1. A bezoar-forming unit for forming at least one temporary bezoar in a gastrointestinal organ of an animal, including a mammal, to fill a space in the organ, comprising at least one fiber, fiber-based configuration, or combinations thereof, whereby the at least one fiber, fiber-based configuration, or combinations thereof, is of a shape and size to form the at least one temporary bezoar once the unit is positioned in the gastrointestinal organ.
2. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a dissolvable container for containing therein the at least one fiber, fiber-based configuration, or combinations thereof.
3. The bezoar-forming unit of claim 2, whereby the dissolvable container is positioned in the gastrointestinal organ by ingestion.
4. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 1, whereby when the bezoar is formed it is sufficiently large so as to be retained in the gastrointestinal organ.
5. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one fiber, fiber-based configuration, or combinations thereof, comprises a material that is biodegradable over time.
6. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one fiber, fiber-based configuration, or combinations thereof, comprises a material that can act as an anti-inflammatory agent for the gastrointestinal mucosa.
7. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one fiber, fiber-based configuration, or combinations thereof, comprises a material that is degradable by a specific substance or combination of substances.
8. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unit can be self-administrable in the case of humans or administrable autonomously.
9. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one fiber, fiber-based configuration, or combinations thereof, has been impregnated with at least one specific medicinal substance for release in the gastrointestinal organ.
10. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one fiber, fiber-based configuration, or combinations thereof, has been impregnated with at least one substance that can absorb and retain at least one unwanted substance from the gastrointestinal liquid of the gastrointestinal organ.
11. A method for forming a temporary bezoar in a gastrointestinal organ of an animal, including a mammal, comprising:
administering to the animal or mammal a first unit comprising a first dissolvable container having at least one fiber, fiber-based configuration, or combinations thereof, contained therein, which at least one fiber, fiber-based configuration, or combinations thereof, unfolds from a first dimension to a second dimension once it is released from the container into the organ; and
administering to the animal or mammal at least one second unit, the at least one second unit comprising a second dissolvable container having at least one fiber, fiber configuration, or combinations thereof, contained therein;
wherein the at least one fiber, fiber-based configuration, or combinations thereof, of the first unit is of a shape and size that permits the at least one fiber, fiber configuration, or combinations thereof, of the second unit to attach, connect or tangle thereto when it is released from the second container into the organ and form the temporary bezoar.
12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:
allowing the temporary bezoar to disintegrate naturally in the gastrointestinal organ or physically removing the temporary bezoar from the gastrointestinal organ when the therapy is to be discontinued.
13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first and second dissolvable containers comprise an ingestible capsule and are administered orally.
14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein when the at least one fiber, fiber configuration, or combinations thereof, of the first unit is in the second dimension, it will be of a sufficiently large size so as to be retained in the gastrointestinal organ.
15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one fiber, fiber configuration, or combinations thereof, of the first unit is two-dimensional in shape.
16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one fiber, fiber configuration, or combinations thereof, of the first unit is three-dimensional in shape.
17. A bezoar-forming unit for forming a temporary bezoar in a gastrointestinal organ of an animal, including a mammal, to fill a space in the organ, comprising:
a dissolvable container; and
a saclike member having a first dimension and a second dimension contained within the dissolvable container in the first dimension, the saclike member being made from a permeable material and comprising at least one fiber or fiber configuration attached thereto and at least one swellable agglomerate contained therein;
whereby when the at least one swellable agglomerate swells, the saclike member goes from the first dimension to the second dimension to form the temporary bezoar.
18. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one attached fiber or fiber configuration facilitates the attachment of additional fibers or fiber configurations to it in the process of the natural peristalsis of the gastrointestinal organ.
19. The bezoar-forming unit of claim 17, wherein the at least one swellable agglomerate does not exceed about 1.0 cm in diameter when swelled.
20. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the saclike member is made from a fluid permeable material.
21. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 20, wherein the container is made from a permeable absorbable mesh having radial fibers woven therethrough.
22. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one swellable aggregate is made from a material selected from the group consisting of a swelling bentonite, microcrystalline hydrogels, super-absorbent polymers, polyolefins and various mixtures thereof.
23. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 22, wherein the temporary bezoar is destroyed by natural biodegradation.
24. The bezoar-forming unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein at least one the fiber or fiber configuration has been impregnated with at least one specific medicinal substance for slow release in the gastrointestinal organ.
25. A method for forming a temporary bezoar in a gastrointestinal organ of an animal, including a mammal, comprising:
administering a bezoar-forming unit comprising a dissolvable container and a saclike member having a first dimension and a second dimension contained therein, the saclike member being made from a permeable material and comprising at least one fiber or fiber configuration attached thereto and at least one swellable agglomerate contained therein;
dissolving the container once the bezoar-forming unit is positioned in the organ so that the saclike member is released in the organ; and
allowing the at least one swellable agglomerate to swell such that the saclike member goes from the first dimension to the second dimension, thereby forming the temporary bezoar.
26. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:
administering at least one bezoar-enlarging unit, the at least one bezoar-enlarging unit comprising a dissolvable container having at least one fiber, fiber configuration, or combinations thereof, contained therein, whereby the at least one fiber, fiber configuration, or combinations thereof, of the bezoar-enlarging unit is allowed to attach, connect or tangle with the at least one fiber or fiber configuration of the bezoar-forming unit to form the temporary bezoar.
27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein a plurality of bezoar-enlarging unit are administered according to a predetermined dosing regimen.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A focus detection apparatus comprising:
an image pickup part configured to include (a) first pixels photoelectrically converting a first image formed by a light flux passing through a first pupil area of an image-forming optical system to produce a first image signal and (b) second pixels photoelectrically converting a second image formed by a light flux passing through a second pupil area of the image-forming optical system to produce a second image signal;
a first signal processor configured to perform a first process to smooth the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals;
a second signal processor configured to perform a second process to sharpen the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals; and
a calculating part configured to calculate a defocus amount of the image-forming optical system by using the first and second image signals on which the first process or the second process has been performed,
wherein the calculating part is configured to calculate the defocus amount by using the first and second image signals on which the first process has been performed when a contrast value obtained from an output signal from the image pickup part is higher than a predetermined value, and calculate the defocus amount by using the first and second image signals on which the second process has been performed when the contrast value is lower than the predetermined value.
2. A focus detection apparatus comprising: an image pickup part configured to include (a) first pixels photoelectrically converting a first image formed by a light flux passing through a first pupil area of an image-forming optical system to produce a first image signal and (b) second pixels photoelectrically converting a second image formed by a light flux passing through a second pupil area of the image-forming optical system to produce a second image signal; a first signal processor configured to perform a first process to smooth the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals; a second signal processor configured to perform a second process to sharpen the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals; and a calculating part configured to calculate a defocus amount of the image-forming optical system by using the first and second image signals on which the first process or the second process has been performed, wherein the calculating part is configured to calculate a provisional value of the defocus amount by using the first and second image signals on which the first and second processes have not been performed, and wherein the calculating part is configured to calculate the defocus amount by using the first and second image signals on which the first process has been performed when an absolute value of the provisional value is smaller than a predetermined value, and calculate the defocus amount by using the first and second image signals on which the second process has been performed when the absolute value of the provisional value is greater than the predetermined value.
3. A focus detection apparatus comprising:
an image pickup part configured to include (a) first pixels photoelectrically converting a first image formed by a light flux passing through a first pupil area of an image-forming optical system to produce a first image signal and (b) second pixels photoelectrically converting a second image formed by a light flux passing through a second pupil area of the image-forming optical system to produce a second image signal;
a first signal processor configured to perform a first process to smooth the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals;
a second signal processor configured to perform a second process to sharpen the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals; and
a calculating part configured to calculate a defocus amount of the image-forming optical system by using the first and second image signals on which the first process or the second process has been performed,
wherein the image-forming optical system includes an aperture stop whose aperture value is variable, and
wherein the calculating part is configured to calculate the defocus amount by using the first and second image signals on which the first process has been performed when the aperture value is greater than a predetermined value, and calculate the defocus amount by using the first and second image signals on which the second process has been performed when the aperture value is smaller than the predetermined value.
4. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
a focus detection apparatus according to claim 1; and
an image generator configured to produce an image based on an output signal from the image pickup part.
5. A focus detection method using an image pickup part configured to include (a) first pixels photoelectrically converting a first image formed by a light flux passing through a first pupil area of an image-forming optical system to produce a first image signal and (b) second pixels photoelectrically converting a second image formed by a light flux passing through a second pupil area of the image-forming optical system to produce a second image signal, the method comprising:
a step of performing a first process to smooth the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals;
a step of performing a second process to sharpen the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals; and
a calculating step of calculating a defocus amount of the image-forming optical system by using the first and second image signals on which the first process or the second process has been performed,
wherein, in the calculating step, the defocus amount is calculated by using the first and second image signals on which the first process has been performed when a contrast value obtained from an output signal from the image pickup part is higher than a predetermined value, and the defocus amount is calculated by using the first and second image signals on which the second process has been performed when the contrast value is lower than the predetermined value.
6. A focus detection method using an image pickup part configured to include (a) first pixels photoelectrically converting a first image formed by a light flux passing through a first pupil area of an image-forming optical system to produce a first image signal and (b) second pixels photoelectrically converting a second image formed by a light flux passing through a second pupil area of the image-forming optical system to produce a second image signal, the method comprising:
a step of performing a first process to smooth the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals;
a step of performing a second process to sharpen the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals; and
a calculating step of calculating a defocus amount of the image-forming optical system by using the first and second image signals on which the first process or the second process has been performed,
wherein, in the calculating step, a provisional value of the defocus amount is calculated by using the first and second image signals on which the first and second processes have not been performed, and
wherein, in the calculating step, the defocus amount is calculated by using the first and second image signals on which the first process has been performed when an absolute value of the provisional value is smaller than a predetermined value, and the defocus amount is calculated by using the first and second image signals on which the second process has been performed when the absolute value of the provisional value is greater than the predetermined value.
7. A focus detection method using an image pickup part configured to include (a) first pixels photoelectrically converting a first image formed by a light flux passing through a first pupil area of an image-forming optical system to produce a first image signal and (b) second pixels photoelectrically converting a second image formed by a light flux passing through a second pupil area of the image-forming optical system to produce a second image signal, the method comprising:
a step of performing a first process to smooth the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals;
a step of performing a second process to sharpen the first and second image signals by using mutually different filters for the first and second image signals; and
a calculating step of calculating a defocus amount of the image-forming optical system by using the first and second image signals on which the first process or the second process has been performed,
wherein the image-forming optical system includes an aperture stop whose aperture value is variable, and
wherein, in the calculating step, the defocus amount is calculated by using the first and second image signals on which the first process has been performed when the aperture value is greater than a predetermined value, and the defocus amount is calculated by using the first and second image signals on which the second process has been performed when the aperture value is smaller than the predetermined value.