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.

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.