Patent · US Expired

Medical capsule and apparatus for activating the same

US5217449A · kind A · utility

230Cited by
4References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 11, 1990
Grant dateJun 8, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 11, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61M37/00
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A medical capsule having an outer cylinder and a piston movable in the outer cylinder, the piston being activated by an externally given signal so as to discharge a medicine to the outside of the capsule or to suck a humor for a sampling purpose, as well as an apparatus for activating this medical capsule. The capsule has a remote-controllable means including a normally-opened lead switch which connects a power supply to an activating means in response to an externally given magnetic signal thereby initiating activation of the medical capsule, whereby a simple medical capsule which is operative with minimized electrical power consumption without affecting the living body can be obtained. The activating apparatus has a pair of magnetic field generating units arranged side-by-side so as to generate magnetic lines of force in various directions and to form magnetic fields covering a large area, thus ensuring correct activation of the medical capsule inside the living body.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.