Swallowable Capsule with Micro-fluidic Reaction Chamber for In Vivo Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting pathologies in the gastrointestinal tract, such as cancer, are limited by late detection due to the need for antibodies in the bloodstream and require cumbersome laboratory equipment, making early detection and localization of abnormal substances difficult.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained, micro-fluidic detection system that includes a reaction chamber, waste chamber, and gate for fluid control, allowing for in vivo analysis using a swallowable capsule with immobilized reagents and labeled substances to detect optical changes, enabling early detection and localization of substances within the GI tract.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If in vitro testing methods are used to detect substances in body fluids, then detection can be performed with current technology, but the methods require cumbersome laboratory equipment and cannot easily enable localization of the origin of abnormal substances
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the complex laboratory detection system into a portable, self-contained device with separate functional modules including sample collection chamber, reaction chamber, and detection chamber. Each module performs a specific function, enabling the entire detection process to be miniaturized and performed outside the laboratory while maintaining detection precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a portable detection device as an intermediary between the complex laboratory equipment and the point-of-care setting. This intermediary device incorporates essential detection functions in a simplified form, allowing detection to be performed without access to full laboratory infrastructure while maintaining measurement precision.
2Reliability
If antibodies are used to detect tumor markers in the bloodstream, then cancer can be detected, but detection usually occurs at a late stage when antibodies appear in the bloodstream
Solution Approach 1:
The invention enables preliminary detection of disease markers at the site of origin (e.g., in GI tract fluids) before antibodies appear in the bloodstream. By collecting and analyzing samples directly from the gastrointestinal tract using the portable device, the system performs detection earlier in the disease progression timeline, allowing intervention before late-stage antibody production.
3Measurement precision
If endoscopy is used to detect pathologies in the GI tract, then visualization of the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract can be achieved, but pathologies in other parts of the GI tract such as the small intestine cannot be easily detected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a universal detection device that can analyze samples from any location in the GI tract, making the system adaptable to detect pathologies throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract including the small intestine. The portable device accepts samples collected from different GI regions and performs consistent analysis, providing versatile coverage beyond the limitations of traditional endoscopy.
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 early detection and localization of abnormal substances within the GI tract, facilitating timely diagnosis and treatment by allowing for point-of-care analysis without the need for specialized laboratories.
Implementation Method 1
The gate may be pH-sensitive or temperature-sensitive, and may open in response to pH or temperature change
Implementation Method 2
The gate may be pH-sensitive or temperature-sensitive, and may open in response to pH or temperature change
Implementation Method 3
The in vivo device may include an imager, which may acquire image data
Data Source
AI summary
A device for in vivo analysis includes: a reaction chamber to store a detecting reagent able to react with a sample collected in vivo; and optionally a labeled-substance chamber to store a labeled substance able to bind to at least a portion of a compound resulting from a reaction of the detecting reagent and the sample. The in-vivo imaging device, typically an autonomous capsule, may have a housing, the housing comprising a window; an illumination source located within the housing to illuminate a body lumen through the window; an imager to receive light reflected from the body lumen through the window; and a transmitter to transmit image data to a receiving system. The window is coated with liposomes containing a marker such that the imager may acquire images which include the marking.