of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a taken device according to embodiment 7 of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of an information acquisition system for a taken device according to embodiment 8 of the present invention.

[0014] The following describes the medication device and medication device information acquisition system of the present invention. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following configurations and may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. In addition, a combination of multiple individual preferred configurations described below also constitutes the present invention.

[0015] The following embodiments are merely examples, and it goes without saying that partial substitution or combination of the configurations shown in different embodiments is possible. From the second embodiment onwards, descriptions of matters common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described. In particular, similar effects resulting from similar configurations will not be mentioned one after the other for each embodiment.

[0016] In the following description, unless otherwise specified, each embodiment will be referred to simply as the "medication device of the present invention."

[0017] In this specification, terms indicating the relationship between elements (e.g., "perpendicular," "parallel," "orthogonal," etc.) and terms indicating the shape of elements are not expressions that only express a strict meaning, but are expressions that also include a range of substantial equivalence, for example, a difference of about a few percent.

[0018] The drawings shown below are schematic diagrams, and the dimensions, aspect ratio, scale, etc. may differ from those of the actual product.

[0019] [Embodiment 1] Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a medication device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a cross section of the medication device shown in Fig. 1 taken along line segment A1-A1. In each figure, the X-axis direction is the longitudinal direction of the medication device, and the Z-axis direction is the lateral direction of the medication device. The Y-axis is an axis perpendicular to both the X-axis and the Z-axis.

[0020] The ingested device 10A shown in FIG. 1 can transmit information by vibrating the device 10A itself. The ingested device 10A is taken by a person with or without a drug. The ingested device 10A may be taken by itself. The information transmitted from the ingested device 10A is not particularly limited and may be a signal. Specifically, examples include a signal indicating that a drug has been taken or administered with the ingested device 10A, and biological information acquired within the body. The drug that can be taken with the ingested device 10A is any drug. Specifically, for example, the drug may be taken by a person who has difficulty recognizing the act of taking a drug. In this case, the drug intake rate of such people can be improved. Furthermore, the burden on caregivers for such people can be reduced. In this specification, "transmission" is synonymous with "transmission" unless otherwise specified.

[0021] 2, the medication device 10A includes a substrate 40, a piezoelectric element 20, a battery 51 as a heating element, and a housing 30. The substrate 40, the piezoelectric element 20, and the battery 51 are housed within the housing 30 and disposed inside the housing 30.

[0022] The substrate 40 has a first main surface 41 and a second main surface 42 that face each other in the Z-axis direction. One or more substrates 40 may be disposed inside the housing 30. The substrates 40 may be made of, for example, glass epoxy resin, FR-4, or the like.

[0023] The substrate 40 is arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the medication device 10A. That is, the substrate 40 is arranged perpendicular to the short side direction of the medication device 10A. The longitudinal direction of the medication device 10A is synonymous with the longitudinal direction of the housing 30, and the short side direction of the medication device 10A is synonymous with the short side direction of the housing 30.

[0024] The piezoelectric element 20 is mounted on a first main surface 41 of the substrate 40 .

[0025] The ingested device 10A drives the piezoelectric element 20 to generate an ultrasonic signal from the piezoelectric element 20. The ultrasonic signal generated from the piezoelectric element 20 propagates through a medium inside the ingested device 10A and is ultimately transmitted to the outside of the ingested device 10A. That is, the ultrasonic signal generated from the piezoelectric element 20 also vibrates the ingested device 10A itself, and information is transmitted as an ultrasonic signal to the outside of the ingested device 10A, specifically to the inside of the body.

[0026] The piezoelectric element 20 functions as an ultrasonic oscillator that emits ultrasonic waves, and vibrates the piezoelectric element 20 to generate ultrasonic waves. The piezoelectric element 20 is also called a piezoelectric vibrator. The ultrasonic waves emitted from the piezoelectric element 20 are directional in the direction in which the vibration surface of the piezoelectric element 20 vibrates. Materials such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate), BT (barium titanate), and KNN (potassium sodium niobate) can be used for the piezoelectric element 20. In this case, the oral device 10A includes an IC 56, which controls the piezoelectric element 20. The ultrasonic signal emitted from the piezoelectric element 20 is received by a receiver attached to the user's body surface, such as the torso, neck, or wrist, using a fastener such as a belt. The receiver is attached so as to directly contact the body surface or so as to contact the body surface via an intervening material such as gel.

[0027] The shape of the piezoelectric element 20 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a cube, a rectangular parallelepiped, and a disk.

[0028] The heating element is a surface-mounted electronic component that generates heat when the medication device 10A is functioning. The battery 51 also generates heat when it functions, i.e., when it is charged and discharged. The heating element is not limited to the battery 51 and may be, for example, a passive component such as a diode, capacitor, coil, or resistor, or an active component such as an IC, ASIC, transistor, regulator, or DC-DC converter. The ASIC is electrically connected to the piezoelectric element 20 and controls the vibration mode of the piezoelectric element 20.

[0029] The battery 51, which is a heat generating element, is mounted on the second main surface 42 of the substrate 40. That is, the piezoelectric element 20 and the battery 51 are mounted on the main surface on the opposite side of the substrate 40. This makes it possible to make the piezoelectric element 20 less susceptible to the heat generated by the battery 51, which is a heat generating element. That is, it is possible to reduce the effect of temperature changes on the piezoelectric element 20. As a result, it is possible to reduce the effect of temperature changes on communication.

[0030] In the dosage device of the present invention, at least one heating element may be mounted on the second main surface of the substrate. That is, at least one other heating element may be mounted on the first main surface of the substrate, but it is preferable that no heating element is mounted on the first main surface of the substrate. In particular, since the battery will inevitably heat up, it is preferable that the battery not be mounted on the first main surface of the substrate. It is also preferable that at least the battery be mounted on the second main surface of the substrate.

[0031] In addition, at least one electronic component other than a heating element that does not substantially generate heat when the medication device 10A is in operation may be mounted on the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40 together with the piezoelectric element 20. Examples of such electronic components include a sensor (see FIG. 2 ) constituting the bioinformation acquisition unit 52 described below, an IC 56, an A / D converter 53, etc.

[0032] The battery 51 is, for example, a secondary battery that can be charged with power received by a power receiving coil described below. In this case, the battery 51 is not particularly limited as long as it is a rechargeable battery, and may be, for example, an all-solid-state battery having a solid electrolyte. All-solid-state batteries are suitable for the ingested device 10A because they do not leak. Furthermore, the battery 51 may be a primary battery as long as it is configured so that current flows through the ingested device 10A immediately before ingestion.

[0033] The housing 30 is made of, for example, a biocompatible resin or a general-purpose resin coated with a biocompatible material. An example of a biocompatible resin is epoxy resin. It is preferable that the housing 30 be made of a material that will not dissolve in stomach acid or the like after the ingestible device 10A is taken into the body and will be excreted from the body.

[0034] Substantially all of the outer surface of the medication device 10A may be made up of the outer surface of the housing 30.

[0035] 1 and 2 show a so-called capsule-shaped, more specifically, cylindrical housing 30 with hemispherical ends in the longitudinal direction, but the external shapes of the oral device 10A and the housing 30 are not particularly limited as long as they do not interfere with administration, and may be spherical, ellipsoidal, disc-shaped, cylindrical, tablet-shaped, polygonal columnar with rounded corners, etc. The ellipsoidal shape may be an oblate spheroid or an oblate spheroid.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, the oral device 10A may include a power receiving coil (not shown), a biological information acquisition unit 52, an A / D converter 53, and a sealant 54.

[0037] The receiving coil is paired with the transmitting coil to perform wireless power supply, and is provided on the substrate 40. The receiving coil is made of, for example, copper. Wireless power supply can be performed using electromagnetic induction technology or magnetic resonance technology. Note that magnetic resonance is a type of electromagnetic induction, as current flows in the receiving coil in response to changes in the magnetic field created by the transmitting coil. The receiving coil is connected to the battery 51. The receiving coil is provided, for example, on the substrate 40 on which the battery 51 is provided. However, the location where the receiving coil is provided is not particularly limited to the substrate 40 on which the battery 51 is provided.

[0038] The biological information acquisition unit 52 acquires biological information such as the internal position of the ingested ingested device 10A and vital signs such as internal body temperature, gastric pH, and intestinal activity. The internal body temperature may be core body temperature. For example, the biological information acquisition unit 52 has a timekeeping means capable of measuring time, measures the time elapsed since the ingested device 10A was taken into the body, and estimates the internal position of the ingested device 10A based on the measured time. As another example, the biological information acquisition unit 52 includes sensors such as a temperature sensor, a pH sensor, and an acceleration sensor, and detects vital signs such as internal body temperature, gastric pH, and intestinal activity. The temperature sensor may include, for example, a thermistor. Note that biological information includes any information related to a living organism, and the biological information acquisition unit 52 can be configured to acquire any biological information. The biological information acquisition unit 52 is controlled by an IC 56.

[0039] When the biometric information acquisition unit 52 acquires biometric information, the frequency of the ultrasound emitted from the piezoelectric element 20 may be changed for each type of biometric information to be acquired.

[0040] Under the control of the IC 56, the A / D converter 53 converts the analog biometric information acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit 52 into digital information and outputs the digital biometric information to the piezoelectric element 20. The digital biometric information converted by the A / D converter 53 is then transmitted by the piezoelectric element 20 as an ultrasonic signal.

[0041] Power is supplied to the piezoelectric element 20, the IC 56, the biometric information acquisition unit 52, and the A / D converter 53 from a battery 51. In Fig. 2, the IC 56, the biometric information acquisition unit 52, and the A / D converter 53 are provided on the substrate 40 on which the piezoelectric element 20 is provided, but the locations where the IC 56, the biometric information acquisition unit 52, and the A / D converter 53 are provided are not particularly limited to the substrate 40 on which the piezoelectric element 20 is provided.

[0042] The sealant 54 is disposed inside the housing 30. The sealant 54 may fill substantially all of the space inside the housing 30.

[0043] Examples of materials that can be used for the sealant 54 include epoxy resin, polyphenylsulfone (PPS), ceramic material, glass epoxy, and resin filled with filler such as metal or oxide.

[0044] [Embodiment 2] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of an oral administration device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. Fig. 3 corresponds to the cross-sectional view of Fig. 2 .

[0045] In the oral administration device 10B shown in Fig. 3, only the piezoelectric element 20 is mounted on the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40. As a result, there is no object between the piezoelectric element 20 and the housing 30 that blocks the ultrasonic waves emitted from the piezoelectric element 20, and the ultrasonic waves can be transmitted directly to the inner wall of the housing 30 without being affected by ultrasonic wave reflection, etc. Therefore, attenuation of the signal strength emitted from the piezoelectric element 20 can be effectively prevented.

[0046] On the other hand, all electronic components except for the piezoelectric element 20 may be mounted on the second main surface 42 of the substrate 40 .

[0047] Here, reflection of ultrasonic waves will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining reflection of ultrasonic waves in an ingestion device.

[0048] 4 shows a case in which a piezoelectric element 72 and other electronic components 73 are mounted on the same main surface of a substrate 71, the electronic components 73 are positioned in the propagation direction of ultrasonic waves emitted from the piezoelectric element 72, and the internal space of a housing 74 is filled with a sealant 75. Here, it is assumed that the acoustic impedances of the housing 74 and the sealant 75 are matched to each other.

[0049] In this case, the ultrasonic waves generated from the piezoelectric element 72 propagate through the interface between the sealant 75 and the electronic component 73, the interface between the electronic component 73 and the sealant 75, and the interface between the housing 74 and the human body in this order. If the reflectance and transmittance of the ultrasonic waves at each interface are, for example, 0.2 and 0.8, respectively, the intensity of the ultrasonic waves reaching the body will be 0.8. ３ It can be seen that the number of interfaces has a significant effect on the ultrasonic intensity.

[0050] In contrast, in this embodiment, it is possible to transmit an ultrasonic signal from the oral administration device 10B without passing through an interface caused by electronic components, thereby effectively preventing the strength of the ultrasonic signal from attenuating.

[0051] [Embodiment 3] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement relationship between the piezoelectric element mounted on the first main surface of the substrate and other electronic components in a medication device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention, as seen through the first main surface of the substrate in the Z-axis direction.

[0052] In the oral device 10C shown in FIG. 5, the vibration direction 21 of the piezoelectric element 20 is parallel to the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40.

[0053] Here, the "vibration direction of the piezoelectric element" means the direction in which the displacement amount is greatest at the frequency at which the piezoelectric element is to be driven.

[0054] 5, electronic components 81 are mounted on the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40 at positions that do not overlap with an imaginary line 23a that extends parallel to the vibration direction 21 from the center 20c of the piezoelectric element 20. In other words, no electronic components are present on the imaginary line 23a of the first main surface 41. As a result, there are no electronic components directly facing the piezoelectric element 20 in the vibration direction 21 of the piezoelectric element 20, and therefore ultrasonic waves oscillated from the piezoelectric element 20 parallel to the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40 can be efficiently transmitted.

[0055] The location of the electronic component 81 is not particularly limited as long as it does not overlap the imaginary line 23a when the substrate 40 is viewed in plan, i.e., does not step on the imaginary line 23a.

[0056] The "center of the piezoelectric element" refers to the geometric center of the planar shape of the piezoelectric element. The planar shape of the piezoelectric element refers to the shape of the piezoelectric element when viewed from above on the substrate on which it is mounted.

[0057] 5, the vibration direction 21 and the imaginary line 23a of the piezoelectric element 20 may be parallel to the X-axis direction. The planar shape of the piezoelectric element 20 may be square.

[0058] Fig. 6 is a plan view schematically showing another example of a piezoelectric element, and Fig. 7 is a plan view schematically showing yet another example of a piezoelectric element.

[0059] The planar shape of the piezoelectric element 20 is not particularly limited, and may be rectangular as shown in FIG. 6, or circular as shown in FIG.

[0060] 8 is a diagram showing another example of the arrangement of the piezoelectric element mounted on the first main surface of the substrate and other electronic components in the medication device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, as viewed through the first main surface of the substrate in the Z-axis direction.

[0061] 8, the vibration direction 21 of the piezoelectric element 20 may be parallel to the Y-axis direction. In this case, too, the electronic component 81 is mounted on the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40 at a position that does not overlap with the imaginary line 23b that extends from the center 20c of the piezoelectric element 20 parallel to the vibration direction 21. In other words, no electronic component is present on the first main surface 41 on the imaginary line 23b.

[0062] The location of the electronic component 81 is not particularly limited as long as it does not overlap the imaginary line 23b in a plan view of the substrate 40, that is, does not step on the imaginary line 23b.

[0063] In the cases shown in Figures 5 and 8, the type of electronic component 81 is not particularly limited as long as it is an electronic component other than a heat generating element, and may be, for example, a sensor of a biometric information acquisition unit, an IC, an A / D converter, etc.

[0064] Although Figures 5 and 8 show a substrate 40 that is rectangular in plan view, in the medication device of the present invention, the planar shape of the substrate is not particularly limited as long as it fits into the medication device, and may be circular, elliptical, or the like.

[0065] [Embodiment 4] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement relationship between the piezoelectric element mounted on the first main surface of the substrate and other electronic components mounted on the second main surface of the substrate in a medication device according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, as seen through the first main surface of the substrate in the Z-axis direction.

[0066] In the oral device 10D shown in FIG. 9, the vibration direction of the piezoelectric element 20 is perpendicular to the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40.

[0067] 9 , electronic components 82 are mounted on the second main surface 42 of the substrate 40 at positions that do not overlap with the centers 20c of the piezoelectric elements 20 when the substrate 40 is viewed in plan view. In other words, no electronic components overlap with the centers 20c of the piezoelectric elements 20 on the second main surface 42. This allows ultrasonic waves oscillated from the piezoelectric elements 20 perpendicular to the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40 to be efficiently transmitted to the second main surface 42 of the substrate 40 as well.

[0068] In this case, as shown in Figure 9, the placement location of the electronic component 82 mounted on the second main surface 42 of the substrate 40 is not particularly limited as long as it does not overlap the center 20c of the piezoelectric element 20 when the substrate 40 is viewed in a plane, i.e., does not step on the center 20c.

[0069] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of the layout relationship between the piezoelectric element mounted on the first main surface of the substrate and other electronic components mounted on the second main surface of the substrate in the medication device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed through the first main surface of the substrate in the Z-axis direction.

[0070] 10 , electronic components 82 may be mounted on the second main surface 42 of the substrate 40 at positions that do not overlap with the piezoelectric elements 20 when the substrate 40 is viewed in plan view. In other words, there may be no electronic components on the second main surface 42 that overlap even slightly with the piezoelectric elements 20 when the substrate 40 is viewed in plan view. This allows ultrasonic waves oscillated from the piezoelectric elements 20 perpendicular to the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40 to be more efficiently transmitted to the second main surface 42 of the substrate 40.

[0071] In this case, as shown in Figure 10, the location of the electronic component 82 mounted on the second main surface 42 of the substrate 40 is not particularly limited as long as it does not overlap the entire area of ​​the piezoelectric element 20 when the substrate 40 is viewed in a plane.

[0072] In the cases shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the type of electronic component 82 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a sensor of a biometric information acquisition unit, an IC, an A / D converter, or the like.

[0073] [Embodiment 5] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of an injectable device according to embodiment 5 of the present invention. Fig. 11 corresponds to the cross-sectional view of Fig. 2 .

[0074] 11, as in the first embodiment, the substrate 40 is arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the device 10E. That is, the substrate 40 is arranged perpendicular to the short side direction of the device 10E. The longitudinal direction of the device 10E is synonymous with the longitudinal direction of the housing 30, and the short side direction of the device 10E is synonymous with the Z-axis direction of the housing 30.

[0075] In embodiment 1, the substrate 40 was located at the center of the medication device 10E in the Z-axis direction, more specifically at the center of the housing 30, but in this embodiment, the substrate 40 is located at a position shifted from the center of the medication device 10E in the Z-axis direction, more specifically at the center of the housing 30, in the direction in which the distance between the inner wall of the housing 30 and the piezoelectric element 20 becomes shorter.

[0076] 11, the distance d1 from the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40 to the first inner wall 31a of the housing 30 facing the first main surface 41 is shorter than the distance d2 from the second main surface 42 of the substrate 40 to the second inner wall 31b of the housing 30 facing the second main surface 42. As a result, the distance between the housing 30 and the piezoelectric element 20 is shorter than when the substrate 40 is placed in the center of the administered device 10E in the Z-axis direction, i.e., in the center of the housing 30, and therefore the strength of the ultrasonic signal emitted from the administered device 10E can be further improved.

[0077] Here, distance d1 is measured as the length of a perpendicular line extending from an arbitrary point on first inner wall portion 31 a of housing 30, where the perpendicular line described below is the longest, to first main surface 41 of substrate 40. Similarly, distance d2 is measured as the length of a perpendicular line extending from an arbitrary point on second inner wall portion 31 b of housing 30, where the perpendicular line described below is the longest, to second main surface 42 of substrate 40.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 11 , in this embodiment, the vibration direction 21 of the piezoelectric element 20 is preferably a direction perpendicular to the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40 .

[0079] In the medication device of the present invention, the piezoelectric element whose vibration direction is perpendicular to the first main surface of the substrate is not limited to one in which the entire piezoelectric element 20 expands and contracts in a direction perpendicular to the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40, as shown in Figure 11, and its volume changes.

[0080] FIG. 12 is a side view schematically showing another example of a piezoelectric element whose vibration direction is perpendicular to the first main surface of the substrate.

[0081] 12 , both ends of the piezoelectric element 20 may be mounted on the substrate 40 with solder 25. As a result, even if the piezoelectric element 20 itself vibrates parallel to the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40, the entire portion where the piezoelectric element 20 and the substrate 40 are integrated will bend, i.e., vibrate, as a result of the expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element 20 and the action of the substrate 40 trying to resist that expansion and contraction. In other words, it will vibrate in a direction perpendicular to the second main surface 42 of the substrate 40.

[0082] [Embodiment 6] Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of an injectable device according to embodiment 6 of the present invention. Fig. 13 corresponds to the cross-sectional view of Fig. 2 .

[0083] 13, as in the first embodiment, the substrate 40 is arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the device 10F. That is, the substrate 40 is arranged perpendicular to the short side direction of the device 10F. The longitudinal direction of the device 10F is synonymous with the longitudinal direction of the housing 30, and the short side direction of the device 10F is synonymous with the Z-axis direction of the housing 30.

[0084] The capsule-shaped housing 30 is composed of two divided housings 32a and 32b, which are divided at the center in the short direction of the housing 30 along the longitudinal direction of the housing 30. In other words, the housing 30 is divided into two equal halves at the center in the short direction of the housing 30 along the longitudinal direction of the housing 30. In other words, the capsule-shaped housing 30 is divided into two halves along the longitudinal direction of the housing 30 at a position where the cross-sectional area is maximum. The piezoelectric element 20 is preferably sealed with a sealant 54, and according to the above configuration, when the piezoelectric element 20 is mounted on the divided housing 32a side, the piezoelectric element 20 can be reliably sealed by injecting the sealant 54 up to the substrate surface.

[0085] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a modified example of the oral administration device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14 , if the housing 30 is divided into two equal halves along the short side of the housing 30 at the center in the longitudinal direction of the housing 30, an interface between the piezoelectric element 20 and the sealant 54 may be formed depending on the mounting position of the piezoelectric element 20. Specifically, if the piezoelectric element 20 is mounted in the center of the substrate 40, such an interface will be formed. This interface may adversely affect the ultrasonic waves emitted from the piezoelectric element 20. In such a case, the sealants 54 must be assembled with high precision. To avoid this, the dividing position of the housing 30 must be changed from the center, and separate housings with different shapes must be prepared, which increases the number of parts.

[0087] [Embodiment 7] Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of an oral device according to embodiment 7 of the present invention. Fig. 15 corresponds to the cross-sectional view of Fig. 2 .

[0088] 15, in addition to the substrate 40 on which the piezoelectric element 20 is mounted, further substrates, here a second substrate 40b and a third substrate 40c, are arranged, and a plurality of electronic components 83 are mounted on the second substrate 40b. The second substrate 40b and the third substrate 40c are arranged between the second main surface 42 of the substrate 40 and the housing 30, and no substrate is arranged between the first main surface 41 of the substrate 40 on which the piezoelectric element 20 is mounted and the housing 30. This allows the ultrasonic waves emitted from the piezoelectric element 20 to be transmitted to the inner wall of the housing 30 without being absorbed or reflected by the substrate or the electronic components mounted on the substrate, effectively preventing attenuation of the signal strength emitted from the piezoelectric element 20.

[0089] [Eighth Embodiment] Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of an information acquisition system for a medication device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] The information acquisition system 100 for a taken device shown in FIG. 16 is a system for acquiring information from a taken device 110, and includes the taken device 110, a processing device 120, and a receiver 130.

[0091] The ingested device 110, like the ingested device 10 described above, includes a piezoelectric element 111, a battery 112, a biological information acquisition unit 113, and an A / D converter 114. The ingested device 110 also includes a control unit 115 that controls the timing of acquiring biological information, processes the acquired information, and controls transmission of the information to the receiving unit of the receiver 130.

[0092] The medication device 110 may be provided with a storage unit 116, and for example, the biometric information acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit 113 may be stored in the storage unit 116.

[0093] The receiver 130 acquires information from the ingested device 110 by receiving ultrasonic signals emitted from the piezoelectric element 111 of the ingested device 110, and transmits the acquired information to the processing device 120. The receiver 130 is used by being attached to the body surface of the user, such as the torso, neck, or wrist, using a fastener such as a belt. The receiver 130 is attached so as to come into direct contact with the body surface or so as to come into contact with the body surface via an intervening object such as gel.

[0094] The receiver 130 includes, for example, a receiving unit 131, a transmitting unit 132, a battery 133, and a display unit 134.

[0095] The receiving unit 131 receives the ultrasonic signal emitted from the piezoelectric element 111 of the ingested device 110. As a result, the receiver 130 acquires information from the ingested device 110, such as biological information.

[0096] The receiving unit 131 is composed of an ultrasonic receiver that receives ultrasonic waves. The principle of ultrasonic wave reception by the ultrasonic receiver is not particularly limited, but the ultrasonic receiver preferably includes a piezoelectric element that generates a voltage when receiving ultrasonic waves. The piezoelectric element included in the receiving unit 131 is also called a piezoelectric vibrator. Materials that can be used for the piezoelectric element include PZT (lead zirconate titanate), BT (barium titanate), and KNN (potassium sodium niobate).

[0097] The transmitting unit 132 transmits information acquired from the medication device 110 to the processing device 120 via wireless communication. Wireless communication is, for example, communication using a data communication line using radio waves from a mobile phone, an Internet line, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. Note that communication between the transmitting unit 132 and the processing device 120 is not limited to wireless communication, and may be communication via a wired connection such as a USB cable connection, an Ethernet cable connection, or a serial cable connection.

[0098] The battery 133 supplies power to each component of the receiver 130 and may be a rechargeable secondary battery. The specific type of the battery 133 is not particularly limited.

[0099] The display unit 134 is configured to be able to display, for example, information acquired from the medication device 110. The display unit 134 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display.

[0100] The processing device 120 acquires information transmitted from the transmission unit 132 of the receiver 130, i.e., information from the ingested device 110. The processing device 120 performs various data processing and data management based on the acquired information. Specifically, for example, the processing device 120 manages and analyzes biological information acquired from the ingested device 110, manages medications taken together with the ingested device 110, and so on.

[0101] The medication device information acquisition system 100 confirms whether the patient has taken the prescribed medication, for example, by the following method.

[0102] First, the oral device 110 is configured to automatically turn on when it is removed from its sealed container, and when the oral device 110 is turned on, it continues to emit ultrasonic signals of a constant frequency from the piezoelectric element 111.

[0103] When the ingested device 110 is outside the body, air is present between the ingested device 110 and the receiver 130, and therefore the receiver 130 cannot receive the ultrasonic signal emitted from the ingested device 110. On the other hand, when the ingested device 110 is ingested by a patient together with a drug and the ingested device 110 enters the body, the acoustic impedance within the body is capable of transmitting an ultrasonic signal, and therefore the receiver 130 can receive the ultrasonic signal emitted from the ingested device 110. In other words, the receiver 130 detects the ultrasonic signal, thereby detecting that a drug has been ingested along with the ingested device 110.

[0104] When the receiver 130 detects that the drug and the medication device 110 have been taken, it transmits information indicating this to the processing device 120, and the processing device 120 that receives the information manages whether the drug has been taken, the time of taking the drug, etc.

[0105] The present specification discloses the following:

[0106] <1> A medication device that transmits information by vibrating itself, comprising: a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface; a piezoelectric element mounted on the first main surface; a heating element that generates heat when the medication device is operated; and a housing that houses the substrate, the piezoelectric element, and the heating element, wherein the heating element is mounted on the second main surface.

[0107] <2> The vibration direction of the piezoelectric element is parallel to the first main surface, and an electronic component is mounted on the first main surface at a position that does not overlap with a virtual line extending from the center of the piezoelectric element parallel to the vibration direction. The medication device described in <1>.

[0108] <3> The vibration direction of the piezoelectric element is a direction perpendicular to the first main surface, and an electronic component is mounted on the second main surface at a position that does not overlap with the center of the piezoelectric element when the substrate is viewed in a plan view. The medication device described in <1>.

[0109] <4> The dosage device described in <3>, wherein an electronic component is mounted on the second main surface at a position that does not overlap with the piezoelectric element when the substrate is viewed in a plan view.

[0110] <5> A medication device described in any one of <1>, <3> or <4>, wherein only the piezoelectric element is mounted on the first main surface.

[0111] <6> The substrate is arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing, and the distance from the first main surface to the first inner wall portion of the housing opposite the first main surface is shorter than the distance from the second main surface to the second inner wall portion of the housing opposite the second main surface. The medication device described in any one of <1> to <5>.

[0112] <7> The dosage device according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein the housing is capsule-shaped and is composed of two divided housings separated in the center in the short direction of the housing along the longitudinal direction of the housing.

[0113] <8> The medication device according to any one of <1> to <7>, further comprising a biological information acquisition unit that acquires biological information, wherein the piezoelectric element transmits the biological information acquired by the biological information acquisition unit as an ultrasonic signal.

[0114] <9> The medication device according to any one of <1> to <8>, further comprising an additional substrate other than the substrate, wherein one or more of the additional substrates are arranged between the second main surface and the housing, and no substrates are arranged between the first main surface and the housing.

[0115] <10> An information acquisition system for a ingested device, comprising: a ingested device according to any one of <1> to <9>; a processing device; and a receiver that acquires information from the ingested device by receiving an ultrasonic signal emitted from the piezoelectric element and transmits the acquired information to the processing device.

[0116] 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, 110 Ingestion device 20, 72, 111 Piezoelectric element 20c Center of piezoelectric element 21 Vibration direction 23a, 23b Virtual line 25 Solder 30, 74 Housing 31a First inner wall portion 31b Second inner wall portion 32a, 32b Divided housing 40, 71 Board 40b Second board 40c Third board 41 First main surface 42 Second main surface 51, 112, 133 Battery 52, 113 Biometric information acquisition unit 53, 114 A / D converter 54, 75 Sealant 56 IC 73, 81, 82, 83 Electronic component 100 Information acquisition system 115 Control unit 116 Memory unit 120 Processing device 130 Receiver 131 Receiving section 132 Transmitting section 134 Display section

Claims

1. A taken-oral device that transmits information by vibrating the device itself, comprising: a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface; a piezoelectric element mounted on the first main surface; a heating element that generates heat when the taken-oral device is operated; and a housing that contains the substrate, the piezoelectric element, and the heating element, wherein the heating element is mounted on the second main surface.

2. The dosage device of claim 1, wherein the vibration direction of the piezoelectric element is parallel to the first principal surface, and an electronic component is mounted on the first principal surface at a position that does not overlap with a virtual line extending from the center of the piezoelectric element parallel to the vibration direction.

3. The dosage device described in claim 1, wherein the vibration direction of the piezoelectric element is perpendicular to the first main surface, and an electronic component is mounted on the second main surface at a position that does not overlap with the center of the piezoelectric element when the substrate is viewed in a plane.

4. The dosage device described in claim 3, wherein an electronic component is mounted on the second main surface in a position that does not overlap with the piezoelectric element when the substrate is viewed in a plan view.

5. A dosage device as described in any one of claims 1, 3 or 4, wherein only the piezoelectric element is mounted on the first main surface.

6. A prescription device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the substrate is arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing, and the distance from the first main surface to a first inner wall portion of the housing opposite the first main surface is shorter than the distance from the second main surface to a second inner wall portion of the housing opposite the second main surface.

7. A dosage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing is capsule-shaped and is composed of two divided housings separated in the middle in the short direction of the housing along the longitudinal direction of the housing.

8. A ingestible device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a bioinformation acquisition unit that acquires bioinformation, wherein the piezoelectric element transmits the bioinformation acquired by the bioinformation acquisition unit as an ultrasonic signal.

9. A dosage device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising an additional substrate other than the substrate, wherein the additional substrate is arranged at least in one piece between the second main surface and the housing, and no substrate is arranged between the first main surface and the housing.

10. An information acquisition system for a ingested device comprising: a ingested device according to any one of claims 1 to 9; a processing device; and a receiver that acquires information from the ingested device by receiving an ultrasonic signal oscillated from the piezoelectric element and transmits the acquired information to the processing device.

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