A driving force transmission mechanism includes a first member being arranged inside an insertion section of an insertion apparatus extending along a predetermined axis, a second member being arranged to be positioned on a movement locus in a circumferential direction of the first member. The mechanism includes a cover member as an outer coat of the insertion section. The cover member is arranged between the first member and the second member to come in contact with at least the second member. The mechanism also includes an indicator being provided on the cover member. The indicator indicates in the cover member a change in state of a surface in contact with the second member.

Introduced here is an ingestible device that can comprise a capsule, an intervention tool, and a processor configured to controllably employ the intervention tool to manipulate structures in a living body. The ingestible device may further comprise a camera that is configured to generate images of various in vivo environments as the ingestible device traverses the living body. These images may be wirelessly transmitted to an electronic device located outside of the living body to enable greater control over the intervention tool.

This disclosure features methods and compositions for treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract with an immunosuppressant.

Introduced here is an ingestible device comprising a capsule having a central axis therethrough, at least one propulsion component, and at least one motor configured to supply motive power to the propulsion component(s). The propulsion component(s) may be disposed at locations radially offset from the central axis. Upon receiving input indicative of a request to alter a position and/or an orientation of the ingestible device, the motor(s) can supply motive power to some or all of the propulsion component(s) to cause movement of the ingestible device.

A thrombus removal device, comprises a shell, a window, a propulsion device, a propulsion motor, a camera lens, a left thrombus scraper, a right thrombus scraper, a drive module, a drive motor, a control module, and a power supply module. The left and right thrombus scrapers are designed to remove thrombi adhered to the inner walls of blood vessels. With the integration of the camera lens, medical professionals can monitor the internal conditions of the blood vessels in real-time during the treatment process. This enhances the precision of thrombus removal and ensures the safety of the vascular structure, thereby reducing the risk of accidental injuries. Furthermore, the propulsion device enables the thrombus removal device to autonomously navigate within the blood vessels. This not only alleviates the manual operation workload of medical personnel but also optimizes the operational process and reduces procedure time, effectively enhancing overall operational efficiency and convenience.

Some embodiments relate to an apparatus comprising an elongate flexible tube sized to be received within a tract and having a proximal end and a distal end; a drive mechanism coupled to the proximal end of the tube; and a liquid column extending from the proximal end to the distal end; wherein the drive mechanism is configured to cause movement of the liquid column within the tube to impart forward momentum to the tube and thereby promote advancement of at least the distal end of the tube within the tract when at least the distal end is received within a part of the tract.

Methods of controlling the operation of a device traveling in a body tube tree, including sensing parameters from possible directions of travel and selecting the direction of travel based on the sensed parameters, implemented with a control system located partially or fully on the lumen traveling device. Various actions can be performed by the device for, e.g., medical or therapeutic purposes. Machine-readable media including instructions for performing the methods are also described.

An insertion apparatus includes an inserting section, a rotary cylinder, a motor, motor control section, a moving average calculating section, and a torque limit determining section. The inserting section is formed along a longitudinal axis. The rotary cylinder is provided to be rotatable around a longitudinal axis of the inserting section. The motor rotates the rotary cylinder. The motor control section supplies a motor current to drive the motor. The moving average calculating section calculates an average of the motor current within a predetermined period, after the motor starts up. The torque limit determining section determines whether torque of the motor is in a limit state by comparing a calculating result by the moving average calculating section with a predetermined torque limit set value, at timing except startup of the motor.

A colonoscope having an egg-shaped camera module and a wiring unit, as well as a forward movement control method of the colonoscope, are disclosed. The camera module includes a casing, a first camera unit, a vibration motor and a control unit. The casing has first and second ends. The first end is made of a transparent material. The first camera unit captures a first image. The vibration motor is adapted to vibrate the casing. The control unit controls the first camera unit to capture the first image. The control unit controls the vibration of the vibration motor. The wiring unit forms a vent and includes at least two lead wires and an air tube. Power can be transmitted to the control unit through the lead wires. The air tube is adapted to convey air, and the vent is adapted to output the air to a colon.

In some embodiments, devices, systems, and methods for advancing and positioning tethered capsule microendoscopes are provided. In some embodiments, a device for capsule endomicroscopy is provided, comprising: a tether having a proximal end and distal end; an optical fiber disposed within the tether; a tube enclosing at least a portion of the tether, the tube having a proximal end and a distal end, a diameter of the tube being larger than the diameter of the tether; a housing coupled to the distal end of the tether and the distal end of the tube; and an optical element disposed within the housing, the optical element being optically coupled to the distal end of the optical fiber and configured to direct light received from the optical fiber toward a periphery of the housing.