Retrievable In Vivo Sensor with Modular Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ingestible devices for biological monitoring are not retrievable and lack reconfigurability, limiting their ability for repeated in vivo monitoring and adaptation to different monitoring needs.
Innovation Solution
A retrievable device with a modular design, featuring a first housing with a light source and image capture device, and a second housing with sensors that can be removably connected, allowing for various sensor configurations and reconfiguration for different monitoring tasks, including analyte detection and physical parameter measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ingestible devices are designed as non-retrievable capsules, then device simplicity and ease of manufacture are improved, but adaptability and reconfigurability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separable components including a first housing with light source and image capture device, a second housing with sensor, and a fitting that connects them. This segmentation allows the sensor housing to be removed, replaced, or reconfigured while keeping the main body intact, enabling adaptability without complicating the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between the first and second housings is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed. The fitting allows for removable and reconfigurable connections, enabling the device to adapt to different monitoring needs through sensor replacement while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing approach for each modular component.
2Device complexity
If ingestible devices are designed as non-retrievable capsules, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability for repeated monitoring and reconfiguration deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the device into modular components (first housing, second housing, fitting), the patent achieves reconfigurability without substantially increasing overall device complexity. Each module can be manufactured and tested independently, then assembled through simple connection mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The first housing with light source and image capture device serves multiple functions and can work with different sensor types. This universality allows the same main body to support various monitoring configurations, reducing the need for multiple specialized devices and thereby controlling complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If fixed capsule design is used, then manufacturing precision requirements are simplified, but measurement versatility for different analytes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The segmentation of sensor housing from the main body allows different sensor modules to be manufactured with standard precision requirements, then assembled into the same device platform. This approach maintains manageable manufacturing precision standards while enabling versatility through sensor variety.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables continuous and reversible monitoring of analytes and physical parameters, with the ability to reconfigure and reimplant the device for different measurements, enhancing the versatility and effectiveness of in vivo monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
a light source configured to illuminate a region of the environment external to the first housing—a 'field-of-view'
Implementation Method 2
The sensor substance will emit electromagnetic energy when in contact with the analyte of interest and electromagnetic excitation energy is received by the sensor substance
Implementation Method 3
The sensor may also comprise a detector configured to detect electromagnetic energy emitted by the sensor substance
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention may be embodied as a retrievable device capable of sensing one or more properties of an individual (e.g., chemical or physical parameters, etc.) In use, the retrievable device can continuously determine the chemical concentrations within the vaginal tract. An embodiment of the retrievable device comprises a first housing having a light source and an image capture device, a second housing removably connected to the first housing and having a sensor, and a fitting for retrieving the device. The sensor may be an analyte sensor configured to obtain at least one measurement of a concentration of an analyte in a fluid. The analyte sensor comprises a sensor substance in a sol-gel material so the sensor substance reversibly interacts with an analyte of interest. In addition, the retrievable device can be configured to determine different physical parameters and re-implanted.