Capsule type endoscope

• US 20020198439A1
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizuno, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,939,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0607 for annular illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes

Abstract

A capsule-type endoscope comprising a capsule body, an image pickup element an illuminating elements, an image signal processing circuit, a memory, an image information transmitting circuit and an antenna for wireless transmission. The capsule body contains the pickup element, the illuminating elements, the processing circuit the memory, transmitting circuit and the antenna. While the capsule body remains in a living body, the image pickup element takes images of an interior of the living body. The processing circuit processes the image, generating image information. The memory stores the information. The transmitting circuit reads the information and supplies it to the antenna. The antenna transmits the information by radio, from the living body.

Claims

1. A capsule type endoscope comprising:

a capsule body;

an illuminating unit provided in the capsule body and configured to illuminate an inside of a living body;

an image pickup element provided in the capsule body and configured to take images in a living body illuminated by the illuminating unit and to generate signals from the images taken;

a processing circuit provided in the capsule body and configured to process the signals, thereby to generate image signals;

a memory provided in the capsule body and configured to store the image signals;

a transmitting circuit provided in the capsule body and configured to read the image signals from the memory and convert the image signals to signals to be transmitted; and

an antenna configured to transmit the signals from the living body, without using wires.

2. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising a battery held in the capsule body.

3. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 2, further comprising a power receiver which receives, from outside the living body, electric power supplied in the form of electromagnetic waves passing through the living body and which recharges the battery.

4. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the image pickup element has an image taking rate and the transmitting circuit has a transmitting rate for transmitting the transmit signal to the antenna, the image taking rate being equal to or higher than the transmitting rate.

5. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 3, wherein the image pickup element has an image taking rate and the transmitting circuit has a transmitting rate for transmitting the transmit signal to the antenna, the image taking rate being equal to, or quicker than, the transmitting rate.

6. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 4, wherein the image taking rate is a frame rate of at least five frames/second.

7. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising a power receiver which receives, from outside the living body, electric power supplied in the form of electromagnetic waves passing through the living body.

8. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup element has an image taking rate and the transmitting circuit has a transmitting rate for transmitting the transmit signal to the antenna, the image taking rate being equal to or higher than the transmitting rate.

9. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 8, wherein the image taking rate is a frame rate of at least five frames/second.

10. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising a program which designates an image taking rate for the image pickup element.

11. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising a program which designates a transmitting rate for the transmitting circuit.

12. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores a program for designating at least one data item selected from the group consisting of a timing of storing the image signals into the memory and a time for which the image signals are to remain stored in the memory.

13. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 10, wherein the program is changed before a subject swallows the capsule body.

14. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 11, wherein the program is changed before a subject swallows the capsule body.

15. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 12, wherein the program is changed before a subject swallows the capsule body.

16. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 10, further comprising a receiver for receiving information instructing a change in the program from outside the living body after a subject swallows the capsule body.

17. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 11, further comprising a receiver for receiving information instructing a change in the program after a subject swallows down the capsule body.

18. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 12, further comprising a receiver for receiving information instructing a change in the program contents from outside the living body after a subject swallows down the capsule body.

19. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising a detecting unit which is held in the capsule body and which detects a position of the capsule body.

20. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 19, wherein the detecting unit has a sensor which detects an electromagnetic field, and the position of the capsule body is determined from the electromagnetic field detected by the sensor.

21. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 20, wherein the sensor detects an electromagnetic field emanating from a magnetic coil arranged outside the living body to determine the position of the capsule body.

22. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 20, wherein the sensor detects an electromagnetic field emanating from a metal plate arranged outside the living body to determine the position of the capsule body.

23. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 19, wherein the detecting unit has a transmitter which transmits, from the living body, information representing the position of the capsule body.

24. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 19, further comprising an adjuster for adjusting an image taking rate and ON/OFF operation of the image pickup element, in accordance with the position of the capsule body which has been detected by the detecting unit.

25. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 19, further comprising a memory for storing information representing the position detected by the detecting unit.

26. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 19, wherein the detecting unit has a gyro.

27. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 19, wherein the detecting unit has an acceleration sensor.

28. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 19, wherein the detecting unit has a detecting element which detects a moving speed of the capsule body.

29. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 1, which further comprises another image pickup element and in which the capsule body comprises a forward part and a rearward part with respect to a direction in which a subject swallows the capsule body, the image pickup element is held in the forward part, and the other image pickup element is held in the rearward part.

36. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the capsule body comprises a forward part and a rearward part with respect to a direction in which a subject swallows the capsule body, the forward and rearward parts being unsymmetrical in outer structure and the forward part being to be guided toward when a subject swallows the capsule body.

30. A capsule type endoscope comprising:

a capsule body;

an illuminating unit provided in the capsule body and configured to illuminate an inside of a living body;

an image pickup element provided in the capsule body and configured to take images in a living body illuminated by the illuminating unit and to generate signals from the images taken;

a processing circuit provided in the capsule body and configured to process the signals, thereby to generate image signals;

a memory provided in the capsule body and configured to store the image signals;

a transmitting circuit provided in the capsule body and configured to read the image signals from the memory and convert the image signals to signals to be transmitted;

an antenna configured to transmit the transmit signals from the living body, without using wires; and

a timer configured to set an operation schedule, wherein the image pickup element, image processing circuit, memory, transmitting circuit and antenna operate in accordance with the operation schedule set by the timer.

31. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 30, further comprising a battery held in the capsule body.

32. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 30, further comprising a battery and a power receiver which receives, from outside the living body, electric power supplied in the form of electromagnetic waves passing through the living body and which recharges the battery.

33. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 30, further comprising a power receiver which receives, from outside the living body, electric power supplied in the form of electromagnetic waves passing through the living body.

34. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 30, wherein the capsule body comprises a forward part and a rearward part with respect to a direction in which a subject swallows the capsule body, the forward and rearward parts being unsymmetrical in outer structure and the forward part being to be guided toward when a subject swallows the capsule body.

35. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 34, wherein the forward part has a larger diameter than the rearward part.

37. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 36, wherein the forward part has a larger diameter than the rearward part.

38. A capsule type endoscope according to claim 30, which further comprises another image pickup element and in which the capsule body comprises a forward part and a rearward part with respect to a direction in which a subject swallows the capsule body, the image pickup element is held in the forward part, and the other image pickup element is held in the rearward part.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein an entire region of the esophageal canal is continuously photographed.

41. A method according to claim 40, wherein the entire region of the esophageal canal is photographed at a frame rate of at least 5 frames/second.

42. A method according to claim 40, wherein image signals representing images photographed are stored into a memory, image signals read from the memory are transmitted by radio from the living body, and images represented by the image signals are observed.

39. A method of observing the esophageal canal through a capsule type endoscope having a device that illuminates an interior of a living body and a device which photographs the interior of the living body,

the capsule type endoscope being inserted into the living body through the mouth of a subject.