Capsule for use in small intestine

Inventors

Cabiri, Oz • Goldwasser, Benad • Degtiar, Borisr

Assignees

GI View Ltd

Abstract

Apparatus for use in a body lumen is provided including an introducer tube configured to be advanced into a gastrointestinal tract of a subject. A guide member is coupled to a distal end of the introducer tube and is configured to be mounted in a vicinity of a valve of the subject. The apparatus also includes a capsule removably coupled to a distal portion of the introducer tube, and configured to be decoupled from the introducer tube and propelled through a small intestine of the subject once the guide member has been mounted in the vicinity of the valve. The apparatus also includes a gas supply configured to propel the capsule distally through the small intestine by generating positive gas pressure proximal to the capsule. Other embodiments are also described.

Core Innovation

The invention provides a pressure-propelled ingestible and/or scope-delivered imaging system for the small intestine. An introducer tube is advanced into a gastrointestinal tract of a subject, and a guide member coupled to a distal end of the introducer tube is configured to be inflated to mount within a valve of the subject and form a pressure seal therewith. A capsule is removably coupled to a distal portion of the introducer tube, with the capsule including an inflation device configured to form a pressure seal with a wall of the small intestine.

Gas is supplied to propel the capsule distally through the small intestine by generating positive gas pressure proximal to the capsule, such that the capsule is propelled through a small intestine after the capsule is decoupled from the introducer tube. The system includes a removable capsule propulsion arrangement and the pressure seal interaction with the valve supports pressure-based advancement through the gastrointestinal tract.

The system further includes a vent tube configured to be advanced from a site distal to the capsule to a site less distal in the capsule, to facilitate passage of a fluid from a site distal to the capsule to a site outside the body of the subject. Optional imaging and transmission are described, including a transmitter that sends an image to a location outside the body, and a radiofrequency transmission device for wireless image transmission.

Claims Coverage

The independent claim coverage is provided by two independent apparatus claims. Across these independent claims, the core inventive features include an inflatable guide member on an introducer tube that forms a pressure seal with a valve, a removably coupled capsule with an inflation device that forms a pressure seal with the small intestine wall, a gas supply generating positive gas pressure proximal to propel the capsule distally after decoupling, and a vent tube advanced relative to the capsule to facilitate fluid passage to outside the body.

Both independent claims cover an apparatus that combines an inflatable, valve-mounted guide member to form a pressure seal, a removable capsule with a small-intestine wall pressure seal, a gas supply generating positive gas pressure proximal to propel the capsule distally after decoupling, and a vent tube advanced relative to the capsule to facilitate fluid passage outside the body. The independent claims differ in the specified advancement valves and the vent-tube routing relationship between the pyloric valve, ileocecal valve, and colon/small intestine.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found