Capsule-type medical apparatus and a communication method for the capsule-type medical apparatus

• US 20030213495A1
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujita, Manabu, Azuma, Motoo, Homan, Masatoshi, Kotouda, Kaoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,354,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/899
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging

Abstract

When a capsule is manufactured, a unique number such as a serial number is stored in non-volatile memory in the capsule. If the capsule is used with an external apparatus, the unique number is sent from the capsule to the external apparatus. The external apparatus relates each unique number with a capsule ID comprising a small number of bits in a management table formed in non-volatile memory and sends the capsule ID to the capsule, and the capsule ID with the small number of bits is set as an identifier in the capsule. In this manner, it is made unnecessary to provide a switch in the capsule for setting the identifier and it becomes possible to reduce and send the quantity of information sent as the identifier.

Claims

1. A capsule-type medical apparatus comprising a capsule body, inserted in a living body and performing medical procedures such as observation, and an external apparatus disposed outside the living body, and further comprising:

sending means, established in the external apparatus, for sending to the capsule body an identifier for identifying the capsule body;

first storing means, established in the external apparatus, for storing identifier information sent by said sending means;

receiving means, established in said capsule body, for receiving the identifier sent by said sending means; and

second storing means, established in said capsule body, for storing said identifier information which was sent.

3. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule body comprises means for storing a unique number such as a serial number.

4. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule body sends said unique number to the external apparatus, and the external apparatus sends to the capsule body the identifier according to said unique number.

7. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for designating the capsule body for which the identifier is to be deleted.

8. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing different identifiers to a plurality of capsule bodies.

9. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a counter circuit is used as means for providing different identifiers.

12. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule body comprises image-capturing means;

and the capsule body executes the acquisition of data and the sending of data at instructions from the external apparatus.

13. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the data acquired are image data and image data are sent.

14. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 13, wherein image data for one frame is captured at a single instruction;

and an image of one frame is sent.

15. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the capsule body comprises a frame memory, captures image data for a plurality of frames at a single instruction, stores image data corresponding to a plurality of frames in frame memory, and performs wireless transmission of the image data stored in frame memory.

16. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 13, comprising selecting means for selecting between the case where image data for one frame is captured at a single instruction and an image of one frame is sent, and the case where image data for a plurality of frames is captured at a single instruction and image data for a plurality of frames is sent.

2. A communication method for a capsule-type medical apparatus for communicating between a capsule body, inserted in a living body and performing medical procedures such as observation, and an external apparatus disposed outside the living body, and comprising:

a first step for sending from the external apparatus to the capsule body an identifier for identifying the capsule body, while storing said identifier information;

a second step in which the capsule body receives the identifier sent by said sending means; and

a third step in which said capsule body stores the identifier received in the second step.

5. The communication method for a capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a step for recognizing an interrupted connection between the external apparatus and the capsule body; and

a step for recovering the paired relationship between the external apparatus and the capsule body.

6. The communication method for a capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a step for deleting the identifier provided to the capsule body.

10. The communication method for a capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a step for recognizing the powering on of the external apparatus; and

a step for providing an identifier from the external apparatus to a capsule body.

11. The communication method for a capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a step for recognizing the powering on of the capsule body; and

a step for providing an identifier from the external apparatus to the capsule body.

17. A capsule-type medical apparatus, comprising a capsule body for performing medical procedures such as medical examination and observation inside a living body, and an external apparatus;

wherein, the capsule body comprises;

image-capturing means;

first wireless means for receiving command codes and sending image data captured by said image-capturing means;

decoding means for converting command codes received through said first wireless means back into commands; and

control means for controlling the image-capturing means and the first wireless means according to said commands; and

wherein, the external apparatus comprises;

encoding means for converting commands into command codes; and

second wireless means for sending command codes to the capsule body and receiving image data from the capsule body.

18. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said control means comprises operation sequence setting means that is able to vary the operating time and the timing of said image-capturing means and said first wireless means.

19. A capsule-type medical apparatus comprising a capsule body for performing medical procedures such as medical examination and observation inside a living body, and an external apparatus;

wherein, the capsule body comprises;

image-capturing means;

first wireless means for receiving command codes and sending image data captured by said image-capturing means;

decoding means for converting command codes received through said first wireless means back into commands; and

operation sequence setting means that is able to vary the operating time and the timing of said image-capturing means and said first wireless means according to said commands; and

wherein, the external apparatus comprises;

encoding means for converting commands into command codes; and

second wireless means for sending command codes to the capsule body and receiving image data from the capsule body;

mode setting means for setting the operating modes; and

selecting means for selecting a command to be used from a plurality of commands, according to the set operating mode.