Capsule medical apparatus and current-carrying control method

• US 20070171012A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Shiotani, Koichi, Fujimori, Noriyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,675,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 335/151
• 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 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/73 Manipulators for magnetic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to readily initiate an operation of a capsule medical apparatus which is inserted into a subject and executes a predetermined function. In a capsule endoscope 3 according to the present invention, a reed switch 14 connected to a power supply unit and a function executing unit is arranged parallel to a direction of a longitudinal axis t of a capsule-like casing 16 in the substantially cylindrical capsule-like casing 16 of the capsule endoscope 3. A pair of movable electrodes of the reed switch 14 operates according to magnetic induction of a magnetic field of a magnet 6 applied substantially parallel to the direction t of the longitudinal axis of the capsule-like casing 16, and come into contact with each other. As a result, power supply from the power supply unit to the function executing unit is allowed.

Claims

1. A capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a function executing unit that executes a predetermined function;

a power supply unit that supplies power to the function executing unit;

a main capsule body that houses the function executing unit and the power supply unit;

a switch that is housed in the main capsule body, that has a pair of contacts which come into contact with each other and separate from each other according to a magnetic induction of a magnetic field applied from an outside of the main capsule body, and that connects the function executing unit and the power supply unit via the pair of contacts to allow conduction or to shield conduction; and

a direction index that indicates a direction of the magnetic field which cause contact and separation of the pair of contacts in a manner recognizable from an outside.

2. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the switch is a reed switch, and

the reed switch is arranged so that a lead extending direction is vertical to a direction of a longitudinal axis of the main capsule body.

3. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the main capsule body is substantially cylindrical in shape and is formed in a rotationally symmetrical shape about a direction of a longitudinal axis, and

the switch is arranged parallel to the direction of the longitudinal axis.

4. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the direction index is formed inside the main capsule body or on an outer wall portion of the main capsule body in such a manner that the direction of the magnetic field can be visually recognized from the outside of the main capsule body.

5. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the function executing unit has an illuminating unit which emits illuminating light,

the main capsule body further houses an illumination board provided with the illuminating unit, and

the direction index is formed on the illumination board in such a manner that the direction of the magnetic field can be visually recognized from the outside of the main capsule body.

6. A capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a function executing unit that executes a predetermined function;

a power supply unit that supplies power to the function executing unit;

a main capsule body that houses the function executing unit and the power supply unit; and

a switch that is housed in the main capsule body, that has a pair of contacts which come into contact with each other and separate from each other according to a magnetic induction of a magnetic field applied from an outside of the main capsule body, and that connects the function executing unit and the power supply unit via the pair of contacts to allow conduction or to shield conduction, wherein

a lead extending direction of a lead that extends from the pair of contacts is substantially parallel to a direction of a longitudinal axis of the main capsule body.

9. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the switch has two electrodes that are magnetized to different poles according to the magnetic induction of the magnetic field applied substantially parallel to the switch from the outside of the main capsule body in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and

the two electrodes connect the power supply unit and the function executing unit so as to allow for conduction and to shield the conduction by moving and coming into contact with each other according to the magnetization to different poles.

7. A capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a function executing unit that executes a predetermined preset function;

a power supply unit that supplies power to the function executing unit;

a switch that connects the function executing unit and the power supply unit so as to allow for conduction and to shield the conduction; and

a main capsule body that is substantially cylindrical in shape, that is formed in a rotationally symmetrical shape about a direction of a longitudinal axis, and houses the function executing unit, the power supply unit, and the switch, wherein

the switch switches over a conduction state and a conduction-shielded state of the power supply unit and the function executing unit according to a magnetic induction of a magnetic field applied substantially parallel to the switch from outside the main capsule body in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

8. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the switch is a reed switch, and

a lead extending direction of the reed switch is substantially parallel to the direction of the longitudinal axis.

10. A current-carrying control method of a capsule medical apparatus provided with a main capsule body in which a function executing unit that executes a predetermined function, a power supply unit that supplies power to the function executing unit, and a switch that connects the function executing unit and the power supply unit so as to allow for conduction and shield conduction therebetween are provided, the method comprising:

recognizing a direction of a magnetic field which works on the switch;

controlling the conduction and shielding of the conduction between the power supply unit and the function executing unit by making the magnetic field in a direction based on a result of the recognizing work on the switch from the outside of the main capsule body so as to operate the switch.

11. The current-carrying control method of the capsule medical apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising

arranging the switch inside the main capsule body that is substantially cylindrical in shape and formed rotationally symmetrical shape about a direction of a longitudinal axis, so that the direction of the magnetic field which works on the switch is vertical to the direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein

the recognizing includes recognizing the direction of the magnetic field which works on the switch which is arranged inside the main capsule body in the arranging.

12. The current-carrying control method of the capsule medical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the recognizing includes recognizing the direction of the magnetic field by visually recognizing a predetermined direction index formed inside the main capsule body or on an outer wall portion of the main capsule body.

13. The current-carrying control method of the capsule medical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the controlling includes making the magnetic field in the direction based on the result of the recognizing work on the switch by bringing a magnetic body close to the switch from the outside of the main capsule body.

14. The current-carrying control method of the capsule medical apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the controlling includes making the magnetic field in the direction based on the result of the recognizing work on the switch by bringing the magnetic body which is a permanent magnet or an electromagnet close to the switch from the outside of the main capsule body.

15. A current-carrying control method of the capsule medical apparatus, comprising:

arranging a switch which is connected between a function executing unit that executes a predetermined function and a power supply unit that supplies power to the function executing unit, parallel to a direction of a longitudinal axis of a main capsule body, inside the main capsule body which is substantially cylindrical in shape and is formed rotationally symmetrical in shape about the direction of the longitudinal axis; and

controlling conduction and shielding of the conduction between the power supply unit and the function executing unit by applying a magnetic field which is substantially parallel to the direction of the longitudinal axis to the switch from an outside of the main capsule body and operating the switch according to an effect of the magnetic field.

16. The current-carrying control method of the capsule medical apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising

recognizing a direction of the magnetic field which works on the switch based on the direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein

the controlling includes controlling the conduction and the shielding of the conduction between the power supply unit and the function executing unit by applying the magnetic field in the direction recognized in the recognizing to the switch from the outside of the main capsule body and operating the switch according to the effect of the magnetic field.

17. The current-carrying control method of the capsule medical apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the controlling includes controlling the conduction and the shielding of the conduction between the power supply unit and the function executing unit by applying the magnetic field which is substantially parallel to the direction of the longitudinal axis to the switch that has electrodes made respectively of two magnetic bodies and forming a pair of contactable and separable contacts, and bringing the electrodes into contact with each other by magnetizing the electrodes to different poles according to an effect of the magnetic field.