Medical capsule device actuated by radio-frequency (RF) signal

A medical capsule device adapted for release of a substance at a defined location in the alimentary tract, said device comprising:

• a capsule body defining a plurality of spaced-apart apertures in the circumferential wall thereof;
• a rotatably movable sleeve member positioned within said capsule body and defining a plurality of spaced-apart apertures in the circumferential wall thereof corresponding to said apertures in said capsule body, said sleeve member adapted to be rotatably movable from a closed position at which said apertures thereof are not in registration with said capsule body apertures to an open position at which said apertures thereof are in registration with said capsule body apertures;
• actuator means positioned in said sleeve member for rotatably moving said sleeve member and comprising (1) a circuit receptive to a magnetic field of high frequency and having a ferrite core with a plurality of coils orthogonally wound thereon wherein each coil is electrically connected to a respective tuning capacitor and a respective heatable resistor and (2) an actuator member operatively associated with said circuit and made of a shape memory alloy responsive to heat applied thereto by said resistors so as to move from a non-heated first configuration to a heated second configuration;
• and
• actuator stop means associated with the inner surface of said capsule body for being engaged by said actuator member during movement from said non-heated first configuration to said heated second configuration so that said actuator member movement will thereby serve to rotatably move said sleeve member from said closed position to said open position.