Intrabody introduced device

• US 20050261552A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Takeshi, Homan, Masatoshi, Honda, Takemitsu
• Granted Patent: US 7,837,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00032 internally powered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00036 Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00158 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving

Abstract

An intrabody introduced device comprising: a power storage section for supplying driving power to a function executing section; a detecting section for detecting a supply voltage of the power storage section; and a timing output section for outputting a detection signal for use in detecting the supply voltage using the detecting section at given timing. The detection timing of the supply voltage can be controlled in this manner, and therefore the supply voltage can be detected at timing at which the load of function executing section is low, thereby enabling efficient voltage detection. For example, if the aforementioned timing is synchronized with the blanking period of a picked-up image, a stable voltage measurement is enabled at timing at which the intrabody introduced device applies a low load.

Claims

1. An intrabody introduced device comprising:

a function executing section for executing a given function inside a test body into which the intrabody introduced device is introduced;

a power storage section for storing driving power for driving the function executing section;

a detecting section for detecting a supply voltage supplied from the power storage section; and

a timing output section for outputting a detection signal for use in detecting the supply voltage using the detecting section at given timing.

2. The intrabody introduced device according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply control section for at least reducing the power supply from the power storage section to the function executing section on the basis of a result of the detection obtained by the detecting section.

3. The intrabody introduced device according to claim 11 wherein:

the timing output section outputs a detection pulse having a given length as the detection signal; and

the detecting section detects the supply voltage during an output period of the detection pulse.

4. The intrabody introduced device according to claim 3, wherein the timing output section outputs the detection pulse at given timing synchronized with driving timing of the function executing section.

5. The intrabody introduced device according to claim 4, wherein:

the function executing section at least includes;

a lighting section for illuminating the inside of the test body;

an acquisition section for acquiring image information inside the illuminated test body; and

a radio transmission section for wirelessly transmitting the image information from the inside of the test body acquired by the acquisition section to outside the test body; and

the timing output section outputs the detection pulse in synchronization with the driving timing of the acquisition section and during a period other than an output period of the image information with the acquisition section.

6. A method of controlling a power supply from an internal battery of a capsule type endoscope, comprising:

generating a signal during a blanking period of an image signal captured by the capsule type endoscope;

detecting a voltage of the internal battery of the capsule type endoscope in synchronization with the signal; and

at least reducing the power supply from the internal battery if the voltage is lower than a given voltage.