Abstract: A method for diagnosing constipation comprising the steps of providing an ingestible capsule (20) having a given density and a pH sensor (22) and a temperature sensor (24), having a subject ingest the capsule, recording pH measurements from the pH sensor as a function of time as the capsule moves through at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, transmitting the pH measurements to a processor (19) outside of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, recording temperature measurements from the temperature sensor as a function of time as the capsule moves through at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, transmitting the temperature measurements to a processor (19) outside of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, determining transit time of the capsule between a first location in the gastrointestinal tract of the subject and a second location in the gastrointestinal tract of the subject as a function of the pH measurements and the temperature measurements, pro

Abstract: A method of determining body exit of an ingestible capsule comprising the steps of providing (40) an ingestible capsule (20) having a pressure sensor (23), having (41) a subject ingest the capsule, recording (42a) measurements from the pressure sensor as the capsule passes through at least an end portion of a gastrointestinal tract of the subject, transmitting (44) the measurements to a processor (31) outside of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, identifying (47) an increasing pressure sequence (65) in the measurements between a selected start time (62) and a transmission end time (63), comparing (48) the sequence to a reference (66), and using the comparison to make a determination (52) regarding the capsule exiting the gastrointestinal tract of the subject. The increasing pressure sequence may be the longest increasing pressure sequence in the measurements. The reference may be a logarithmic regression of the measurements.

Abstract: A method of determining the location of an ingested capsule comprising the steps of providing an ingestible capsule having a pH sensor and a pressure sensor, having a subject ingest the capsule, recording pH measurements from the pH sensor as a function of time as the capsule moves through at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, recording pressure measurements from the pressure sensor as a function of time as the capsule moves through at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, deriving a frequency of contractions pressure pattern as a function of time and the pressure measurements, and identifying an appreciable variation in the frequency pressure pattern in substantially the same time period as an appreciable variation in the pH to determine the capsule's location at a first position in the gastrointestinal tract of the subject.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing constipation comprising the steps of providing an ingestible capsule (20) having a given density and a pH sensor (22) and a temperature sensor (24), having a subject ingest the capsule, recording pH measurements from the pH sensor as a function of time as the capsule moves through at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, transmitting the pH measurements to a processor (19) outside of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, recording temperature measurements from the temperature sensor as a function of time as the capsule moves through at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, transmitting the temperature measurements to a processor (19) outside of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, determining transit time of the capsule between a first location in the gastrointestinal tract of the subject and a second location in the gastrointestinal tract of the subject as a function of the pH measurements and the temperature measurements, pro

Abstract: A method of determining body exit of an ingestible capsule comprising the steps of providing (40) an ingestible capsule (20) having a pressure sensor (23), having (41) a subject ingest the capsule, recording (42a) measurements from the pressure sensor as the capsule passes through at least an end portion of a gastrointestinal tract of the subject, transmitting (44) the measurements to a processor (31) outside of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, identifying (47) an increasing pressure sequence (65) in the measurements between a selected start time (62) and a transmission end time (63), comparing (48) the sequence to a reference (66), and using the comparison to make a determination (52) regarding the capsule exiting the gastrointestinal tract of the subject. The increasing pressure sequence may be the longest increasing pressure sequence in the measurements. The reference may be a logarithmic regression of the measurements.

Abstract: The present invention broadly provides an improved ingestible capsule (28) that is arranged to sense one or more physiological parameters within a mammalian body, an to transmit such parameters to an extra-corporeal receiver (50). In use, the capsule and receiver perform the method of determining the real-time location of the capsule within a tract of a mammal. This method includes the steps of providing the capsule, the capsule having one or more sensors, ingesting the capsule, transmitting a signal from the capsule, receiving the transmitted signal, and determining the real-time location of the capsule within the tract as a function of the received signal. The received signal may also indicate the value of one or more sensed parameters.

Abstract: A method of determining the location of an ingested capsule comprising the steps of providing an ingestible capsule (15) having a shell (16) and a flexible fluid retaining sleeve (17) affixed to the sleeve and defining a chamber (19) between the shell and the sleeve, the fluid retaining sleeve having a fill port (30), providing a radioactive material (22) contained in a filling device (31) having an output port (32) adapted to engage the fill port of the sleeve, engaging the output port of the filling device with the fill port of the sleeve, moving the radioactive material through the output port and into the chamber of the sleeve through the sleeve fill port, sealing the fill port to provide a radio-labeled ingestible capsule, having a subject ingest the radio-labeled capsule, and screening the subject by gamma imagining to determine location of the radio-labeled capsule within the subject.

Abstract: A computerized method of determining the slow wave of a gastrointestinal tract comprising the steps of providing an ingestible capsule (20) having a pressure sensor (29), having a subject ingest the capsule, recording measurements from the pressure sensor as the capsule passes through the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, transmitting the measurements to a processor (31), conditioning the measurements (42) to provide pressure data as a function of a time interval (60), interpolating missing pressure data in the time interval (43), filtering the pressure data as a function of a desired bandpass (44), differencing the pressure data (45), windowing the pressure data (46), applying a sample size and an overlap between samples to segment the pressure data (47), applying a Fourier transform to the segmented pressure data to provide frequency pressure data (48), selecting an FFT frequency bandpass (49), computing power spectrum density of the transformed pressure data for the FFT bandpass (50), and plotting the

Abstract: A method of evaluating gastroparesis comprising the steps of providing an ingestible capsule having a pH sensor and a pressure sensor, having a subject ingest the capsule, recording pH measurements from the pH sensor as a function of time as the capsule moves through at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, recording pressure measurements from the pressure sensor as a function of time as the capsule moves through at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, determining the capsule's location at a first position in the gastrointestinal tract, deriving a pressure pattern as a function of time and the pressure measurements, providing a reference pressure pattern, and analyzing the subject's pressure pattern relative to the reference pressure pattern to evaluate the subject with respect to gastroparesis. The location may be the junction between the stomach and the small bowel of the subject.

Abstract: A method of determining the location of an ingested capsule comprising the steps of providing an ingestible capsule having a pH sensor and a pressure sensor, having a subject ingest the capsule, recording pH measurements from the pH sensor as a function of time as the capsule moves through at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, recording pressure measurements from the pressure sensor as a function of time as the capsule moves through at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, deriving a pressure pattern as a function of time and the pressure measurements, providing a reference pH, analyzing the pH variations for the subject relative to the reference pH to determine the capsule's location at a first position, providing a reference pressure pattern, and analyzing the pressure pattern variations for the subject relative to the pressure pattern reference to determine the capsule's location at a second position.

Abstract: The present invention broadly provides an improved ingestible capsule (28) that is arranged to sense one or more physiological parameters within a mammalian body, an to transmit such parameters to an extra-corporeal receiver (50). In use, the capsule and receiver perform the method of determining the real-time location of the capsule within a tract of a mammal. This method includes the steps of providing the capsule, the capsule having one or more sensors, ingesting the capsule, transmitting a signal from the capsule, receiving the transmitted signal, and determining the real-time location of the capsule within the tract as a function of the received signal. The received signal may also indicate the value of one or more sensed parameters.

Abstract: An adsorbent unit for mounting relative to a U-bend pipe of a refrigerant accumulator having spaced pipes and a return bend including a porous container, adsorbent in the container, first and second end portions on the container, first and second bands on the first end portion for placement about the spaced pipes, and a mounting tab at the second end portion for mounting onto a filter housing on the return bend.

Abstract: An adsorbent unit including a porous container, adsorbent in the container, at least one tab extending outwardly from the container, side edges on the tab, and concave indentations in the side edges. The tab can have an aperture therein for mounting the tab on the filter body of a return bend of an accumulator. Another embodiment of the adsorbent unit can include two tabs extending outwardly from the opposite ends of the container, rigid outer ends on the tabs, and concave indentations in the sides of the tabs between the outer ends of the tabs and the adsorbent container. In use, the concave indentations of the various tabs receive the spaced pipes of a return bend pipe utilized in a refrigerant accumulator.