Ingestible medical payload carrying capsule with wireless communication
US7118531B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 24, 2003 |
| Grant date | Oct 10, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 23, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S15/899
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A medical capsule is provided which includes at least a housing, transceiver, ultrasonic transducer(s), a power source, a microprocessor, and is capable of carrying a medical payload. The capsule is ingestible or implantible in a human or animal body and communicates wirelessly via ultrasonic signals with one or more transceivers attached to the outside of the body. The capsule payload can perform diagnostic, analytical, treatment or imaging functions and its position within the body can be accurately monitored. A wireless system employing the capsule and external transceiver can also include a remote monitoring station accessed by radio frequency electromagnetic signals. Further, collaborative activity among the internal capsules is enabled by an inter-capsule and capsule-to-external transceiver acoustic communications net.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.