Patent Application
20090281380
The present invention relates to a system and method for assembling a swallowable sensing device.
Known in-vivo and/or ingestible imaging devices, e.g. ingestible imaging capsules may include a plurality of electrical components, e.g. an imager, a transmitter, batteries, an antenna, etc. that may be enclosed and sealed within a thin housing shell. The seal may prevent, for example, water and/or air from entering the housing of the in-vivo imaging capsule and/or may prevent leakage, e.g. battery leakage from leaking out of the in-vivo imaging capsule. Bonding, attaching or sealing thin materials together may generally be performed with for example glues, heat, ultra-violet curing or other processes. Certain processes are time consuming, inconvenient or inaccurate and may be unsuitable for precision bonding where delicate materials are to be sealed against water, air or other elements.
Thus, the present invention provides, according to some embodiments an in-vivo sensing device, e.g. an in-vivo imaging device, which may include a shell and/or housing, for example a two parts shell such as a front and rear outer shell. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a connecting ring may be embedded within an in-vivo imaging device portion for example in a front shell, enabling the joining and attachment of two in-vivo imaging device components, such as the front and rear shells.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, the in-vivo imaging device components may be glued together, for example according to one embodiment the rear shell may be glued to a connecting ring embedded within a front shell.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the in-vivo imaging device components may be joined together by friction fitting, press fitting, snap fitting, laser welding, laser melting, spin welding, and/or ultrasonic welding.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the various sensing device components may be attached and/or sealed and/or waterproofed by inserting the components into a molding cast and pouring the surrounding housing material into the mold.
The principles and operation of the system, apparatus, and method according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings, and the following description, it being understood that these drawings are given for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to be limiting, wherein:
It should be noted that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Furthermore, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements throughout the serial views.
The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention as provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be apparent to those with skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments shown and described, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features herein disclosed. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, transmitter 141 may operate using radio waves; but in some embodiments, such as those where device 40 is or is included within an endoscope, transmitter 141 may transmit data via, for example, wire, optical fiber and/or other suitable methods. Other suitable methods or components for wired or wireless transmission may be used.
Device 40 typically may be or may include an autonomous swallowable capsule, but device 40 may have other shapes and need not be swallowable or autonomous. Embodiments of device 40 are typically autonomous, and are typically self-contained. For example, device 40 may be a capsule or other unit where all the components are substantially contained within a container or shell, and where device 40 does not require any wires or cables to, for example, receive power or transmit information.
In one embodiment, device 40 may include an in-vivo video camera, for example, an imager 146, which may capture and transmit images of, for example, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract while device 40 passes through the GI lumen. Other lumens and/or body cavities may be imaged and/or sensed by device 40. In some embodiments, imager 146 may include, for example, a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera or imager, a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) camera or imager, a digital camera, a stills camera, a video camera, or other suitable imagers, cameras, or image acquisition components.
In some embodiments, device 40 may include one or more illumination sources 142, for example one or more Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), “white LEDs”, or other suitable light sources. Illumination sources 142 may, for example, illuminate a body lumen or cavity being imaged and/or sensed. An optional optical system 150, including, for example, one or more optical elements, such as one or more lenses or composite lens assemblies, one or more suitable optical filters, or any other suitable optical elements, may optionally be included in device 40 and may aid in focusing reflected light onto imager 146 and/or performing other light processing operations.
In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, device 40 may include a circuit board 130 which may have one or more rigid portions and one or more flexible portions. For example, circuit board 130 may include rigid portions 131, 133 and 135, which may be interconnected through flexible portions 132 and 134. Other numbers, orders or combinations of rigid portions and/or flexible portions may be used.
The one or more flexible portions of circuit board 130, such as flexible portions 132 and 134, may allow bending, folding, twisting or positioning of circuit board 130 into certain shapes. For example, circuit board 130 may have a “2” shape, a “5” shape, a “6” shape, a “C” shape, or other suitable shapes.
In some embodiments, circuit board 130 may be manufactured to have an initial flat, non-twisted or non-folded shape, and may be later folded, bended, twisted or positioned in a desired shape within the shell 20 and shell 30 of device 40. For example, circuit board 130 may be folded or re-shaped upon its insertion into device 40, or before encapsulation of circuit board 130 inside device 40.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the various components of the device 40 may be, for example disposed on a circuit board 130 and may be later connected to the front shell 20. In alternate embodiments, other arrangements for assembly of device 40 are possible.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, different joining, bonding and attachment methods may be used during assembly and sealing of device 40 assembly, for example welding methods e.g. laser welding and/or spin welding and/or Herman welding and/or vibration welding. According to some embodiments of the present invention melt down methods and/or ultrasonic joining methods and/or fraction fitting methods may be used for assembly and sealing of device 40.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, the methods of attachment and/or sealing may involve a third part or material that may serve as a connector or reaction catalyst, for example as in the case of a melt down method where another melted material is used to glue the two pieces together.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, a connecting ring 25 such as an elastic connecting ring made, for example, from the same material and/or mold of front shell 20, may be embedded within the front shell 20 and/or assembled around a surface of front shell 20. According to one embodiment, an o-ring may be positioned around ring 25. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the front shell 20 and the rear shell 30 may have screw threads with matching grooves along its rim so that the two shells can be screwed together.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the front shell 20 may be attached to the rear shell 30 by, for example, gluing or bonding the two parts, shell 20 and shell 30 together. According to one embodiment of the present invention, quick or slow glue, for example a UV glue, may be applied to the internal ring 25 integral to or embedded within the front shell 20 so that when the two shells 20 and 30 are brought together and arranged as desired herein, the front and rear shells 20 and 30 will be tightly glued. Other attachment methods may be used to attach shells 20 and 30 together. In addition to and/or in place of rings with screw threads, for example, friction fitting, welding, melt down etc. may be implemented for bonding shells 20 and 30 together.
A method for attaching components of an in-vivo device, for example attaching two shells, three shells, or four shells, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention is depicted in
Reference is now made to
According to one embodiment of the present invention connecting ring 403 may be an extension of shell 20 and connecting ring 303 may be an extension of shell 30. In one example, shell 20 and 30 may be manufactured, for example, by injection molding and connecting ring 403 and may be made of the same material and from the same mold as shell 20, and connecting ring 413 may be made of the same material and from the same mold as shell 30. In one example, connecting ring 403 may be integral to shell 20 and connecting ring 413 may be integral to shell 30. According to some embodiments of the present invention the shells and/or connecting rings may be made out of plastic or other materials such as polycarbonate or Isoplast™.
According to one embodiment of the present invention connecting ring 413 may be made out of a material which enables a laser energy, such as laser beam(s) 420, to pass through it unobstructed, while connecting ring 403 may include an energy and/or laser absorbing material. Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention when a laser beam is applied to the connecting rings it is absorbed in area 305 and as a result, heat is generated. The high temperature and heat generated in area 305 will bring about the melting/welding of the device shells and will join them together.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, connecting rings 413 and 403 may include energy and/or laser absorbing material. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the absorption of energy may be generated by attaching an energy absorbing part, for example a ring 409, to one of the connecting rings 403 and 413. According to one embodiment of the present invention energy absorbing material may be placed between a non-absorbing connecting rings, for example between connecting rings 403 and 413. The absorbing material is optimized for absorption in the laser beam wavelength, and may generate excessive heat in the area of the connection. The absorbing material will absorb the beam energy which will result in high temperature and heat generation which will cause melting/welding of the connecting rings.
Reference is now made to
According to some embodiments of the present invention, a method for attaching components of an in-vivo device by laser welding/melting, as shown in
Reference is now made to
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the joining of rings 570 and 560 as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present invention the components of the device 40, for example the shells may be adhered to one another by a friction welding method. According to one embodiment of the present invention, friction welding method may include generating heat by linearly moving in-vivo components, for example the shells 20 and 30, one against each other. The heat generated between the components may cause the melting/welding of the shells, and enables their joining.
According to some embodiments of the present invention the components of the device 40, for example the shells 20 and 30, may be adhered to one another by a spin welding method. According to the spin welding method the movement direction for example of device 40 components is circular instead of linear, e.g. one of the components is spun at relative high speed so that heat created as a result between the connecting parts may cause the melting/welding of the connecting parts.
According to some embodiments of the present invention the components of the device 40, for example the shells may be adhered to one another by a metallic substance which may be inserted between the components, for example between rings 404 and 413. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an external power supply may be applied to the metallic substance and excessive heat, which may cause the melting/welding of the connecting parts, may be thus generated between the components.
According to some embodiments of the present invention the components of the device 40, for example the shells may be adhered to one another by an ultra sonic welding method. According to an ultra-sonic welding method, a heat may be generated between the components by causing quick, small movements between them. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the heat generated between the components causes the melting/welding of the components.
In some embodiments, a laser 700 such as for example a DFx03 laser supplied by Rofin of Germany may supply laser energy to seal or bond thin materials. In some embodiments, a pigment 710, such as for example a green pigment as may be supplied by Treffert Company, may be added to one or more of the materials 702 to be bonded or sealed. Laser energy may be applied to an area of the one or more materials that include the pigment 710. The laser energy may melt or energize the pigment 710 in the one or more materials 702, and may bond the two materials 702 together.
In some embodiments laser 700 may be or include a diode laser that may produce laser energy with wavelengths of up to 1064 nanometers (nm). Other spectrums are possible. YAG lasers that may generate laser energy with wavelength in excess of 1064 nm may also be used, such as where pigments 710 in the materials 702 are for example black or dark colored. In some embodiments laser energy may be applied in a continuous mode, though pulse laser energy may be used in some embodiments. In some embodiments, a laser fiber 701 may have a diameter of 600 microns. Other diameters are possible, and other laser sources are possible.
In some embodiments a spot size for laser 700 on a material to be subject to the laser energy may be approximately 600 microns, though underfocusing the laser 700 may create a larger spot size and may avoid burning a material subjected to laser energy. An actual spot size of 900-1000 microns may be possible.
In some embodiments laser 700 may be set to produce 10 watts of laser energy to for example bond one or more materials 702 using a green pigment. Other power levels that may be applied to or suitable for other pigments 710 are possible.
In some embodiments, an absorbtion-spectrum of a pigment 710 that may be included in a thin material 702 to be bonded or sealed by laser 700 may be from 808 nm to 1064 nm. Other absorbtion spectrums may be used.
In some embodiments, a concentration of pigment 710 in the material to be bonded may be or approximate from 6% to 15%. A 10% concentration of pigment in the bonded material 702 is possible. Other concentrations are possible. In some embodiments a pigment 710 may be applied to for example an edge of the material 702 to be bonded, or to another area where bonding is desired. The applied pigment 710 may be subjected to laser energy and may bind a material 702 that may be contiguous to the applied pigment. In some embodiments, a pigment 710 may evaporate or otherwise alter its physical properties when it is subject to laser energy.
In some embodiments, for example when bonding a body 708 of an in vivo sensor 704 to for example a dome 706 such as an optical dome 706 of the sensor 704, a pigment 710 may be included in or applied to such body 708, or to an area of the material 702 that may touch or meet the dome 706. Other application areas are possible. In some embodiments a pigment 710 may be added to or applied to a dome 706, such as for example, in cases where a color of the pigment 710 may not interfere with light collection or other functions of the dome 706.
In some embodiments, a laser 700 may be held in a stationary position and one or more of the materials 702 to be bound or sealed may be rotated on for example a holder 714 or otherwise moved into or out of the path of the laser energy. In some embodiments, a motion of the materials 702 to be bonded, such as for example a material 702 and dome 706 of a swallowable sensor 704 may be moved around for example an axis of the sensor. Other vectors, motions or rotations are possible. Other methods of applying or directing laser energy to a material 702 such as for example by moving a laser beam are possible.
In some embodiments, a burn or application of laser energy may be performed at a location of approximately 0.5 millimeters from the edge of the material 702 that is to be bonded or sealed. In some embodiments, the two or more materials 702 may overlap each other by approximately 1 millimeter. In some embodiments, two or more applications of laser energy are possible as part of a bonding process though other number of applications are possible. In some embodiments, a laser beam or one or more of the materials 702 to which laser energy may be applied, may be moved in for example a zig-zag motion, spiral motion or other non-constant or constant motions, and a bonding of the materials 702 may track such motion.
In some embodiments, parameters of laser energy applied to one or more of the materials 702 may be altered to account for a speed of movement of the material 702 or parts of the material 702 through the energy beam of the laser 700.
In some embodiments a pyrometer 712 may be used in or near the application of laser energy to a thin material and such pyrometer 712 may assist in avoiding burning of the materials 702.
In some embodiments two or more of the materials 702 to be bonded may be touching, and without gaps of air or other materials between them.
The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that many modifications, variations, substitutions, changes, and equivalents are possible in light of the above teaching. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IL2006/000003 | 1/1/2006 | WO | 00 | 7/2/2007 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60639986 | Dec 2004 | US |
