CAPSULE MEDICAL APPARATUS

• US 20080119692A1
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: MINAI, Tetsuo, OHARA, Jin, TAMURA, Kazuaki
• Application Number:
  US11/934,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20080119692A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• 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

The capsule medical apparatus of the present invention including an information acquisition section that acquires information on the inside of a test subject comprises a plurality of communication electrodes that are disposed on the surface of the capsule medical apparatus and capable of communication for outputting the information acquired by the information acquisition section to the outside of the test subject, a signal conversion section that converts an electric signal outputted according to the information acquired by the information acquisition section into electrode drive signals for driving the communication electrodes by inducing a potential difference therebetween, a signal output switching section that switches between output states of the electrode drive signals, and a signal switching control section that controls the signal output switching section based on the output state of the electric signal to stop outputting the electrode drive signals during the period in which the electric signal is not outputted.

Claims

1. A capsule medical apparatus that is disposed in a test subject and includes an information acquisition section that acquires information on the inside of the test subject, the capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a plurality of communication electrodes that are disposed on the surface of the capsule medical apparatus and capable of communication for outputting the information acquired by the information acquisition section to the outside of the test object;

a signal conversion section that converts an electric signal outputted according to the information acquired by the information acquisition section into electrode drive signals for driving the communication electrodes by inducing a potential difference therebetween;

a signal output switching section that selectively switches between output states of the electrode drive signals; and

a signal switching control section that controls the signal output switching section based on the output state of the electric signal to stop outputting the electrode drive signals during the period in which the electric signal is not outputted.

2. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal switching control section further controls the signal output switching section based on the output state of the electric signal to output a signal for setting the potential at each of the communication electrodes to a predetermined potential during the period in which the electric signal is not outputted.

3. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined potential is the ground potential.