Body-insertable apparatus

• US 20060241578A1
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Honda, Takemitsu
• Application Number:
  US11/405,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241578A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00036 Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving

Abstract

A body-insertable apparatus includes a function execution unit which executes a predetermined function in a subject into which the body-insertable apparatus is introduced; an electric power storage unit which stores driving electric power for driving the function execution unit; a detection unit which detects electric power supplied from the electric power storage unit; and an exhaustion unit which is provided to be separated from the function execution unit and exhausts the electric power of the electric power storage unit based on a detection result of the detection unit.

Claims

1. A body-insertable apparatus comprising:

a function execution unit which executes a predetermined function in a subject into which the body-insertable apparatus is introduced;

an electric power storage unit which stores driving electric power for driving the function execution unit;

a detection unit which detects electric power supplied from the electric power storage unit; and

an exhaustion unit which is provided to be separated from the function execution unit and exhausts the electric power of the electric power storage unit based on a detection result of the detection unit.

2. The body-insertable apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stop unit which stops supply of driving electric power from the electric power storage unit to the function execution unit based on the detection result of the detection unit.

3. The body-insertable apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electric power storage unit has a plurality of batteries which are connected in series, and

the exhaustion unit exhausts electric power from the respective batteries.

4. The body-insertable apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the exhaustion unit has resistors and switch devices connectable in parallel with the batteries, respectively, and connects the batteries in parallel with the resistors to exhaust electric power of the batteries by setting the switch devices to the on state based on the detection result of the detection unit.

5. The body-insertable apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the exhaustion unit has a resistor and a switch device which are connectable in series with the batteries, and connects the batteries in series with the resistor to short-circuit the batteries for exhausting electric power of the batteries by setting the switch device to the on state based on the detection result of the detection unit.

6. The body-insertable apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the exhaustion unit includes

a heat generation unit which generates heat above a predetermined temperature based on the detection result of the detection unit;

a resistor connectable in series with the batteries; and

a shape-memory member connecting the batteries in series with the resistor based on a critical temperature equal to the predetermined temperature,

the batteries being short-circuited to exhaust electric power of the batteries.

7. The body-insertable apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the function execution unit includes at least

an illumination unit which illuminates the inside of the subject;

an obtaining unit which obtains information on the inside of the illuminated subject; and

a radio transmission unit which radio-transmits the information on the inside of the subject obtained by the obtaining unit to the outside.