U.S. patent application number 10/951471 was filed with the patent office on 2005-07-21 for capsule medication administration system, and medication administration method.
This patent application is currently assigned to Olympus Corporation. Invention is credited to Koyanagi, Hideki, Segawa, Hidetake, Takata, Masahiro, Takizawa, Hironobu, Uchiyama, Akio.
Application Number | 20050158246 10/951471 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34419284 |
Filed Date | 2005-07-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050158246 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Takizawa, Hironobu ; et
al. |
July 21, 2005 |
Capsule medication administration system, and medication
administration method
Abstract
A capsule medication administration system includes: a first
capsule for internal body marking; a second capsule for medication;
a marking device which makes a marking within a living body; a drug
retention section which retains a drug; a release device which
releases the drug; a detection device which detects the marking; a
decision device which decides whether or not a marking which has
been detected by the detection device is a specified marking; and a
release control device which operates the release device, if it has
been decided by the decision device that it is the specified
marking; wherein the first capsule comprises the marking device.
The second capsule comprises the drug retention section and the
release device.
Inventors: |
Takizawa, Hironobu; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Uchiyama, Akio; (Yokohama-shi, JP) ;
Segawa, Hidetake; (Tokyo, JP) ; Takata, Masahiro;
(Tokyo, JP) ; Koyanagi, Hideki; (Tokyo,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCULLY SCOTT MURPHY & PRESSER, PC
400 GARDEN CITY PLAZA
SUITE 300
GARDEN CITY
NY
11530
US
|
Assignee: |
Olympus Corporation
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
34419284 |
Appl. No.: |
10/951471 |
Filed: |
September 28, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
424/10.1 ;
424/451 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 5/4839 20130101;
A61B 1/041 20130101; A61B 5/073 20130101; A61M 31/002 20130101;
A61B 1/00016 20130101; A61J 3/07 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
424/010.1 ;
424/451 |
International
Class: |
A61K 049/00; A61K
009/48 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 1, 2003 |
JP |
2003-343199 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A capsule medication administration system, comprising: a first
capsule for internal body marking which is orally ingested to
within a living body; a second capsule for medication which is also
orally ingested to within the living body; a marking device which
makes a marking within the living body; a drug retention section
which retains a drug; a release device which releases the drug; a
detection device which detects the marking; a decision device which
decides whether or not a marking which has been detected by the
detection device is a specified marking; and a release control
device which operates the release device, if it has been decided by
the decision device that it is the specified marking; wherein: the
first capsule comprises the marking device; and the second capsule
comprises the drug retention section and the release device.
2. A capsule medication administration system according to claim 1,
wherein the second capsule comprises the detection device, the
decision device, and the release control device.
3. A capsule medication administration system according to claim 2,
wherein: the first capsule comprises: an acquisition device which
acquires in-vivo information; a medication determination device
which, based upon the in-vivo information which has been acquired
by the acquisition device, determines whether or not to perform
medication for a site which is indicated in the in-vivo
information; and a specification device which, based upon the
determination by the medical determination device, specifies a
marking which indicates a site to perform medication, from among
the markings which have been made within the living body; and the
decision device decides whether or not a marking which has been
detected by the detection device is the marking which has been
specified by the specification device.
4. A capsule medication administration system according to claim 3,
wherein: the first capsule comprises a first memory which
establishes a correspondence between the positions of the markings
and the in-vivo information and stores them; and the second capsule
comprises a second memory which stores information about the
marking which has been specified by the specification device.
5. A capsule medication administration system according to claim 2,
further comprising a unit external to the living body, disposed
outside the living body; and wherein: the first capsule comprises
an acquisition device which acquires in-vivo information while
establishing a correspondence with the positions of the markings,
and a first capsule transmission device which transmits the in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device
towards the unit external to the living body; and the unit external
to the living body comprises: a reception device external to the
living body which receives the in-vivo information which has been
transmitted from the first capsule transmission device; a
medication determination device which, based upon the in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device,
determines whether or not to perform medication for a site which is
indicated in the in-vivo information; and a specification device
which, based upon the determination by the medication determination
device, specifies a marking, from among the markings which have
been made within the living body, which indicates a site to perform
medication.
6. A capsule medication administration system according to claim 1,
further comprising a unit external to the living body, disposed
outside the living body; and wherein: the first capsule comprises
an acquisition device which acquires in-vivo information while
establishing a correspondence with the positions of the markings;
the second capsule comprises: the detection device; a second
capsule transmission device which transmits information about the
markings which have been detected by the detection device towards
the unit external to the living body; a second capsule reception
device which receives a control signal for causing the release
device to operate; and the release control device; the unit
external to the living body comprises: a reception device external
to the living body which receives the information about markings
which has been transmitted from the second capsule transmission
device; the decision device; and a transmission device external to
the living body which, if it has been decided by the decision
device that it is the specified marking, transmits the control
signal towards the second capsule reception device; the decision
device decides whether or not information about a marking which has
been received by the reception device external to the living body
is the specified marking; and the release control device causes the
release device to operate, when the control signal has been
received by the second capsule reception device.
7. A capsule medication administration system according to claim 6,
wherein: the first capsule comprises a first capsule transmission
device which transmits the in-vivo information which has been
acquired by the acquisition device towards the unit external to the
living body; the unit external to the living body comprises: a
medication determination device which, based upon the in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device,
determines whether or not to perform medication for a site which is
indicated by the in-vivo information; and a specification device
which, based upon the determination by the medication determination
device, specifies a marking which indicates the side at which
medication is to be performed from among the markings which have
been made within the living body; and the reception device external
to the living body receives the in-vivo information which has been
transmitted from the first capsule transmission device.
8. A capsule medication administration system, comprising: a first
capsule for internal body marking which is orally ingested to
within a living body; a second capsule for medication which is also
orally ingested to within the living body; a third capsule for long
time period marking which is also orally ingested to within the
living body; a marking device which makes a marking within the
living body; a long time period marking device which makes, within
the living body, a long time period marking which can last for a
longer time period than the marking; a drug retention section which
retains a drug; a release device which releases the drug; a
detection device which detects the marking; a decision device which
decides whether or not a marking which has been detected by the
detection device is a specified marking; a long time period marking
control device which operates the long time period marking device,
if it has been decided by the decision device that it is the
specified marking; a long time period marking detection device
which detects the long time period marking; and a release control
device which operates the release device, if the long time period
marking has been decided by the long time period marking detection
device; wherein: the first capsule comprises the marking device;
the second capsule comprises the drug retention section which
retains the drug, and the release device which releases the drug;
and the third capsule comprises the long time period marking
device.
9. A capsule medication administration system according to claim 8,
wherein the third capsule comprises the detection device, the
decision device, and the long time period marking control
device.
10. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
8, wherein the second capsule comprises the long time period
marking detection device and the release control device.
11. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
8, wherein the first capsule comprises: an acquisition device which
acquires in-vivo information; a medication determination device
which, based upon the in-vivo information which has been acquired
by the acquisition device, determines whether or not to perform
medication for a site which is indicated in the in-vivo
information; and a specification device which, based upon the
determination by the medical determination device, specifies a
marking which indicates a site to perform medication, from among
the markings which have been made within the living body.
12. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
11, wherein: the first capsule comprises a first memory which
establishes a correspondence between the positions of the markings
and the in-vivo information and stores them; and the medication
determination device determines whether or not to perform
medication for a site which is indicated in the in-vivo
information, based upon the in-vivo information which has been
stored in the first memory.
13. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
11, wherein: the third capsule comprises a second memory which
stores the marking which has been specified by the specification
device; and the decision device makes a decision as to whether or
not a marking which has been detected by the detection device is
the specified marking which has been stored in the second
memory.
14. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
8, further comprising a unit external to the living body, disposed
outside the living body; and wherein: the first capsule comprises
an acquisition device which acquires in-vivo information while
establishing a correspondence with the positions of the markings,
and a first capsule transmission device which transmits the in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device
towards the unit external to the living body; and the unit external
to the living body comprises: a reception device external to the
living body which receives the in-vivo information which has been
transmitted from the first capsule transmission device; a
medication determination device which, based upon the in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device,
determines whether or not to perform medication for a site which is
indicated in the in-vivo information; and a specification device
which, based upon the determination by the medication determination
device, specifies a marking, from among the markings which have
been made within the living body, which indicates a site to perform
medication.
15. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
8, further comprising a unit external to the living body, disposed
outside the living body; and wherein: the first capsule comprises
an acquisition device which acquires in-vivo information while
establishing a correspondence with the positions of the markings;
the third capsule comprises: the detection device; a third capsule
transmission device which transmits information about the markings
which have been detected by the detection device towards the unit
external to the living body; and a third capsule reception device
which receives a control signal for causing the long time period
marking device to operate; and the long time period marking control
device; the unit external to the living body comprises: a reception
device external to the living body which receives the information
about markings which has been transmitted from the third capsule
transmission device; a decision device which decides whether or not
information about a marking which has been received by the
reception device external to the living body is a specified
marking; and a transmission device external to the living body
which, if it has been decided by the decision device that it is the
specified marking, transmits the control signal towards the third
capsule reception device; and the long time period marking control
device causes the long time period marking device to operate, if
the control signal has been received by the third capsule reception
device.
16. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
8, wherein the second capsule comprises the long time period
marking detection device and the release control device.
17. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
8, further comprising a unit external to the living body, disposed
outside the living body; and wherein: the second capsule comprises:
the long time period marking detection device; a second capsule
transmission device which transmits information about the long time
period marking which has been detected by the long time period
marking detection device towards the unit external to the living
body; and a second capsule reception device which receives a
control signal for causing the release device to operate; the unit
external to the living body comprises: a reception device external
to the living body which receives the information about the long
time period marking which has been transmitted from the second
capsule transmission device; and a transmission device external to
the living body which, if information about the long time period
marking has been received by the reception device external to the
living body, transmits the control signal towards the second
capsule reception device; and the release control device causes the
release device to operate, when the control signal has been
received by the second capsule reception device.
18. A capsule medication administration system, comprising: a first
capsule for acquiring in-vivo information, which is orally ingested
to within the living body; a second capsule for medication which is
also orally ingested to within the living body; a third capsule for
long time period marking which is also orally ingested to within
the living body; and a unit external to the living body which is
disposed outside the living body; and wherein: the first capsule
comprises: a marking device which makes a marking within the living
body; and an acquisition device which acquires in-vivo information
while establishing a correspondence with the positions of the
markings; the third capsule comprises: a detection device which
detects the markings; a third capsule transmission device which
transmits information about the markings which have been detected
by the detection device towards the unit external to the living
body; a long time period marking device which makes, within the
living body, a long time period marking which can last for a longer
time period than the marking; a third capsule reception device
which receives a control signal for causing the long time period
marking device to operate; and a long time period marking control
device which causes the long time period marking device to operate,
if the control signal has been received by the third capsule
reception device; the second capsule comprises: a drug retention
section which retains a drug; a release device which releases the
drug; a long time period marking detection device which detects the
long time period marking; and a release control device which
operates the release device, if the long time period marking has
been decided by the long time period marking detection device; and
the unit external to the living body comprises: a reception device
external to the living body which receives the information about
the markings which has been transmitted from the third capsule
transmission device; a medication determination device which, based
upon the in-vivo information which has been acquired by the
acquisition device, determines whether or not to perform medication
for a site which is indicated in the in-vivo information; a
specification device which, based upon the determination by the
medication determination device, specifies a marking, from among
the markings which have been made within the living body, which
indicates the position of a diseased part for which medication must
be performed; a decision device which, from the marking which has
been specified by the specification device and the information
about the markings which has been received by the reception device
external to the living body, decides whether or not a marking which
has been detected by the detection device is a specified marking;
and a transmission device external to the living body, which
transmits the control signal towards the third capsule reception
device, if it has been decided by the decision device that it is
the specified marking.
19. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
8, wherein the long time period marking device comprises a indwell
device which deploys a indwelling member within the living
body.
20. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
18, wherein the long time period marking device comprises a indwell
device which deploys a indwelling member within the living
body.
21. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
11, wherein: the first capsule comprises a first memory which
establishes a correspondence between the positions of the markings
and the in-vivo information, and stores it; and the medication
determination device acquires the in-vivo information from the
first memory.
22. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
1, wherein, every time the detection device detects a marking, the
decision device counts the number thereof, and decides that the
marking which is detected by the detection device is the specified
marking, when the number of the marking arrives at a specified
number.
23. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
8, wherein, every time the detection device detects a marking, the
decision device counts the number thereof, and decides that the
marking which is detected by the detection device is the specified
marking, when the number of the marking arrives at a specified
number.
24. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
1, wherein the marking device comprises a liquid chemical release
device which releases a liquid chemical within the living body.
25. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
8, wherein the marking device comprises a liquid chemical release
device which releases a liquid chemical within the living body.
26. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
3, wherein the acquisition device comprises an observation device
which comprises an imaging device which forms an image of the
interior of the living body, and an illumination device which
illuminates the interior of the living body.
27. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
11, wherein the acquisition device comprises an observation device
which comprises an imaging device which forms an image of the
interior of the living body, and an illumination device which
illuminates the interior of the living body.
28. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
3, wherein the acquisition device comprises a blood sensor which
detects hemorrhage within the living body.
29. A capsule medication administration system according to claim
11, wherein the acquisition device comprises a blood sensor which
detects hemorrhage within the living body.
30. A medication administration method, comprising: a step of
disposing a first capsule which comprises an observation device and
a marking device within the coelom of a living body; a step of
observing the living body with the observation device; a step of
making a marking within the living body with the marking device; a
step of determining a medication position; a step of determining a
specified marking which indicates the medication position; a step
of disposing a second capsule which comprises a medication device
and a marking detection device within the coelom; a step of
detecting the marking; a step of deciding whether or not a marking
which has been detected is the specified marking; and a step of, if
it has been decided that it is the specified marking, releasing a
drug by the medication device.
31. A medication administration method according to claim 30,
wherein the step of making a marking with the marking device within
the living body is repeated a plurality of times.
32. A medication administration method according to claim 31,
wherein the step of making a marking with the marking device within
the living body is repeated a plurality of times at equal time
intervals.
33. A medication administration method, comprising: a step of
disposing a first capsule which comprises an observation device and
a marking device within the coelom of a living body; a step of
observing the living body with the observation device; a step of
making a marking within the living body with the marking device; a
step of determining a medication position within the living body; a
step of determining a specified marking which indicates the
medication position; a step of disposing a third capsule which
comprises a long time period marking device within the coelom; a
step of detecting the marking; a step of deciding whether or not a
marking which has been detected is the specified marking; a step
of, if it has been decided that it is the specified marking, making
a long time period marking with the long time period marking
device; a step of disposing a second capsule which comprises a
medication device and a long time period marking detection device
within the coelom; a step of detecting the long time period
marking; and a step of, if a long time period marking which has
been detected, releasing a drug by the medication device.
34. A medication administration method according to claim 33,
wherein the step of making a marking with the marking device within
the living body is repeated a plurality of times.
35. A medication administration method according to claim 34,
wherein the step of making a marking with the marking device within
the living body is repeated a plurality of times at equal time
intervals.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a capsule medication
administration system which is ingested into a living body and
which performs medication for a diseased part such as a superficial
disorder of the digestive organs or the like, and to a capsule
medication administration method.
[0003] The present invention claims the priority of Japanese Patent
Application 2003-343199 which was filed on Oct. 1, 2003, and
incorporates its contents herein.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Nowadays, as means for administering a drug to a patient
more safely and also more effectively, attention is being directed
towards drug delivery systems (DDS: Drug Delivery System). Such a
drug delivery system is a system which uses a drug more effectively
by regulating the biological activity of the medicament and its
side effects, targeting the diseased part, controlling the release
of the drug (controlled release), improving the absorption of the
drug, regulating the chemical stability and the metabolic activity
and so on of the drug, and causing the drug to act upon a
superficial disorder within the living body in the required amount
and for just the required period of time. With such a drug delivery
system, the technique for taking advantage of it is different
according to the type of the disorder; for example, if the
superficial disorder which is a diseased part is a malignant tumor,
a technique is obtained of targeting and controlled release and the
like.
[0006] On the other hand, as a device for checking upon the state
of health of a patient easily, there is a known capsule type
medical device which is orally ingested to within the living body.
With this kind of capsule type medical device, various types of
information may be provided; for example, it is known to take
photographs at random of various parts within the living body, to
take samples or the like from within the living body, to release a
drug, and the like. As one such device, there is known a capsule
endoscope which can form an image after releasing a foaming agent
at a predetermined position (the large intestine) within the living
body and distending the luminar portion within his body (for
example, refer to paragraph 0006 through paragraph 0049 and to FIG.
1 through FIG. 5 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First
Publication No. 2003-38424).
[0007] The above described capsule endoscope is provided with a
capsule shaped body which has a hemispherical shaped transparent
member at its one end surface and a hemispherical mesh member at
its other end surface. Within the transparent member there are
provided a LED which emits light for illumination to the interior
of the living body, and an image formation optical system which
forms an image of the interior of the living body. Furthermore, a
pH sensor is provided to the capsule body so as to be exposed at
its outer surface. The pH value which has been detected by this pH
sensor is sent to a control processing circuit, and, when it has
been decided from the change of the pH value that the capsule has
arrived at the large intestine, this is transmitted from a
transmission antenna towards the outside of the living body.
Furthermore, as well, the image data which has been formed into an
image by the above described image formation optical system is
transmitted from the transmission antenna towards the outside of
the living body, after having been subjected to predetermined
processing. Moreover, a plurality of micro capsules are housed on
the inside of the mesh member, and are broken down by emission of
ultrasound, and a foaming agent is stored in the insides of these
micro capsules which generates a gas by reaction with water.
[0008] When a check is to be performed by using this capsule
endoscope, the patient first swallows the capsule endoscope so as
to ingest it to within his body. The capsule endoscope which has
been ingested to within the living body moves within his digestive
organs while detecting the pH value within his body by using the pH
sensor. When the capsule endoscope arrives at the large intestine,
the control processing circuit decides, based upon change of the pH
value which has been detected by the pH sensor, that the capsule
endoscope has arrived at the large intestine, and issues a
notification to that effect to the exterior of the living body from
the transmission antenna. When this signal which has been
transmitted is received by a receiver or the like on the outside of
the living body, the medical staff emit an ultrasonic wave towards
the living body using an ultrasonic wave generator. When the
ultrasonic wave is emitted, it breaks down the micro capsules, and
the foaming agent inside them is released within the large
intestine through the mesh member. The foaming agent which has been
released within the large intestine reacts with the water component
within the large intestine and generates gas, thus distending the
large intestine. By the large intestine being distended, it becomes
possible to form an image using the image formation optical system
over a wide range of the interior of the large intestine which has
thus been distended.
[0009] In this manner, the above described capsule endoscope is one
with is equipped with the function of releasing the foaming agent
from the micro capsules at a predetermined position (the large
intestine) in the living body, as described above, i. e. with the
functions of targeting and controlled release. In particular, new
attention is being paid to this kind of capsule type medical device
as one means for implementing the above described drug delivery
system, since it can simply and conveniently be ingested to the
interior of the living body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention proposes a capsule medication
administration system, including: a first capsule for internal body
marking which is orally ingested to within a living body; a second
capsule for medication which is also orally ingested to within the
living body; a marking device which makes a marking within the
living body; a drug retention section which retains a drug; a
release device which releases the drug; a detection device which
detects the marking; a decision device which decides whether or not
a marking which has been detected by the detection device is a
specified marking; and a release control device which operates the
release device, if it has been decided by the decision device that
it is the specified marking; wherein: the first capsule includes
the marking device; and the second capsule includes the drug
retention section and the release device.
[0011] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the second capsule to
include the detection device, the decision device, and the release
control device.
[0012] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the first capsule to
include: an acquisition device which acquires in-vivo information;
a medication determination device which, based upon the in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device,
determines whether or not to perform medication for a site which is
indicated in the in-vivo information; and a specification device
which, based upon the determination by the medical determination
device, specifies a marking which indicates a site to perform
medication, from among the markings which have been made within the
living body; and for the decision device to decide whether or not a
marking which has been detected by the detection device is the
marking which has been specified by the specification device.
[0013] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the first capsule to
include a first memory which establishes a correspondence between
the positions of the markings and the in-vivo information and
stores them; and for the second capsule to include a second memory
which stores information about the marking which has been specified
by the specification device.
[0014] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that there to be further
included a unit external to the living body, disposed outside the
living body; and for: the first capsule to include an acquisition
device which acquires in-vivo information while establishing a
correspondence with the positions of the markings, and a first
capsule transmission device which transmits the in-vivo information
which has been acquired by the acquisition device towards the unit
external to the living body; and for the unit external to the
living body to include: a reception device external to the living
body which receives the in-vivo information which has been
transmitted from the first capsule transmission device; a
medication determination device which, based upon the in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device,
determines whether or not to perform medication for a site which is
indicated in the in-vivo information; and a specification device
which, based upon the determination by the medication determination
device, specifies a marking, from among the markings which have
been made within the living body, which indicates a site to perform
medication.
[0015] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that there to be further
included a unit external to the living body, disposed outside the
living body; and: for the first capsule to include an acquisition
device which acquires in-vivo information while establishing a
correspondence with the positions of the markings; for the second
capsule to include: the detection device; a second capsule
transmission device which transmits information about the markings
which have been detected by the detection device towards the unit
external to the living body; a second capsule reception device
which receives a control signal for causing the release device to
operate; and the release control device; for the unit external to
the living body to include: a reception device external to the
living body which receives the information about markings which has
been transmitted from the second capsule transmission device; the
decision device; and a transmission device external to the living
body which, if it has been decided by the decision device that it
is the specified marking, transmits the control signal towards the
second capsule reception device; for the decision device to decide
whether or not information about a marking which has been received
by the reception device external to the living body is the
specified marking; and for the release control device to cause the
release device to operate, when the control signal has been
received by the second capsule reception device.
[0016] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the first capsule to
include a first capsule transmission device which transmits the
in-vivo information which has been acquired by the acquisition
device towards the unit external to the living body; for the unit
external to the living body to include: a medication determination
device which, based upon the in-vivo information which has been
acquired by the acquisition device, determines whether or not to
perform medication for a site which is indicated by the in-vivo
information; and a specification device which, based upon the
determination by the medication determination device, specifies a
marking which indicates the side at which medication is to be
performed from among the markings which have been made within the
living body; and for the reception device external to the living
body to receive the in-vivo information which has been transmitted
from the first capsule transmission device.
[0017] The present invention proposes a capsule medication
administration system, including: a first capsule for internal body
marking which is orally ingested to within a living body; a second
capsule for medication which is also orally ingested to within the
living body; a third capsule for long time period marking which is
also orally ingested to within the living body; a marking device
which makes a marking within the living body; a long time period
marking device which makes, within the living body, a long time
period marking which can last for a longer time period than the
marking; a drug retention section which retains a drug; a release
device which releases the drug; a detection device which detects
the marking; a decision device which decides whether or not a
marking which has been detected by the detection device is a
specified marking; a long time period marking control device which
operates the long time period marking device, if it has been
decided by the decision device that it is the specified marking; a
long time period marking detection device which detects the long
time period marking; and a release control device which operates
the release device, if the long time period marking has been
decided by the long time period marking detection device; wherein:
the first capsule includes the marking device; the second capsule
includes the drug retention section which retains the drug, and the
release device which releases the drug; and the third capsule
includes the long time period marking device.
[0018] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the third capsule to
include the detection device, the decision device, and the long
time period marking control device.
[0019] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the second capsule to
include the long time period marking detection device and the
release control device.
[0020] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the first capsule to
include: an acquisition device which acquires in-vivo information;
a medication determination device which, based upon the in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device,
determines whether or not to perform medication for a site which is
indicated in the in-vivo information; and a specification device
which, based upon the determination by the medical determination
device, specifies a marking which indicates a site to perform
medication, from among the markings which have been made within the
living body.
[0021] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the first capsule to
include a first memory which establishes a correspondence between
the positions of the markings and the in-vivo information and
stores them; and for the medication determination device to
determine whether or not to perform medication for a site which is
indicated in the in-vivo information, based upon the in-vivo
information which has been stored in the first memory.
[0022] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the third capsule to
include a second memory which stores the marking which has been
specified by the specification device; and for the decision device
to make a decision as to whether or not a marking which has been
detected by the detection device is the specified marking which has
been stored in the second memory.
[0023] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that there to be further
included a unit external to the living body, disposed outside the
living body; and: for the first capsule to include an acquisition
device which acquires in-vivo information while establishing a
correspondence with the positions of the markings, and a first
capsule transmission device which transmits the in-vivo information
which has been acquired by the acquisition device towards the unit
external to the living body; and for the unit external to the
living body to include: a reception device external to the living
body which receives the in-vivo information which has been
transmitted from the first capsule transmission device; a
medication determination device which, based upon the in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device,
determines whether or not to perform medication for a site which is
indicated in the in-vivo information; and a specification device
which, based upon the determination by the medication determination
device, specifies a marking, from among the markings which have
been made within the living body, which indicates a site to perform
medication.
[0024] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that there to be further
included a unit external to the living body, disposed outside the
living body; and: for the first capsule to include an acquisition
device which acquires in-vivo information while establishing a
correspondence with the positions of the markings; for the third
capsule to include: the detection device; a third capsule
transmission device which transmits information about the markings
which have been detected by the detection device towards the unit
external to the living body; and a third capsule reception device
which receives a control signal for causing the long time period
marking device to operate; and the long time period marking control
device; for the unit external to the living body to include: a
reception device external to the living body which receives the
information about markings which has been transmitted from the
third capsule transmission device; a decision device which decides
whether or not information about a marking which has been received
by the reception device external to the living body is a specified
marking; and a transmission device external to the living body
which, if it has been decided by the decision device that it is the
specified marking, transmits the control signal towards the third
capsule reception device; and for the long time period marking
control device to cause the long time period marking device to
operate, if the control signal has been received by the third
capsule reception device.
[0025] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the second capsule to
include the long time period marking detection device and the
release control device.
[0026] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that there to be further
included a unit external to the living body, disposed outside the
living body; and wherein: for the second capsule to include: the
long time period marking detection device; a second capsule
transmission device which transmits information about the long time
period marking which has been detected by the long time period
marking detection device towards the unit external to the living
body; and a second capsule reception device which receives a
control signal for causing the release device to operate; for the
unit external to the living body to include: a reception device
external to the living body which receives the information about
the long time period marking which has been transmitted from the
second capsule transmission device; and a transmission device
external to the living body which, if information about the long
time period marking has been received by the reception device
external to the living body, transmits the control signal towards
the second capsule reception device; and for the release control
device to cause the release device to operate, when the control
signal has been received by the second capsule reception
device.
[0027] The present invention proposes a capsule medication
administration system, including: a first capsule for acquiring
in-vivo information, which is orally ingested to within the living
body; a second capsule for medication which is also orally ingested
to within the living body; a third capsule for long time period
marking which is also orally ingested to within the living body;
and a unit external to the living body which is disposed outside
the living body; and wherein: the first capsule includes: a marking
device which makes a marking within the living body; and an
acquisition device which acquires in-vivo information while
establishing a correspondence with the positions of the markings;
the third capsule includes: a detection device which detects the
markings; a third capsule transmission device which transmits
information about the markings which have been detected by the
detection device towards the unit external to the living body; a
long time period marking device which makes, within the living
body, a long time period marking which can last for a longer time
period than the marking; a third capsule reception device which
receives a control signal for causing the long time period marking
device to operate; and a long time period marking control device
which causes the long time period marking device to operate, if the
control signal has been received by the third capsule reception
device; the second capsule includes: a drug retention section which
retains a drug; a release device which releases the drug; a long
time period marking detection device which detects the long time
period marking; and a release control device which operates the
release device, if the long time period marking has been decided by
the long time period marking detection device; and the unit
external to the living body includes: a reception device external
to the living body which receives the information about the
markings which has been transmitted from the third capsule
transmission device; a medication determination device which, based
upon the in-vivo information which has been acquired by the
acquisition device, determines whether or not to perform medication
for a site which is indicated in the in-vivo information; a
specification device which, based upon the determination by the
medication determination device, specifies a marking, from among
the markings which have been made within the living body, which
indicates the position of a diseased part for which medication must
be performed; a decision device which, from the marking which has
been specified by the specification device and the information
about the markings which has been received by the reception device
external to the living body, decides whether or not a marking which
has been detected by the detection device is a specified marking;
and a transmission device external to the living body, which
transmits the control signal towards the third capsule reception
device, if it has been decided by the decision device that it is
the specified marking.
[0028] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the long time period
marking device to include a indwell device which deploys a
indwelling member within the living body.
[0029] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the long time period
marking device to include a indwell device which deploys a
indwelling member within the living body.
[0030] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the first capsule to
include a first memory which establishes a correspondence between
the positions of the markings and the in-vivo information, and
stores it; and for the medication determination device to acquire
the in-vivo information from the first memory.
[0031] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is desirable, every time the detection device
detects a marking, for the decision device to count the number
thereof, and to decide that the marking which is detected by the
detection device is the specified marking, when the number of the
marking arrives at a specified number.
[0032] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is desirable, every time the detection device
detects a marking, for the decision device to count the number
thereof, and to decide that the marking which is detected by the
detection device is the specified marking, when the number of the
marking arrives at a specified number.
[0033] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the marking device to
include a liquid chemical release device which releases a liquid
chemical within the living body.
[0034] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the marking device to
include a liquid chemical release device which releases a liquid
chemical within the living body.
[0035] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the acquisition device to
include an observation device which includes an imaging device
which forms an image of the interior of the living body, and an
illumination device which illuminates the interior of the living
body.
[0036] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the acquisition device to
include an observation device which includes an imaging device
which forms an image of the interior of the living body, and an
illumination device which illuminates the interior of the living
body.
[0037] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the acquisition device to
include a blood sensor which detects hemorrhage within the living
body.
[0038] With the capsule medication administration system of the
present invention, it is preferable that the acquisition device to
include a blood sensor which detects hemorrhage within the living
body.
[0039] The present invention proposes a medication administration
method, including: a step of disposing a first capsule which
includes an observation device and a marking device within the
coelom of a living body; a step of observing the living body with
the observation device; a step of making a marking within the
living body with the marking device; a step of determining a
medication position; a step of determining a specified marking
which indicates the medication position; a step of disposing a
second capsule which includes a medication device and a marking
detection device within the coelom; a step of detecting the
marking; a step of deciding whether or not a marking which has been
detected is the specified marking; and a step of, if it has been
decided that it is the specified marking, releasing a drug by the
medication device.
[0040] The present invention proposes a medication administration
method, including: a step of disposing a first capsule which
includes an observation device and a marking device within the
coelom of a living body; a step of observing the living body with
the observation device; a step of making a marking within the
living body with the marking device; a step of determining a
medication position within the living body; a step of determining a
specified marking which indicates the medication position; a step
of disposing a third capsule which includes a long time period
marking device within the coelom; a step of detecting the marking;
a step of deciding whether or not a marking which has been detected
is the specified marking; a step of, if it has been decided that it
is the specified marking, making a long time period marking with
the long time period marking device; a step of disposing a second
capsule which includes a medication device and a long time period
marking detection device within the coelom; a step of detecting the
long time period marking; and a step of, if a long time period
marking which has been detected, releasing a drug by the medication
device.
[0041] With the medication administration method of the present
invention, it is preferable that the step of making a marking with
the marking device within the living body to be repeated a
plurality of times.
[0042] With the medication administration method of the present
invention, it is preferable that the step of making a marking with
the marking device within the living body to be repeated a
plurality of times at equal time intervals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0043] FIG. 1 is a schematic figure showing a first embodiment of
the capsule medication administration system according to the
present invention.
[0044] FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a capsule for observation
which is used in the capsule medication administration system shown
in FIG. 1.
[0045] FIG. 3 is an external view showing a capsule for medication
which is used in the capsule medication administration system shown
in FIG. 1.
[0046] FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the capsule for
medication shown in FIG. 3.
[0047] FIG. 5 is a structural view of a unit external to the living
body which is used in the capsule medication administration system
shown in FIG. 1.
[0048] FIG. 6 is a figure showing a situation in which markings are
being made by the capsule for observation within a living body.
[0049] FIG. 7 is a figure showing a situation in which a diseased
part is positioned between a tenth marking and an eleventh
marking.
[0050] FIG. 8 is a figure showing a situation in which the capsule
for medication detects a tenth marking (a specified marking) and a
drug is released.
[0051] FIG. 9 is a flow chart for when medication is performed for
a diseased part by the capsule medication administration
system.
[0052] FIG. 10 is a flow chart which continues on from the flow
chart of FIG. 9.
[0053] FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a second embodiment of
the capsule medication administration system according to the
present invention.
[0054] FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing a capsule for
observation which is used by the capsule medication administration
system shown in FIG. 11.
[0055] FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing a capsule for medication
which is used by the capsule medication administration system shown
in FIG. 11.
[0056] FIG. 14 is a schematic figure showing a third embodiment of
the capsule medication administration system according to the
present invention.
[0057] FIG. 15 is an external view showing a capsule for long time
period marking which is used by the capsule medication
administration system shown in FIG. 14.
[0058] FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the capsule for long time
period marking shown in FIG. 15.
[0059] FIG. 17 is a sectional view showing a capsule for medication
which is used by the capsule medication administration system shown
in FIG. 14.
[0060] FIG. 18 is a figure showing the situation in which the
capsule for long time period marking has detected a tenth marking
(a specified marking) and has released a stent.
[0061] FIG. 19 is a schematic figure showing a fourth embodiment of
the capsule medication administration system according to the
present invention.
[0062] FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing a capsule for long time
period marking which is used by the capsule medication
administration system shown in FIG. 19.
[0063] FIG. 21 is a figure showing the structure of another liquid
chemical release means within the capsule for observation.
[0064] FIG. 22 is a figure showing the structure of yet another
liquid chemical release means within the capsule for observation,
and is a figure showing the situation in which it is positioned
within the small intestine.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0065] In the following, the first embodiment of the capsule
medication administration system according to the present invention
will be explained with reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 10.
[0066] As shown in FIG. 1, the capsule medication administration
system 1 of this embodiment includes a capsule for observation (a
first capsule) 10 which is orally ingested into a living body P (i.
e. into his living body) for capturing information about his body,
a capsule for medication (a second capsule) 30, and a unit 50
external to the living body which is disposed outside the living
body.
[0067] As shown in FIG. 2, the capsule for observation 10 includes,
within a capsule shaped casing 11: an observation device (an
acquisition device) 12 which acquires a photographic image, which
is in-vivo information, by photographing various internal portions
within the living body; a marking device 13 which includes a liquid
chemical release device 13a which makes a marking M by releasing a
marking material (a liquid chemical) W within the living body; and
a memory 14 (a first memory) which stores the positions of the
marking M which has been made by the marking device 13 and the
photographic image which has been acquired by the observation
device 12.
[0068] The casing 11 includes a cover 11a which is formed from a
plastic material or the like so as tightly to seal its interior,
and which is transparent at one end portion thereof. An objective
lens 15 for forming images of various internal portions of the
living body is disposed in the interior of this transparent cover
11a, and an image formation element 16, such as for example a CMOS
imager or a CCD or the like, is disposed at the image focusing
position of this objective lens 15. This objective lens 15 and
image formation element 16 constitute an imaging device 12a which
forms images of the interior of the living body. Furthermore, LEDs
(illumination devices) 17 which emit light for illumination so as
to illuminate the visual field range of the objective lens 15 are
disposed around the perimeter of the objective lens 15. In other
words, this imaging device 12a and these LEDs 17 constitute the
observation device 12.
[0069] Furthermore, a minute discharge aperture 18 is formed at one
portion of the casing 11, and at the inside of this discharge
aperture 18 there is provided a reservoir 19 which stores a marking
material W such as a dye (for example the marking material "SPOT"
made by the US company GI Supply or the like), or a fluorescent
substance, a magnetic substance, a radioactive substance or the
like. A portion of the reservoir 19 is made to be elastically
deformable, and a piezo element 20 is provided at its position of
elasticity. In other words it is possible, by supplying a voltage
signal or the like to the piezo element 20, for the piezo element
20 to expand and press upon the reservoir 19, thus discharging the
marking material W from the discharge aperture 18 towards the
exterior of the casing 11. By doing this, it is possible to make a
marking M such as a black spot upon the luminal wall of the
digestive organs or the like within the living body. In other
words, this reservoir 19 and piezo element 20 constitute a liquid
chemical release device 13a, and the liquid chemical release device
13a and the discharge aperture 18 constitute a marking device 13.
It should be understood that, when a predetermined time interval
has elapsed after the marking M has been made within the living
body, the marking material W is naturally metabolized within the
living body and disappears.
[0070] Furthermore, within the casing 11, there are housed a
control processing section 21 which, along with controlling the
observation device 12 and the liquid chemical release device 13a,
also performs predetermined processing upon the in-vivo information
which has been acquired by the observation device 12 and sends it
to a memory 14, a transmission device (the first capsule
transmission device) 22 which consists of a transmitter which
wireless transmits the in-vivo information and the like which is
stored in the memory 14 towards the unit 50 external to the living
body and a transmission antenna, and a battery 23 which supplies
electrical power to the various structural components described
above.
[0071] The control processing section 21 is equipped with the
function of, after ingestion to within the living body, sending a
signal to the piezo element 20 so as to operate the liquid chemical
release device 13a, so as to make a marking M within the living
body periodically, for example once every five minutes, while
moving within the living body. Furthermore it is equipped with the
function of, at the same time, controlling the observation device
12 so as randomly to form images of the interior of the living
body, for example twice every second, thus causing it to acquire
in-vivo information. Moreover, along with performing predetermined
processing upon the in-vivo information which has been sent from
the observation device 12, the control processing section 21 also
establishes a correspondence between this in-vivo information and
the operational timing of the piezo element 20, and stores it in
succession in the memory 14. In other words, it is equipped with
the function of establishing a correspondence between the positions
of the markings M which have been made within the living body and
the in-vivo information, and of storing it in the memory 14.
Furthermore, as described above, it is also capable of transmitting
it from the memory 14 via the transmission device 22 to the unit 50
external to the living body. Moreover, it is also capable of
transmitting the in-vivo information which it has acquired directly
in order towards the unit 50 external to the living body, i. e. not
via the memory 14.
[0072] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the capsule for medication 30
includes, within a capsule shaped casing 31: a reservoir (a drug
retention section) 32 which retains a drug A in liquid form; a
release device 33 which releases the drug A which has been retained
in the reservoir 32; a reception antenna (a second capsule
reception device) 34 which receives a control signal which has been
transmitted from the unit 50 external to the living body; a control
section (a release control device) 35 which causes the release
device 33 to operate when a control signal has been received by the
reception antenna 34; sensors (detection devices) 36 which detect a
marking M that has been made within the living body; a transmission
antenna (a second capsule transmission device) 37 which transmits
information about a marking M which has been detected by the
sensors 36 to the unit 50 external to the living body; and a
battery 38 which supplies electrical power to the various
structural components.
[0073] The casing 31 is made from a plastic material or the like so
as tightly to seal its interior, and the reservoir 32 is provided
at the interior portion of its one end so as to be surrounded by a
wall portion 32a and the inner peripheral surface of the casing 31.
On the outer surface of the casing 31, which is the perimeter of
the reservoir 32, there are formed a plurality of drug apertures 39
around the axis of the casing 31. Thin membranes are formed upon
the drug apertures 39, so that the drug A which is retained in the
reservoir 32 does not leak out from the drug apertures 39.
Furthermore, a heater 40 is provided within the reservoir 32. The
heater 40 is equipped with the function of causing gas bubbles to
be generated by instantaneous heating, so that the thin membranes
of the drug apertures 39 may be broken by the pressure thereof, and
the drug A may be released from the drug apertures 39. In other
words, these drug apertures 39 and this heater 40 constitute a
release device 33.
[0074] A plurality of the sensors 36 are formed around the axis of
the casing 31 upon the outer surface of its other end. The sensors
36 are equipped with the function of detecting a marking M which
has been made by the capsule for observation 10 during its moving
within the living body, and sending it to the control section 35.
Furthermore, when the control section 35 receives a control signal
which has been sent from the unit 50 external to the living body
via the reception antenna 34, it controls the heater 40 so as to
cause it to heat up.
[0075] Furthermore, if for example the marking material W is a dye
or a fluorescent substance of a specified color, then the sensors
36 consist of optical sensors which have sensitivity to the
wavelength of that color, and of LEDs for illuminating the interior
of the lumen. These LEDs are optimized for a wavelength which is
matched to the characteristics of the marking material W.
[0076] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, the unit 50 external to the
living body includes, within a main body 51 which can be put on to
the outside of the patient P: a reception antenna (a reception
device external to the living body) 52 which receives information
about a marking M which has been sent from the transmission antenna
of the capsule for medication 30; a determination section (a
medication determination device) 53 which determines, based upon
the in-vivo information which has been stored in the memory 14 of
the capsule for observation 10, whether or not medication is
required for a diseased part X which is shown in the in-vivo
information; a specification section (a specification device) 54
which specifies a marking M which gives the position of a diseased
part X based upon the determination by the determination section
53; a decision section (a decision device) 55 which, from
information about a marking M which has been specified by the
specification section 54 and information about a marking M which
has been received by the reception antenna 52, decides whether or
not the marking M which has been detected is the specified marking
M; and a transmission antenna (a transmission device external to
the living body) 56 which transmits a control signal towards the
capsule for medication 30 when it has been decided by the decision
section 55 that it is the specified marking M.
[0077] The main body 51 can be put on to the exterior of the living
body by being put onto a belt or the like of the patient P. The
reception antenna 52 and the transmission antenna 56 are provided,
for example, so as to project from this main body 51.
[0078] Furthermore, the reception antenna 52 is equipped with the
function of receiving the information about the markings M from the
capsule for medication 30, and the in-vivo information which has
been put into correspondence with the markings M sent and arrived
from the transmission device 22 of the capsule for observation 10.
Moreover, the reception antenna 52 is equipped with the function of
transmitting the in-vivo information and so on which it has
received to the determination section 53 and the specification
section 54.
[0079] Along with detecting, for example, red color from the
photographic image which has been sent from the memory 14 via the
reception antenna 52, which is in-vivo information, the
determination section 53 compares together this detected amount and
a threshold value which is set in advance, and, if the result of
this comparison is greater than or equal to a threshold value,
determines that it is a hemorrhagic site (a diseased part X) for
which medication is required.
[0080] Furthermore, the specification section 54 specifies the
marking M which designates the position of the diseased part X from
the in-vivo information which specifies the diseased part X which
has been determined by the determination section 53 and the marking
M which has been established in correspondence with the in-vivo
information which has been sent from the memory 14 and has arrived
via the reception antenna 52. At this time, the specified marking M
is specified by the number in sequence of the marking M from the
oral ingestion, for example, as the tenth marking M.
[0081] Moreover, when it receives the information about a marking M
which has been sent from the capsule for medication 30 and has
arrived, the reception antenna 52 sends it to the decision section
55. The decision section 55 compares together the information about
the marking M which has been sent and has arrived, and the marking
M which designates the position of the diseased part X which has
been specified by the specification section 54, and makes a
decision as to whether or not the marking M which has been detected
by the capsule for medication 30 is the specified marking M. At
this time, the decision section 55 decides whether or not it is the
specified marking M by counting the number of the markings M which
have been sent from the capsule for medication 30. If it decides
that the marking M which has been detected by the capsule for
medication 30 is the specified marking M, in other words that
medication is required, then it dispatches a control signal from
the transmission antenna 56.
[0082] The case of administration of medication with a drug A to a
diseased part X within the living body P by the capsule medication
administration system 1 with this type of structure will be
described below with reference to FIG. 6 through FIG. 10.
[0083] First, as shown in FIG. 1, in a medical facility or the like
such as a hospital or the like, the patient P puts on the unit 50
external to the living body. After putting this on, upon the
command of a physician, he swallows and orally ingests (S1) the
capsule for observation 10. At this time, a switch not shown in the
drawings in the capsule for observation 10 is turned on when it is
ingested, so that electrical power is supplied from the battery 23
and the control processing section 21 starts to operate. As shown
in FIG. 6, while the capsule for observation 10 which has been
orally ingested moves within the living body A, the control
processing section 21 causes the liquid chemical release device 13a
to operate, and thereby markings M are made upon the luminal wall
of the digestive organs within the living body, for example at the
rate of one every five minutes. In other words, the control
processing section 21 sends an operating signal or the like to the
piezo element 20 to expand it. Due to this, pressure is applied to
the reservoir 19, which expels the marking material W from the
discharge aperture 18, thus making the markings M. Furthermore, at
the same time, the control processing section 21 causes the
observation device 12 to operate, and thereby acquires in-vivo
information (S2) by forming images of the various internal parts
thereof, for example at a rate of two per second. Moreover, the
control processing section 21 establishes a correspondence between
this in-vivo information which has been acquired by the observation
device 12 and the positions of the markings M, and, stores it this
in the memory 14, wirelessly transmits it from the transmission
device 22 to the unit 50 external to the living body (S3). This
in-vivo information which has been transmitted is received by the
reception antenna 52 of the unit 50 external to the living body,
and is sent to the determination section 53 and to the
specification section 54.
[0084] On the other hand, when the determination section 53 of the
unit 50 external to the living body acquires a photographic image,
which is in-vivo information, via the reception antenna 52, it
makes a decision as to whether or not medication is necessary for a
diseased part which is shown in that photographic image. For
example, along with detecting only red color from the photographic
image, it may compare together the detected amount thereof and a
threshold value which is set in advance, and, if the result of this
comparison is that the detected amount is greater than or equal to
the threshold value, then it may decide that this is a hemorrhagic
site, in other words a diseased part X, for which medication is
required (S4).
[0085] Furthermore, when this decision is made, the specification
section 54 specifies the marking M that indicates the position of
the diseased part X (S5). In other words, since the in-vivo
information and the positions of the markings M are sent via the
reception antenna 52 to the specification section 54 with a
correspondence being established between them, the specification of
the marking M which is related to the in-vivo information may be
performed from the in-vivo information of the diseased part X which
has been determined by the determination section 53. It should be
understood that, at this time, the specified marking M is specified
by the number in order of the marking M, i. e. by which numbered
marking M it is.
[0086] It should be understood that, in this embodiment, as shown
in FIG. 7, the position of the diseased part X is supposed as being
positioned between the tenth marking M and the eleventh marking M,
so that the specified marking M which indicates the position of the
diseased part X is taken as being the tenth marking.
[0087] On the other hand, after the observation by the capsule for
observation 10 has terminated by a predetermined time period having
elapses from when the patient P orally ingested the capsule for
observation 10, or by excretion of the capsule for observation 10
or the like, the capsule for medication 30 is orally ingested (S6)
according to a medication time which has been determined. It should
be understood that the patient P may leave the medical facility or
the like after having been given the capsule for medication 30 by a
physician or the like.
[0088] After this, while the capsule for medication 30 which has
been orally ingested by the patient P moves within the living body,
the markings M which have been made by the capsule for observation
10 are detected by the sensors 36 (S7). When a sensor 36 detects a
marking M, information about this marking M is transmitted to the
control section 35, and the control section 35 wirelessly transmits
it from the transmission antenna 37 to the unit 50 external to the
living body (S8).
[0089] The information about the markings M that has been
transmitted is received by the reception antenna 52 of the unit 50
external to the living body, and is sent to the decision section
55. By counting the number of the markings M which are transmitted,
the decision section 55 decides whether or not this is the marking
M which specifies the position of the diseased part X which has
been specified by the specification section 54 (S9). In other
words, since the specified marking is the tenth marking M, it is
decided that the marking M which is initially detected is not the
specified marking M. Furthermore, since the marking M which is next
transmitted is the second marking M according to count number, it
is decided that it is not the specified marking M.
[0090] Thus, when the capsule for medication 30 has detected the
tenth marking M, the decision section 55 of the unit 50 external to
the living body decides according to the count number that this
marking M which has been sent is the tenth marking M, in other
words, that it is the specified marking M for which medication is
required (S10).
[0091] When it is decided that medication is required, the decision
section 55 wirelessly transmits a control signal from the
transmission antenna 56 towards the capsule for medication 30
(S11). The control signal which has been transmitted is received by
the reception antenna 34 of the capsule for medication 30, and is
transmitted to the control section 35. The control section 35
receives this control signal and operates the heater 40 (S12). Due
to this, the heater 40 applies heat momentarily and generates gas
bubbles, and due to the pressure of these gas bubbles the thin
membranes of the drug apertures 39 are broken (S13), and, as shown
in FIG. 8, the drug A within the reservoir 32 is released from the
drug apertures 39 to the exterior of the casing 11. In other words,
since the position of the diseased part X is indicated by the
specified marking M, the drug which has been released comes to act
directly upon the diseased part X. Due to this, it is possible to
perform medication directly upon the diseased part X (S14).
[0092] According to the capsule medication administration system 1
as described above, acquisition of in-vivo information, which is
photographic images of the patient P, is performed by the capsule
for observation 10 while it makes the markings M internally to the
living body. The unit 50 external to the living body is able to
acquire the in-vivo information with a correspondence being
established with the positions of the markings M which are stored
in the memory 14 by wireless communication with the capsule for
observation 10. The determination section 53 of the unit 50
external to the living body determines upon the diseased part X for
which medication is required based upon this in-vivo information,
and the specification section 54, which receives this decision,
performs specification of the marking M which indicates the
position of the diseased part X for which medication is required.
In other words, it is possible to designate the specified marking M
which indicates the position of the diseased part X.
[0093] It is possible to release the drug A at the position of the
specified marking M by the capsule for medication 30, based upon
the decision by the decision section 55 of the unit 50 external to
the living body. At this time, since the specified marking M
indicates the position of the diseased part X, it is possible for
the drug A to act directly upon the diseased part X. In other
words, it is possible to medicate the diseased part X reliably.
Furthermore, the medication is not performed after detecting the
diseased part X; since, rather, the medication is performed by
detecting the specified marking M which indicates the position of
the diseased part X, accordingly the diseased part X is not passed
over while the drug A is being released.
[0094] Furthermore, since the decision as to whether or not the
medication is required is performed by the unit 50 which is
external to the living body, accordingly it is possible to utilize
a simple structure for the capsule for observation 10 and for the
capsule for medication 30, and it is possible to anticipate a
reduction in the size thereof.
[0095] Furthermore, the decision as to whether or not this is the
specified marking M is performed by the decision section 55 of the
unit 50 external to the living body counting the number of the
markings M. Thus, since it is done not with the color or the shape
or the like of the markings M, but rather by counting the number
thereof which are detected, accordingly detection mistakes do not
occur, and it is possible to detect the specified marking M easily
and moreover with high accuracy, and thus it is possible to perform
medication for the diseased part X more accurately. Furthermore,
since it is also possible to anticipate, according to the count
number of the markings M, that the system is getting near the
marking M, accordingly it is possible to detect the specified
marking M with high accuracy.
[0096] It should be understood that although, in this embodiment,
the in-vivo information is acquired with a correspondence being
established with the positions of the markings M which are stored
in the memory 14 by the unit 50 which is external to the living
body performing wireless communication with the capsule for
observation 10, this should not be considered as being limitative;
for example, it would also be acceptable to arrange for this
information to be taken from the memory 14 after retrieving the
capsule for observation 10 after it has been excreted. Since, in
this case, the transmission device 22 and so on would be
unnecessary, accordingly it would be possible to make the capsule
for observation 10 with a more simple structure, so that it would
be possible to anticipate a further reduction in the size
thereof.
[0097] Furthermore, although the diseased part X for which
medication is required is determined upon by the decision section
55 of the unit 50 external to the living body comparing together
the in-vivo information and a threshold value, this should not be
considered as being limitative; for example, it would also be
acceptable for the determination section 55 to be connected to a
personal computer or the like, and for this decision to be
delegated to the judgment of a physician. By doing this, it is
possible to make this decision more accurately.
[0098] Moreover, although the sensors 36 were optical sensors, if
an function of optical observation were to be imparted to the
capsule for medication 30, it would also be possible to combine an
optical observation function and optical sensors. Furthermore, if
the marking material W were to be a radioactive substance,
radiation detection sensors would be utilized for the sensors
36.
[0099] Yet further, it would also be acceptable to provide the
liquid chemical release device 13a in a plurality to the capsule
for observation 30, to put respectively different marking materials
W into them, and to arrange to discharge these marking materials W
alternately. Since by doing this the different marking materials W
would be detected alternately by the capsule for medication 30,
accordingly it would be possible to decided upon the position for
medication with greater accuracy, since it would be detected if any
oversight in detection had occurred, for example if the spot of a
marking M had been omitted, or if the same marking M had been
detected twice in succession.
[0100] Next, the second embodiment of the capsule medication
administration system according to the present invention will be
explained with reference to FIG. 11 through FIG. 13. It should be
understood that in this second embodiment, to structural elements
which are the same as the first embodiment, the same reference
symbols are appended, and the explanation thereof is curtailed.
[0101] The point in which this second embodiment differs from the
first embodiment, is that while, in the first embodiment, in
addition to the capsule for observation 10 and the capsule for
medication 30, the unit 50 external to the living body was also
provided, by contrast, as shown in FIG. 11, the capsule medication
administration system 80 of the second embodiment consists of a
capsule for observation (a first capsule) 90 and the capsule for
medication (a second capsule) 100.
[0102] As shown in FIG. 12, the capsule for observation 90
includes, within a casing 11, a determination section (a medication
determination device) 91 which, based upon a photographic image
which is stored in the memory 14, and which is in-vivo information,
determines whether or not medication is required for a diseased
part X which is displayed in this photographic image, and a
specification section (a specification device) 92 which specifies
the marking M which, based upon the determination by the
determination section 91, indicates the position of the diseased
part X for which medication is required.
[0103] The determination section 91, along with detecting, for
example, red color from the photographic image which is stored in
the memory 14, compares the detected amount thereof with a
threshold value which is set in advance, and, if the result of this
comparison is that it is greater than or equal to this threshold
value, determines that this is a hemorrhagic site (a diseased part
X) for which medication is required.
[0104] Furthermore, the specification section 92 specifies a
marking M which indicates the position of this diseased part X from
the in-vivo information which indicates this diseased part which
has been determined by the determination section 91, and the
position of the marking M which has been established in
correspondence with the in-vivo information which is stored in the
memory 14. At this time, the specified marking M is specified by
the number in order of the marking M from the oral ingestion of the
capsule, for example, as the tenth such marking M.
[0105] As shown in FIG. 13, the capsule for medication 100
includes, within a casing 31, a memory for marking (a second
memory) 101 which stores information about the markings M which
have been specified by the specification section 92 of the capsule
for observation 90, and a decision section (a decision device) 102
which decides whether or not this marking M which has been detected
by the sensors 36 is the specified marking M which is stored in the
memory 101 for markings.
[0106] The decision section 102 counts the number of the markings M
which are transmitted from the sensors 36, and, when it agrees with
the number in order (the number) of the marking M which is stored
in the memory 101 for markings, decides that this marking M which
has been detected is the specified marking, and informs the control
section 35. The control section 35 which receives this information
causes the release device 33 to operate.
[0107] The procedure of medication with a drug A for a diseased
part X within the living body P by the capsule medication
administration system 80 which is structured in this manner will
now be described below.
[0108] When the capsule for observation 90 which has been orally
ingested by the patient P moves around within his body, along with
making the markings M within the living body with the liquid
chemical release device 13, acquisition of the in-vivo information,
which is the photographic images, is performed by the observation
device 12, and furthermore a correspondence is established by the
control processing section 21 between this in-vivo information and
the positions of the markings M, and is stored in the memory 14.
When this has been done, the determination section 92, along with
detecting only the red color from the photographic images which are
stored in the memory 14, also compares the detected amount with a
threshold value which is set in advance, and if it is greater than
or equal to the threshold value, determines that this is a
hemorrhagic site (a diseased part X) for which medication is
required.
[0109] After this determination, the specification section 92
performs specification of a marking M which indicates the position
of the diseased part X from the in-vivo information which indicates
the diseased part X which has been determined by the determination
section 91, and the position of the marking M which has been
established in correspondence with the in-vivo information which is
stored in the memory 14. It should be understood that, in this
embodiment as well, the specified marking M is supposed to be the
tenth marking M.
[0110] Next, along with retrieving the capsule for observation 90
which has been excreted from the patient P, the information about
the marking M which has been specified by the specification section
92 is caused to be stored in the memory 101 for markings of the
capsule for medication 100. After this, the capsule for medication
100 which has been orally ingested by the patient P performs moving
within his body while detecting the markings M with the sensors 36.
When the sensors 36 detect a marking M, they transmit it to the
decision section 102. The decision section 102 counts the number of
the markings M which are sent from the sensors 36, and performs
comparison of it with the numbers of the markings M stored in the
memory 101 for markings, and, when the number in order (the number)
agrees, along with deciding that this marking M which has currently
been detected is the specified marking, informs the control section
35 to that effect. The control section 35 which receives this
information causes the heater 30 to operate, and releases the drug
A from the drug aperture 39. By doing this, it is possible to
perform the medication directly to the diseased part X.
[0111] Since, according to the capsule medication administration
system 80 described above, the capsule for medication 100 itself
decides with the decision section 102 whether or not this is the
specified marking M, and performs the medication, therefore there
is no requirement for any separate device for deciding upon the
medication. Accordingly, it is possible to make the time which is
required for release of the drug A after detection of the marking M
shorter, and it is possible to release the drug A at the position
of the specified marking M with high accuracy. Furthermore, this
system is very simple and convenient, since there is no requirement
to put on any separate device or the like.
[0112] Next, the third embodiment of the capsule medication
administration system according to the present invention will be
explained with reference to FIG. 14 through FIG. 18. It should be
understood that in this third embodiment, to structural elements
which are the same as the first embodiment, the same reference
symbols are appended, and the explanation thereof is curtailed.
[0113] The point of difference between the third embodiment and the
first embodiment, is the point that, whereas in the first
embodiment medication was applied to the diseased part X by orally
ingesting the capsule for medication 30 after the capsule for
observation 10, by contrast, in the capsule medication
administration system 110 of the third embodiment, after the
capsule for observation 10, a capsule for long time period marking
(a third capsule) 120 for long time period marking is orally
ingested, and this third capsule 120 deploys a stent (a long time
period marking) S, which is an indwelling member, within the living
body; and, after this, a capsule for medication (a second capsule)
130 is orally ingested, and releases the drug A at the position of
the stent S.
[0114] In other words, as shown in FIG. 14, the capsule medication
administration system 110 of this embodiment includes the capsule
for observation 10, the capsule for long time period marking 120,
and the capsule for medication 130, which are orally ingested to
within the living body P, and also the unit 50 external to the
living body, which is fitted externally to his body.
[0115] As shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the capsule for long time
period marking 120 includes, within a capsule shaped casing 121,
sensors 122 (detection devices) which detect the markings M which
have been made within the living body, a transmission antenna (a
third capsule transmission device) 123 which transmits information
about the markings M which has been detected by the sensors 122 to
the unit 50 external to the living body, a long time period marking
device 124 which includes a stent S which can last for a longer
time period inside the living body than the markings M and stent
release sections (implantation devices) 124a which cause deployment
of this stent inside the living body, a reception antenna (a third
capsule reception device) 125 which receives a control signal which
has been sent and has arrived from the unit 50 external to the
living body, a control section (a marking control device) 126 which
causes the stent release section 124a to operate when it has
received the control signal from the reception antenna 125, and a
battery 127 which supplies electrical power to the various
structural components described above.
[0116] The casing 121 is formed from a plastic material or the like
so as tightly to seal its interior, and, at its central portion, in
order to retain the stent S, there is formed a narrower diameter
portion 121a whose diameter is narrower by just the amount of the
thickness of the stent S. At this narrower diameter portion 121a,
the stent release sections 124a are provided in plurality so as to
project towards the outside. Furthermore, along with the stent S
being fitted over the perimeter of the narrower diameter portion
121a so as to be wrapped around it, the stent S is retained
thereupon by the stent release sections 124a. At this time, as
described above, since the narrower diameter portion 121a is
thinner by just the amount of the thickness of the stent S,
accordingly, in the state in which the stent S is retained, the
stent S does not project within the digestive organs of the living
body or the like, and thus no interference occurs during moving
around in the living body.
[0117] The stent S is made from a magnetic substance which has been
magnetized or from a magnet or the like, and it is formed in the
shape of a mesh which has a tubular form and moreover is equipped
with elasticity. Furthermore, the stent S is equipped with the
function of expanding in the radial direction when it is released
from its state in which it is retained upon the narrower diameter
portion 121a by the operation of the stent release sections 124a.
Due to this, the stent S sticks fast against the lumen of the
digestive organs, so as to press outwards thereupon from the inside
thereof.
[0118] The sensors 122 are provided in plurality upon the outer
surface of one end of the casing 121, around the axis of the casing
121. These sensors 122 are equipped with the function of detecting
the markings M which have been made by the capsule for observation
10 while moving around within the living body, and of sending to
the control section 126. The control section 126 sends information
about the markings M which has been sent and has arrived via the
transmission antenna 123 to the unit 50 external to the living
body. Furthermore, when this control section 126 receives a control
signal which has been sent from the unit 50 external to the living
body, it releases the stent S by causing the stent release sections
124a to operate.
[0119] As shown in FIG. 17, the capsule for medication 130
includes, within a capsule shaped casing 31, a reservoir 32, a
release device 33, magnetic sensors (long time period marking
detection devices) 131 which detect the stent S which has been
implanted by the capsule for long time period marking 120, a
control section 35 which causes the release device 33 to operate
when the stent S has been detected by the magnetic sensors 131, and
a battery 38 which supplies electrical power to the various
structural components described above.
[0120] The magnetic sensors 131 are provided in plurality upon the
outer surface of the other end of the casing 31 (the opposite end
thereof to the drug apertures 39), around the axis of the casing
31, and are equipped with the function of, when they have detected
the stent S during moving around within the living body, notifying
the control section 35 to this effect. The control section 35 which
receives this notification causes the heater 40 to operate, and
thereby releases the drug A within the reservoir 32 through the
drug apertures 39.
[0121] Furthermore, a reception antenna 52 of the unit 50 external
to the living body of this embodiment receives the information
about the markings M which has been sent and has arrived from the
transmission antenna 123 of the capsule for long time period
marking 120, and a transmission antenna 56 transmits a control
signal towards the capsule for long time period marking 120.
[0122] The case of medication with a drug A for a diseased part X
in the interior of the living body P with the capsule medication
administration system 110 which has the above described structure
will now be explained in the following.
[0123] The capsule for observation 110 which has been orally
ingested by the patient P, along with establishing a correspondence
between photographic images, which are in-vivo information, and the
positions of the markings M and storing the same in a memory 14,
also transmits it from the transmission antenna 22 towards the unit
50 external to the living body. When this is done, the
determination section 53 of the unit 50 external to the living
body, along with acquiring via the reception antenna 52 this
in-vivo information which is these photographic images, also, by
comparing them with a threshold value, determines, for a diseased
part X which is shown in the photographic images, that it is a
diseased part X for which medication is required. Furthermore, from
the information about the diseased part X in the living body which
has been determined by the determination section 53, the
specification section 54 performs specification of the marking M
which is related to this in-vivo information. It should be
understood that, in this embodiment as well, the specified marking
M is taken as being the tenth marking M.
[0124] Furthermore, after observation by the capsule for
observation 10 has been terminated by a predetermined time period
elapsing from when the patient P orally ingested the capsule for
observation 10, or by him excreting the capsule for observation 10,
or the like, he orally ingests the capsule for long time period
marking 120 according to the time period for medication which has
been determined. It should be understood that, after the patient P
has received the capsule for long time period marking 120 and the
capsule for medication 130, he may leave the medical facility or
the like.
[0125] While the capsule for long time period marking 120 which has
been orally ingested is moving within the living body, the sensors
122 detect the markings M which have been made by the capsule for
observation 10. When the sensors 122 detect a marking M,
information about the marking M is sent to the control section 126,
and the control section 126 transmits it from the transmission
antenna 123 to the unit 50 external to the living body.
[0126] The information about the marking which has been transmitted
is received by the reception antenna 52 of the unit 50 external to
the living body, and it is decided by the decision section 55
whether or not it is the specified marking M. Thus, if the capsule
for long time period marking 120 has detected the tenth marking M,
the decision section 55, along with deciding from the count number
that this is the specified marking M, also transmits a control
signal from the transmission antenna 56 towards the capsule for
long time period marking 120. The control signal which has been
transmitted is received by the reception antenna 125 of the capsule
for long time period marking 120, and is sent to the control
section 126. The control section 126 receives this control signal
and causes the stent release sections 124a to operate. As shown in
FIG. 18, when the stent release sections 124a receive this signal
from the control section 126, they release their retention of the
stent S, thus releasing the stent S. The stent S which has thus
been released expands in the radial direction and becomes tightly
fixed by expanding and pressing against the lumen of the digestive
organs. Due to this, the stent S is put into place in the vicinity
of the specified marking M, and thus constitutes a sign which
indicates the position of the diseased part X.
[0127] After a predetermined time period has elapsed from the oral
ingestion of the capsule for long time period marking 120, or after
the excretion of the capsule for long time period marking 120 or
the like, the patient P orally ingests the capsule for marking 130.
At this time, the patient P may take off the unit 50 external to
the living body.
[0128] The capsule for medication 130 which has been orally
ingested observes the interior of the living body with the magnetic
sensors 131 while moving about therein. Thus, when the capsule for
medication 130 arrives at the stent S, along with the magnetic
sensors 131 reacting to the stent S and thereby detecting the
position of the stent S, information to this effect is sent to the
control section 35. The control section 35 receives this signal
from the magnetic sensors 131, and causes the heater 40 to operate.
Due to this, the heater 40 applies heat momentarily and causes gas
bubbles to be generated, so that the thin membranes of the drug
apertures 39 are broken by the pressure of these gas bubbles,
whereby the drug A in the reservoir 32 is released to the exterior
of the casing 31 from the drug apertures 39. At this time, since
the stent S is a sign which indicates the position of the diseased
part X, the drug A which has been released comes to act upon the
diseased part X, and accordingly it is possible to perform
medication directly upon the diseased part X.
[0129] Since, according to the capsule medication administration
system 110 as described above, the stent S is implanted in the
position of the specified marking M, accordingly, even if the
marking M which has been made by the capsule for observation 10 is
destroyed due to being metabolized, it is still possible to specify
the position of the diseased part X due to its indication by the
stent S.
[0130] Accordingly, even if it is necessary to perform treatment
continuously over a long period of time, it is possible to apply
medication easily and moreover accurately directly to the diseased
part X as many times as required, simply by orally ingesting the
capsule for medication 130. In particular, since the decision as to
whether or not it is the specified marking is performed by the unit
50 which is external to the living body, accordingly it is possible
to make the capsule 120 for long term period marking with an easy
structure, and it is possible to anticipate a reduction of the size
thereof.
[0131] Next, the fourth embodiment of the capsule medication
administration system according to the present invention will be
explained with reference to FIG. 19 and FIG. 20. It should be
understood that in this fourth embodiment, to structural elements
which are the same as the second embodiment, the same reference
symbols are appended, and the explanation thereof is curtailed.
[0132] The point of difference between the fourth embodiment and
the third embodiment, is the point that, whereas in the third
embodiment, in addition to the capsule for observation 10, the
capsule for long time period marking 120, and the capsule for
medication 130, there was also provided the unit 50 external to the
living body, by contrast, in the capsule medication administration
system 140 of the fourth embodiment, the structure is one which
does not incorporate any unit 50 external to the living body. It
should be understood that the capsule for medication of this
embodiment has the same structure as the capsule for medication 90
of the second embodiment.
[0133] In other words, as shown in FIG. 19, the capsule medication
administration system 140 of this embodiment includes the capsule
for observation 90, the capsule for long time period marking (the
third capsule) 150, and the capsule for medication 130, all of
which are orally ingested into the living body.
[0134] As shown in FIG. 20, the capsule for long time period
marking 150 includes, within a casing 121, a memory for marking 151
which stores information about the marking M which has been
specified by the specification section of the capsule for
observation 90, and a decision section (a decision device) 152
which decides whether or not a marking which has been detected by
the sensors 122 is the specified marking M which is stored in the
memory for marking 151. Furthermore, this decision section 152
counts the number of the markings M which are sent from the sensors
122 and arrive, and, when it agrees with the number in order (the
number) of the marking M which is stored in the memory for marking
151, it decides that this marking M is the specified marking M, and
informs the control section 126 to this effect. Furthermore, the
control section 126 which receives this notification causes the
stent release section 124 to operate.
[0135] According to the capsule medication administration system
140 which has the above described type of structure, after the
information about the marking M which has been specified by the
specification section 92 of the capsule for observation 90 has been
stored in the memory for marking 151 of the capsule for long-time
period marking 150, the capsule for long time period marking 150 is
orally ingested. The capsule for long time period marking 150 which
has been thus orally ingested, along with detecting the markings M
with the sensors 122, also sends them to the decision section 152.
The decision section 152 counts the number of the markings M which
have been sent from the sensors 122, performs comparison of it with
the number of the marking M which is stored in the memory for
marking 151, and, when these numbers agree with one another, along
with deciding that the marking M which has currently been detected
is the specified marking M, informs the control section 126 to this
effect. The control section 126 which receives this information
causes the stent release sections 124 to operate and implants the
stent S in the living body. Since, at this time, the capsule for
long time period marking itself decides whether or not this is the
specified marking and implants the stent S, accordingly it is
possible to make the time period from the instant of detection
which is required for the release short, and it is possible to
implant the stent S in the position of the specified marking M, in
other words in the position of the diseased part X, with high
accuracy.
[0136] After this, release of the drug A in the position of the
stent S is performed by orally ingesting the capsule for medication
130. Since at this time the stent S, as described above, indicates
the position of the diseased part with high accuracy, it is
possible to cause the drug A to act directly upon the diseased part
X with good accuracy, and it is accordingly possible to administer
medication to the diseased part X with greater accuracy.
Furthermore, the entire procedure is simple and convenient, since
it is not necessary for the patient to put on any separate device,
or the like.
[0137] It should be understood that the field of technique of the
present invention is not to be considered as being limited to the
above described embodiments; it would be possible to add various
alterations within its range, provided that the gist of the present
invention is not departed from.
[0138] For example although, in the various embodiments described
above, the decision as to whether or not it is the specified
marking was made by the decision section counting the number of the
markings which was sent from the capsule for observation or from
the capsule for long time period marking and arrived, the present
invention is not to be considered as being limited thereby. For
example it would be acceptable, when making the markings within the
living body, to make the markings of different shapes, sizes,
colors, or the like, and to decide upon the specified marking based
upon differences in these shapes or colors.
[0139] Moreover, although the determination section detects red
color from the photographic image and compares it with a threshold
value, the present invention is not to be considered as being
limited to this; it would also be acceptable, along with paying
attention to another color other than red color (blue, green,
fluorescent, infra-red or the like), to apply a finite element
method or the like, or to compare the detected amounts of these
colors with threshold values. Moreover, it would also be acceptable
to calculate the average color of the image, and to compare this
average color value with a threshold value. Furthermore, it would
also be acceptable not only to utilize only color, but also to
extract pattern characteristics, and to make the determination
based thereupon.
[0140] Yet further, it would also be acceptable to make it possible
for the unit external to the living body to transmit data via the
internet or the like mutually to and fro with the medical facility
as well. In other words, it would be acceptable, along with
transmitting the data for the in-vivo information which has been
acquired to the medical facility, also to receive via data
transmission information about the specified marking which has been
specified by being determined by the medical facility. Since in
this case the patient P would not need to visit the medical
facility repeatedly, and it would be possible to administer the
medication to the diseased part while he was conducting his
everyday activities, accordingly it would be possible to anticipate
an alleviation of the burden upon the patient. It should be
understood that it would also be acceptable to arrange to set up
both the medical determination device and also the specification
device on the side of the medical facility.
[0141] Furthermore, although one specified marking was made, the
present invention is not to be considered as being limited by this;
if there were diseased part s in several locations, it would also
be acceptable to arrange to medicate them when specified markings
had been detected which indicated the position of each of these
diseased part s. Moreover, it would also be acceptable to make
specified markings before and after a diseased part, thus
sandwiching it between them, and to establish the start of the
medication at the initial such specified marking and the end of the
medication at the next marking. By doing this, it would be possible
to administer the drug to the diseased part with good efficiency,
and this would also be effective if a plurality of such diseased
part s were present.
[0142] Yet further, it would also be acceptable to provide a
plurality of reservoirs in the capsule for medication, and to store
various different types of drugs in each of these reservoirs, so as
to perform medication according to the diseased part
[0143] Moreover, although the photographic image of the living body
which was formed by the observation device was used as the in-vivo
information, this information is not to be considered as being
limited to a photographic image. For example, it would also be
acceptable for a sensor which detects pH value within the living
body to be used, or a blood sensor which detects hemorrhage, or the
like. In this case, it would be possible for the presence or
absence of a hemorrhage within the living body, or blood
information about the quantity or component of blood or the like,
to be taken as being the in-vivo information. Furthermore, it would
also be acceptable to utilize an acquisition device which was made
by combining a blood sensor and an observation device. By doing
this, it would be possible to acquire more accurate in-vivo
information.
[0144] Furthermore although, in these embodiments, when making the
markings within the living body with the capsule for observation,
the marking material was discharged by a liquid chemical release
device which employed a piezo element, the present invention is not
to be considered as being limited thereto. For example, as shown in
FIG. 22, it would also be acceptable to utilize a thermal type
liquid chemical release device, in which a heating element such as
a heater or the like was provided within the reservoir, and in
which gas bubbles were generated by the heat of the heating
element, so that the marking material was caused to be discharged
by the pressure of these gas bubbles. Moreover, as shown in FIG.
23, it would also be acceptable to utilize a liquid chemical
release device of a peristaltic pressure type, in which a diaphragm
was provided to the reservoir, and, along with detecting the lumen
pressure in the small intestine or the like, the marking material
in the reservoir was caused to be discharged than in the lumen
pressure.
[0145] Moreover, it would also be acceptable to employ a liquid
chemical release device of the type described above in the capsule
for medication, and to release the drug in the way the marking
material is released. Or, it would also be acceptable to make the
capsule for medication and the capsule for observation to have the
same structure, and to change over the drug which is put into the
reservoir according to requirements. By doing this, it would be
possible to manage with only one type of capsule.
[0146] Furthermore although, in the third and the fourth
embodiment, the capsule for medication detected the stent by taking
advantage of a magnetic sensor, it would also be acceptable to
utilize a structure in which an electromagnet was provided within
the capsule, in which the drug was released by attracting the stent
by taking advantage of electromagnetic force, and in which, after
release, the electromagnetic force was turned off. In this manner,
it would be possible to release the drug in a concentrated manner
in the position of the stent more reliably.
[0147] Moreover, the long time period marking is not limited to
being a stent; it would be acceptable for it to be a ring which
expanded in the outward direction in the same manner, and a
structure that was closed by a clip would also be acceptable. Or,
one in which a magnetic substance or a radioactive substance was
injected into the mucosa with an injection needle or the like would
also be acceptable. In this case, the long period marking detection
device might acceptably utilize a metal detection sensor or a
radioactivity sensor or the like.
[0148] Yet further although, in the various embodiments described
above, photographic images which have been formed of the various
parts within the living body were taken as being the in-vivo
information, this is not to be taken as being limitative; it would
also be acceptable for this information to be continuously
photographed within the living body, such as video or the like. In
this case, it would be the video signal which would be stored.
[0149] Moreover, the present invention is not limited to
photographing the interior of the living body by video or the like;
any system will also be acceptable, provided it is one which is
capable of detecting in-vivo information and of transmitting the
data thereof to the device external to the living body. For
example, it would be possible to utilize a capsule for checking
hemorrhage which incorporated a hemoglobin sensor, or a capsule for
checking information about the interior of the living body which
acquired in-vivo information such as pH value, bacteria
concentration, genetic abnormality and the like continuously over a
long time period, or an ultrasonic wave capsule which acquired
ultrasonic wave images or the like intermittently.
[0150] With the present invention, markings are made within the
living body along the path of the moving of the marking device,
together with the first capsule which has been orally ingested to
within the living body or the like moving within the living body.
After this, the detection device detects the markings which have
been made by the marking device, together with the second capsule
which has been orally ingested subsequent to the first capsule
moving within the living body. When the detection device detects
the marking, the decision device decides whether or not this
marking which has been detected is the specified marking, by
comparing together the information about the marking which has been
detected and the information about the marking which has been
specified in advance. When the decision device decides that a
marking which has been detected is the specified marking, the
release control device which has received this result causes the
release device to operate, and releases the drug which is retained
in the drug retention section.
[0151] According to the present invention, by ensuring that the
specified marking indicates the position of the diseased part, it
is possible to apply the drug directly to the diseased part, and
accordingly it is possible to medicate the diseased part
accurately. Furthermore, since the capsule which has been ingested
to within the living body does not perform the medication directly
from when it has detected the diseased part, but rather performs
the medication immediately that it has detected the marking which
has been specified in advance, accordingly it does not happen that
the capsule moves past the diseased part before the release of the
drug has been performed. Furthermore, since the second capsule
itself decides whether or not a marking which has been detected by
the detection device is the specified marking and releases the
drug, therefore no separate device or the like is required for this
decision. Accordingly, it is possible to manage with only a short
time period being required for releasing the drug after detection
of the marking, and it is possible to perform the release of the
drug at the position at which the specified marking has been made
with high accuracy.
[0152] With the present invention, together with the first capsule
which has been orally ingested to within the living body or the
like moving within the living body, along with the in-vivo
information such as images of the interior of his body being
acquired by the acquisition device, also the markings are made
along the path of the moving of the marking device. Based upon the
in-vivo information which has been acquired by the acquisition
device, the medication determination device determines whether or
not medication is required for the diseased part which is indicated
in the in-vivo information (for example, it may consider that
hemorrhage is present when the amount of red color of the image of
the interior of the living body has become greater than or equal to
a threshold value, and may then decide that medication is
required). When the determination that medication is required for a
diseased part which is indicated in the in-vivo information has
been made, the specification device receives this result and
specifies the marking that has been made at the diseased part for
which medication is required.
[0153] After this, together with the second capsule which has been
orally ingested after the first capsule moving within the living
body, the detection device detects the markings which have been
made by the marking device. When the detection device detects a
marking, the decision device decides whether or not this marking
which has been detected is the marking which has been specified by
the specification device. When the decision device decides that
this marking which has been detected is the marking which has been
specified by the specification device, in other words that it is
the marking which has been made at the diseased part for which
medication is required, then the release control device receives
this result and causes the release device to operate, and releases
the drug which is retained in the drug retention section.
[0154] Since, according to the present invention, the specified
marking indicates the position of the diseased part, accordingly it
is possible to cause the drug to act directly upon the diseased
part, and it is possible to apply medication accurately to the
diseased part. Furthermore, since the medication is not performed
directly after the capsule which has been ingested to within the
living body detects the diseased part, but rather the medication is
performed directly upon detection of the specified marking which
has been made in advance, accordingly it does not happen that the
capsule moves past the diseased part before the drug has been
completely released. Yet further, since the second capsule itself
decides whether or not a marking which has been detected by the
detection device is the specified marking and releases the drug,
therefore no separate device or the like is required for this
decision. Accordingly, it is possible to manage with only a short
time period being required for releasing the drug after detection
of the marking, and it is possible to perform the release of the
drug at the position at which the specified marking has been made
with high accuracy.
[0155] With the present invention, together with the first capsule
which has been orally ingested to within the living body or the
like moving within the living body, along with the in-vivo
information such as images of the interior of his body being
acquired by the acquisition device, also the markings are made
along the path of the moving of the marking device. The in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device is
stored in succession in the first memory with a correspondence
being established with the positions of the markings. Based upon
this in-vivo information which is stored in the first memory, the
medication determination device determines whether or not
medication is required for the diseased part which is indicated in
the in-vivo information (for example, it may consider that
hemorrhage is present when the amount of red color of the image of
the interior of the living body has become greater than or equal to
a threshold value, and may then decide that medication is
required). When the determination that medication is required for a
diseased part which is indicated in the in-vivo information has
been made, the specification device specifies the marking that has
been made at the diseased part for which medication is required,
from among the markings which are stored in the first memory with a
correspondence established with the in-vivo information. The
marking which has been specified is stored in the second
memory.
[0156] After this, together with the second capsule which has been
orally ingested after the first capsule moving within the living
body, the detection device detects the markings which have been
made by the marking device. When the detection device detects a
marking, the decision device decides whether or not this marking
which has been detected is the marking which has been specified by
the specification device, by comparing together the information
about the marking which has been detected and the information about
the marking which has been stored in the second memory. When the
decision device decides that this marking which has been detected
is the marking which has been specified by the specification
device, in other words that it is the marking which has been made
at the diseased part for which medication is required, then the
release control device receives this result and causes the release
device to operate, and releases the drug which is retained in the
drug retention section.
[0157] Since, according to the present invention, the specified
marking indicates the position of the diseased part, accordingly it
is possible to apply the drug directly to the diseased part, and it
is possible to apply medication to the diseased part more
accurately. Furthermore, since the medication is not performed
directly after the capsule which has been ingested to within the
living body detects the diseased part, but rather the medication is
performed directly upon detection of the specified marking which
has been made in advance, accordingly it does not happen that the
capsule moves past the diseased part before the drug has been
completely released. Yet further, since the second capsule itself
decides whether or not a marking which has been detected by the
detection device is the specified marking and releases the drug,
therefore no separate device or the like is required for this
decision. Accordingly, it is possible to manage with only a short
time period being required for releasing the drug after detection
of the marking, and it is possible to perform the release of the
drug at the position at which the specified marking has been made
with high accuracy.
[0158] With the present invention, together with the first capsule
which has been orally ingested to within the living body or the
like moving within the living body, along with the markings being
made along the path of moving of the marking device, also the
acquisition device acquires the in-vivo information such as images
of the interior of his body or the like while establishing a
correspondence with the positions of the markings.
[0159] With the unit external to the living body which has been
disposed external to the living body, the medication determination
device determines whether or not medication is required for a
diseased part which is indicated in the in-vivo information, based
upon the in-vivo information which has been acquired by the
acquisition device. It should be understood that it will be
acceptable to arrange for this determination to be performed
automatically by, for example, comparing a numerical value which
has been obtained from the in-vivo information such as images of
the interior of his body or the like with a threshold value or the
like, or it will also be acceptable to arrange for it to be
performed manually by a physician or the like. When it has been
determined that medication is required for a diseased part which is
indicated in the in-vivo information, the specification device
specifies the marking which has been made at this diseased part for
which medication is required, from among the markings which have
been established in correspondence with the in-vivo
information.
[0160] After this, together with the second capsule which has been
orally ingested after the first capsule moving within the living
body, the detection device detects the markings which have been
made by the marking device. When the detection device detects a
marking, the second capsule transmission device transmits the
information about this marking to the unit external to the living
body.
[0161] In the unit external to the living body, the reception
device external to the living body receives the information which
has been transmitted from the second capsule. When the reception
device external to the living body receives the information about
the marking, the decision device compares together the information
about the marking which has been received by the reception device
external to the living body and the information about the marking
which indicates the position of the diseased part which has been
specified by the specification device, and decides whether or not
the marking which has been detected is the marking which has been
specified by the specification device. If the decision device
decides that the marking which has been detected is the marking
which has been specified by the specification device, then the
transmission device external to the living body transmits a control
signal to the second capsule.
[0162] In the second capsule, the second capsule reception device
receives the control signal which has been transmitted from the
unit external to the living body. When the second capsule reception
device receives this control signal, the release control device is
caused to operate upon receipt of this control signal, and the drug
which is being retained in the drug retention section is
released.
[0163] According to the present invention, it is possible to apply
the drug directly to the diseased part, and it is possible to
perform medication for the diseased part more accurately.
Furthermore, since the unit external to the living body includes
the medication determination device which determines whether or not
medication is required, the specification device which specifies
the marking, and the decision device which decides upon the
marking, accordingly the structures of the first capsule and of the
second capsule can be made simple, and it is therefore possible to
anticipate a reduction in size of both of these capsules.
[0164] With the present invention, together with the first capsule
which has been orally ingested to within the living body or the
like moving within the living body, along with the in-vivo
information such as images of the interior of his body being
acquired by the acquisition device, also the markings are made
along the path of the moving of the marking device. The in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device is
stored in succession in the first memory with a correspondence
being established with the positions of the markings. Based upon
this in-vivo information which is stored in the first memory, the
medication determination device determines whether or not
medication is required for the diseased part which is indicated in
the in-vivo information (for example, it may consider that
hemorrhage is present when the amount of red color of the image of
the interior of the living body has become greater than or equal to
a threshold value, and may then decide that medication is
required). When the determination that medication is required for a
diseased part which is indicated in the in-vivo information has
been made, the specification device specifies the marking that has
been made at the diseased part for which medication is required,
from among the markings which are stored in the first memory with a
correspondence established with the in-vivo information. The
marking which has been specified is stored in the second
memory.
[0165] After this, together with the third capsule which has been
orally ingested after the first capsule moving within the living
body, the detection device detects the markings which have been
made by the marking device. When the detection device detects a
marking, the decision device decides whether or not this marking
which has been detected is the marking which has been specified by
the specification device, by comparing together the information
about the marking which has been detected and the information about
the marking which has been stored in the second memory. When the
decision device decides that this marking which has been detected
is the marking which has been specified by the specification
device, then the marking control device receives this result and
causes the long time period marking device to operate, and makes
the long time period marking within the living body. This long time
period marking is made in the neighborhood of the marking which has
been specified, in other words of the marking which has been made
at the diseased part for which medication is required, and
constitutes a sign which indicates the position of the diseased
part.
[0166] After this, together with the second capsule which has been
orally ingested after the third capsule moving within the living
body, the long time period marking detection device detects the
long time period marking which has been made by the long time
period marking device. When the long time period marking detection
device detects the long time period marking, then the release
control device receives this result and causes the release device
to operate, and releases the drug which is being retained in the
drug retention section.
[0167] According to the present invention, by the long time period
marking being maintained for a long time within the living body,
the detection by the long time period marking detection device is
made to be of higher accuracy. Accordingly, it is possible to
administer medication to the diseased part with higher accuracy.
Furthermore, since the medication is not administered directly
after the capsule which has been ingested to within the living body
has detected the diseased part, but rather the medication is
performed immediately after detecting the long time period marking
which has been made in advance, accordingly it does not happen that
the capsule moves past the diseased part before completing the
release of the drug. Yet further, it is possible to alleviate the
burden upon the patient, even if it is necessary to perform the
treatment repeatedly, since, due to the fact that the long time
period marking is maintained for a long time period, it is possible
to administer the medication repeatedly to the diseased part simply
by orally ingesting only the second capsule.
[0168] In addition, since the third capsule itself decides whether
or not a marking which has been detected by the detection device is
the specified marking, and makes the long time period marking
accordingly, therefore, along with it being possible to make the
time period which is required from the time that the specified
marking has been detected until the long time period marking has
been completed shorter, also it is possible to perform the release
of the drug at the position where the specified marking has been
made with high accuracy.
[0169] With the present invention, together with the first capsule
which has been orally ingested to within the living body or the
like moving within the living body, along with the markings being
made along the path of moving of the marking device, also the
acquisition device acquires the in-vivo information such as images
of the interior of his body or the like while establishing a
correspondence with the positions of the markings.
[0170] After this, together with the third capsule which has been
orally ingested after the first capsule moving within the living
body, the detection device detects the markings which have been
made by the marking device. When the detection device detects a
marking, the third capsule transmission device transmits the
information about this marking to the unit external to the living
body.
[0171] In the unit external to the living body, the reception
device external to the living body receives the information which
has been transmitted from the third capsule. When the reception
device external to the living body receives the information about
the marking, the medication determination device determines whether
or not medication is required for a diseased part which is
indicated in the in-vivo information, based upon the in-vivo
information which has been acquired by the acquisition device. It
should be understood that it will be acceptable to arrange for this
determination to be performed automatically by comparing a
numerical value which is obtained from the in-vivo information such
as images of the interior of his body or the like with a threshold
value or the like, or it will also be acceptable to arrange for it
to be performed manually by a physician or the like. When it has
been determined that medication is required for a diseased part
which is indicated in the in-vivo information, then the
specification device specifies the marking which has been made at
this diseased part for which medication is required, from among the
markings which have been established in correspondence with the
in-vivo information. When the specification device specifies the
marking that has been made at the diseased part for which
medication is required, then the decision device decides whether or
not this marking which has been detected is the marking which has
been specified, based upon the marking which has been specified by
the specification device, and the information about the marking
which has been received by the reception device external to the
living body. When the decision device decides that the marking
which has been detected is the marking which has been specified,
then the transmission device external to the living body transmits
a control signal to the third capsule.
[0172] In the third capsule, the third capsule reception device
receives the control signal which has been transmitted from the
unit external to the living body. When the third capsule reception
device receives this control signal, the marking control device
receives this control signal and causes the long time period
marking device to operate, and makes the long time period marking
within the living body. This long time period marking is made in
the vicinity of the marking which has been specified, in other
words of the marking which has been made at the diseased part for
which medication is required, and constitutes a sign which
indicates the position of the diseased part.
[0173] After this, together with the second capsule which has been
orally ingested after the third capsule moving within the living
body, the long time period marking detection device detects the
long time period marking which has been made by the long time
period marking device. When the long time period marking detection
device detects the long time period marking, the release control
device receives this result and causes the release device to
operate, and this releases the drug which is being retained in the
drug retention section.
[0174] According to the present invention, since the long time
period marking maintains within the living body for a longer time
period, the detection by the long time period marking detection
device is made at higher accuracy. Accordingly, it is possible to
administer the medication to the diseased part with higher
accuracy. Furthermore, since the medication is not administered
directly after the capsule which has been ingested to within the
living body has detected the diseased part, but rather the
medication is performed immediately after detecting the long time
period marking which has been made in advance, accordingly it does
not happen that the capsule moves past the diseased part before
completing the release of the drug. Yet further, it is possible to
alleviate the burden upon the patient, even if it is necessary to
perform the treatment repeatedly, since, due to the fact that the
long time period marking is maintained for a long time period, it
is possible to administer the medication repeatedly to the diseased
part simply by orally ingesting only the second capsule.
[0175] According to the present invention, since the third capsule
itself decides whether or not a marking which has been detected by
the detection device is the specified marking, and makes the long
time period marking accordingly, therefore, it is possible to
manage with a shorter time period which is required from the time
that the specified marking has been detected until the long time
period marking has been completed, it is possible to perform the
release of the drug at the position where the specified marking has
been made with high accuracy.
[0176] Since the unit external to the living body includes the
medication determination device which determines whether or not
medication is required, the specification device which specifies
the marking, and the decision device which decides upon the
marking, accordingly the structures of the first capsule and of the
second capsule can be made simple, and it is therefore possible to
anticipate a reduction in size of both of these capsules.
[0177] With the present invention, by deploying the indwelling
member such as a stent or a ring or the like as the long time
period marking within the living body, it is possible to make the
long time period marking within the living body simply and
easily.
[0178] With the present invention, together with the first capsule
moving within the living body, the acquisition device acquires the
in-vivo information while establishing it in correspondence with
the positions of the markings. The in-vivo information which has
been acquired is stored in succession in the third memory with the
correspondence being established with the positions of the
markings. The in-vivo information is obtained from the third memory
by retrieving the first capsule which has been excreted from the
living body by excretion, it is possible for the determination by
the medication determination device to be performed reliably and
moreover accurately.
[0179] With the present invention, as the first capsule moves
within the living body, the acquisition device acquires the in-vivo
information while establishing a correspondence with the positions
of the markings. When the acquisition device acquires the in-vivo
information, the transmission device wirelessly transmits this
in-vivo information which has thus been acquired to the unit
external to the living body. By doing this, it is possible for the
medical determination device to acquire the in-vivo information in
real time, and accordingly it is possible for a speedy
determination to be performed.
[0180] Since, with the present invention, the decision device
decides upon the specified marking simply according to the number
of the markings which it has counted, and does not make this
decision by other characteristics such as its color or its shape or
the like, accordingly there is no requirement to incorporate any
complicated decision circuit or the like, and it is possible to
employ a simple construction. Furthermore, it is possible to
enhance the reliability, since it is possible to anticipate a
reduction in detection errors.
[0181] With the present invention, it is possible easily to make
the markings within the living body by releasing the liquid
chemical.
[0182] With the present invention, it is possible to acquire more
precise images by photographing the living body when it has been
illuminated with the illumination device. It is possible to take
advantage of the photographic images which have been obtained by
the observation device as the in-vivo information.
[0183] With the present invention, as the in-vivo information, it
is possible to take advantage of blood information such as the
presence or absence of blood within the living body, or the amount
or the components thereof, which has been acquired by a blood
sensor.
[0184] Although, in the above, preferred embodiments of the present
invention have been explained, the present invention is not limited
to the various embodiments described above. Within a range that
does not depart from the gist of the present invention, additions,
deletions, substitutions, and other changes may be made. Thus, the
present invention is not limited by the previously described
explanation, but is only limited by the range of the appended
claims.
* * * * *