Capsule optical sensor

• US 20050029437A1
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Shinya, Hasegawa, Akira
• Application Number:
  US10/909,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20050029437A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/226
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00186 with imaging filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2407 Optical details

Abstract

A capsule optical sensor includes an illuminator and a sensor. The illuminator has a light source that produces light in the wavelength range from 600 to 2000 nm and the sensor has a photoelectric detection element and a variable spectroscopic element in front of a light receiving surface of the photoelectric detection element that can separately detect emissions from different fluorescent labels. Alternatively, the sensor may have plural photoelectric detection elements and optical filters in front of light receiving surfaces of plural photoelectric detection elements, with the optical filters transmitting different wavelength bands so as to separately detect the emissions from different fluorescent labels. Also, the sensor may be a photoelectric detection element having a stack of light receiving layers, each for detecting a different fluorescent emission. In all cases, the sensor does not provide an imaging function, thereby minimizing the size of the capsule optical sensor.

Claims

1. A capsule optical sensor comprising:

an illuminator that includes a light source that produces light of an arbitrary, narrow wavelength band within the range from 600 to 2000 nm;

a photoelectric detection element that serves as a sensor and does not perform an imaging function; and

a tunable spectroscopic element provided in front of the light receiving surface of the photoelectric detection element.

2. A capsule optical sensor comprising:

an illuminator that includes a light source that produces light of an arbitrary, narrow wavelength band within the range from 600 to 2000 nm;

from one to several tens of photoelectric detection elements that serve as a sensor and do not perform an imaging function; and

optical filters respectively provided in front of the light receiving surfaces of the photoelectric detection element(s);

wherein

the optical filters transmit light of different wavelength bands.

3. A capsule optical sensor comprising:

an illuminator that includes a light source that produces light of an arbitrary, narrow wavelength band within the range from 600 to 2000 nm; and

a detector that has a photoelectric detection element which serves as a sensor and does not perform an imaging function, the photoelectric detection element being composed of a stack of light receiving layers, each detecting a different wavelength range of incident light.

4. A capsule optical sensor for examining a subject who has been administered plural fluorescent labels producing fluorescence of different wavelengths in the near-infrared range, comprising:

an illuminator that generates excitation light for exciting a plurality of fluorescent labels;

a tunable spectroscopic element for selectively transmitting the fluorescence produced by the plural fluorescent labels;

a photoelectric detection element for receiving the light transmitted through the tunable spectroscopic element; and

a transmitter for transmitting output signals of the photoelectric detection element outside the capsule;

wherein

said photoelectric detection element serves as a sensor and does not perform an imaging function.

7. A capsule optical sensor according to claim 4, wherein the illuminator has a light source that produces light of an arbitrary narrow wavelength band within the range from 600 nm to 2000 nm.

5. A capsule optical sensor for examining a subject who has been administered a number n of different fluorescent labels that each produce fluorescence of different wavelengths in the near-infrared range, comprising:

an illuminator that generates excitation light for exciting the fluorescent labels;

an detector that includes a number n of detecting elements for detecting the n different fluorescence emissions, each one of the detecting elements having an optical filter that transmits one of n different fluorescent light emissions produced by the fluorescent labels;

a photoelectric detection element that serves as a sensor and does not perform an imaging function and that receives the light transmitted through the optical filter; and

a transmitter for transmitting output signals of the detector outside the capsule.

8. A capsule optical sensor according to claim 5, wherein the illuminator has a light source that produces light of an arbitrary narrow wavelength band within the range from 600 nm to 2000 nm.

6. A capsule optical sensor for examining a subject who has been administered a number n of different fluorescent labels, each of which produces a fluorescence emission different from the others and in the near-infrared wavelength range, comprising:

an illuminator that generates excitation light for exciting the fluorescent labels;

a photoelectric detection element that is composed of a stack of n light receiving layers, each being sensitive to the fluorescence of a specific wavelength range among the n different fluorescent light emissions produced by the fluorescent labels; and

a transmitter for transmitting output signals of the photoelectric detection element outside the capsule;

wherein

said photoelectric detection element serves as a sensor and does not perform an imaging function.

9. A capsule optical sensor according to claim 6, wherein the illuminator has a light source that produces light of an arbitrary narrow wavelength band within the range from 600 nm to 2000 nm.