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US RE48,181 E1Granted
Capsule device having variable specific gravity
AssigneeCapsovision Inc
InventorsMikael Trollsas, Phat Trinh, Mark Hadley, Kang-Huai Wang, Gordon Cook Wilson, Ganyu Lu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endoscopy capsule having an image collecting capacity includes a deformable member configured to inflate when exposed to body liquid. The deformable member includes an effervescent material. When the effervescent reacts with water the resulting Carbon-Dioxide gas reduces the specific gravity of the endoscopy capsule. The capsule is contained within a shell or dome when swallowed. The shell or dome is configured dissolve in either a low or high pH environment.
Claims27
A capsule endoscope, comprising:
- a sensor system comprising a light source, an image sensor for capturing image frames of a scene illuminated by the light source;
- a housing adapted for being swallowed, wherein the housing encloses the sensor system;
- and
- at least one pouch containing an effervescent, the pouch being attached to the housing and being semi-permeable or porous, permeable to body liquid but not to gas so that the effervescent is able to generate gas upon contact with the body liquid;
- wherein at least the pouch is encapsulated within a dissolvable shell, dome or coating, and wherein specific gravity (SG) of the capsule endoscope is greater than 1 when the pouch is encapsulated within the dissolvable shell, dome or coating and wherein the SG of the capsule endoscope corresponds to a specific gravity of all the components of the capsule endoscope collectively together;
- and
- wherein the capsule endoscope said at least the pouch is configured to control estimated inflation and deflation periods of the capsule endoscope said at least the pouch such that the capsule endoscope has the SG of the capsule endoscope greater than 1 for a first period of time, and less than 1 for a second period of time following the first period of time;
- and
- wherein the capsule endoscope said at least the pouch is configured to control estimated inflation and deflation periods of the capsule endoscope said at least the pouch by properly selecting parameters from a parameter group comprising a combination of pouch membrane type and pouch wall thickness to affect a rate of diffusion of body liquid into the pouch.
6 more elements
A capsule endoscope, comprising:
- a sensor system comprising a light source, an image sensor for capturing image frames of a scene illuminated by the light source;
- a housing adapted for being swallowed, wherein the housing encloses the sensor system;
- and
- at least one pouch containing an effervescent, the pouch being attached to the housing and being semi-permeable or porous to body liquid so that the effervescent is able to generate gas upon contact with the body liquid, wherein the effervescent comprises anhydrous acid;
- wherein said at least the pouch is encapsulated within a dissolvable shell, dome or coating, and wherein specific gravity (SG) of the capsule endoscope is greater than 1 when the pouch is encapsulated within the dissolvable shell, dome or coating and wherein the SG of the capsule endoscope corresponds to a specific gravity of all components of the capsule endoscope collectively together;
- and
- wherein said at least the pouch is configured to control inflation and deflation periods of said at least the pouch such that the capsule endoscope has the SG of the capsule endoscope greater than 1 for a first period of time, and less than 1 for a second period of time following the first period of time, and wherein said at least the pouch is configured to control inflation and deflation periods of said at least the pouch by selecting parameters from a parameter group comprising a combination of pouch membrane type and pouch wall thickness to affect a rate of diffusion of body liquid into the pouch.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.