Controlled motion capsules and associated systems and methods are described. Controlled motion capsules can decelerate, and stop, without damaging epithelial walls. If any components fail, a controlled motion capsule, without added energy, becomes its most compact shape, passing harmlessly through the GI tract. Controlled motion capsule may include a shape changing material, comprising a reversible soft copolymer, in a container in the capsule, with a nonionizing radiation emitter, and a controller to activate the nonionizing radiation to expand and contract the shape changing material, on detection of certain conditions or instructions. Expansion of the shape changing material, including contact with epithelial walls, decelerates and can stop the controlled motion capsule movement. Motion control allows scientists to study the microbiome, doctors to deliver intestinal drugs at precise locations, and to closely examine signs of precancerous growth.

An ingestible device comprising a capsule, a camera, an antenna, and a propulsion component id disclosed. The camera can capture images of various in vivo environments as the ingestible device traverses the gastrointestinal tract, and these images can be wirelessly transmitted to an electronic device located outside of the living body. The images may be transmitted to the electronic device for review by an operator responsible for controlling the ingestible device.

Devices, including robotic devices, operating in viscous fluid flow can use passive sensor data collected to represent fluid parameters at an instant in time to derive information about the flow, the motion and position of the device, and parameters of the physical system constraining the flow. Using quasi-static analysis techniques, and appropriate feature selection for machine learning, very accurate determinations can be made, generally in real time, with very modest computational requirements. These determinations can then be used to map systems, navigate devices through a system, or otherwise control the actions of, e.g., robotic devices for clean-up, leak detection, or other functions.

Systems and methods are disclosed providing a flexible articulable device for accessing deep within tight and arbitrarily shaped channels of a body. The flexible or articulable device may employ two, independent locomotion strategies. These strategies can be combined or independently used. However, both strategies use a segmented approach that employs one or multiple embedded actuation units along the body of the device. The multiple embedded actuation units may be individually controlled, are generally connected serially, and generally uses one of the locomotion strategies. One strategy relates to propulsion while the other strategy relates to shape control.

A tracer detection device includes an enclosed body, and a plurality of tracer sensors, a battery, a memory, and a transmitter, each disposed within the enclosed body. The plurality of tracer sensors is configured to detect measurement values at a surface and underneath the surface of a gastrointestinal tract. The battery is configured to power the plurality of tracer sensors. The memory is configured to receive measurement values detected by the plurality of tracer sensors. The transmitter is configured to transmit measurement values detected by the plurality of tracer sensors to an external device after the enclosed body has passed through the gastrointestinal tract. The enclosed body includes a steering feature that ensures the enclosed body is oriented in an intended direction. The plurality of tracer sensors triggers release of a drug. The plurality of tracer sensors estimate distances to gastrointestinal walls for normalizing signals.

An ultrasonic robotic cleaner freely movable back and forth inside a blood vessel, having an elongated shell, electrical driving mechanisms, a storage battery, and a high frequency ultrasonic vibration unit; each electrical driving mechanism is formed by propellers, an ultra-micro motor, and a gear assembly; the high frequency ultrasonic vibration unit and the storage battery are mounted inside the elongated shell; the high frequency ultrasonic vibration unit and the ultra-micro motor are electrically connected with the storage battery; the electrical driving mechanisms are disposed at two ends of the elongated shell respectively. The robotic cleaner moves inside the blood vessel and achieves blood cavitation so that blood lipids are fragmented into finer particles which are eventually burnt due to peroxidation and metabolism and transformed into energy, water and CO.sub.2.

Systems and methods are disclosed for medical devices which can operate within a person in connection a medical procedure. In aspects of the present disclosure, a system for assisting with a surgical procedure includes a swarm of medical devices sized to be wholly deployed within a surgical site of a patient where the swarm of medical devices is configured to operate concurrently within the patient to assist a surgeon to perform a surgical procedure in the patient. The swarm of medical devices includes a first medical device that includes an imaging system configured to capture a view of at least a portion of a surgical site and to communicate the captured view, and a second medical device that includes one or more of a retracting device, an irrigation device, a suction device, a clipping device, a therapy delivery device, or a cutting device.

The present disclosure relates to a device configured to move within a body cavity, such as the gastrointestinal tract, in particular, the small intestine, and methods of using the device. The presently disclosed device may be self-driving, e.g., through the use of one or more traction-motion element, and the articulation of a tip of the device may be controlled and fine tuned. The presently disclosed device may be used in a variety of body cavities such as a vascular body lumen, a digestive body lumen, a respiratory body lumen, or a urinary body lumen, for example, for endoscopic purposes, for delivering a substance into the body cavity, for removing a substance or tissue from the body cavity, for capturing an image of the body cavity, and/or for performing an operation of a tissue or organ using the device.

A system for propelling a magnetic robotic device through a human comprises a magnetic actuator device operable to generate a rotating magnetic field, and a magnetic robotic device comprising a compliant body and at least two permanent magnets supported by and spatially separated about the compliant body. A non-magnetic region can also be oriented between the at least two permanent magnets. The at least two permanent magnets can be alternating or non-alternating in polarity with each other. In response to application of the rotating magnetic field generated by the magnetic actuator device and that is situated proximate the magnetic robotic device, the rotating magnetic field effectuates undulatory locomotion of the magnetic robotic device to propel the magnetic robotic device through a human, such as through a natural lumen. Further, the magnetic robotic device can optionally be supported by a catheter or endoscope to assist with propelling a distal end through a human.

Introduced here is an ingestible device comprising a capsule, a camera, an antenna, and a propulsion component. The camera can capture images of various in vivo environments as the ingestible device traverses the gastrointestinal tract, and these images can be wirelessly transmitted to an electronic device located outside of the living body. The images may be transmitted to the electronic device for review by an operator responsible for controlling the ingestible device.