IN VIVO INFORMATION ACQUIRING APPARATUS

• US 20130225923A1
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: SAKAI, Youhei, YOSHIZAWA, Fukashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,757,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00027 characterised by power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00032 internally powered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4255 Intestines, colon or appendix

Abstract

A capsule endoscope includes: an in vivo information acquiring section that acquires information on an inside of a body of a subject; a battery that supplies power; a power source switch that turns on/off power supply from the battery to the in vivo information acquiring section; a detection section that includes at least two electrodes disposed on an outer face of a casing, and, upon detection of introduction to the inside of the body of the subject based on a change in electric resistance between the electrodes, outputs a detection signal; and a control section that controls the power source switch according to the detection signal.

Claims

1. An in vivo information acquiring apparatus comprising:

an in vivo information acquiring section that acquires information on an inside of a body of a subject;

a power source that supplies power;

a power source switch that turns on/off power supply from the power source to the in vivo information acquiring section;

a detection section that includes at least two electrodes disposed on an outer face of a casing, and, upon detection of introduction to the inside of the body of the subject based on a change in electric resistance between the electrodes, outputs a detection signal; and

a control section that controls the power source switch according to the detection signal.

2. The in vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the electrodes are wound on the casing having a cylindrical shape.

3. The in vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the electrodes are each formed in a protrusion shape from a surface of the casing.

4. The in vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the electrodes are each formed in a recess shape from a surface of the casing.

5. The in vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a signal receiving section that receives a control signal from an outside and outputs an internal signal,

wherein the control section controls the power source switch according to the detection signal and the internal signal.

6. The in vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the control signal is a direct current magnetic field signal;

and

wherein the signal receiving section includes a reed switch.

7. The in vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the control signal is an alternating magnetic field signal;

and

wherein the signal receiving section includes a magnetic field detection coil, and a reception circuit that rectifies the alternating magnetic field signal received by the magnetic field detection coil.

8. The in vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein upon receipt of the detection signal from the detection section that detects the introduction to the inside of the body of the subject, the control section controls the power source switch so as to turn on the power supply irrespective of the internal signal.

9. The in vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 7, wherein upon receipt of the detection signal from the detection section that detects the introduction to the inside of the body of the subject, the control section controls the power source switch so as to turn on the power supply irrespective of the internal signal.

10. The in vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the in vivo information acquiring apparatus is a capsule endoscope including an image pickup section that picks up an image of the inside of the body of the subject.

11. The in vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the in vivo information acquiring apparatus is a capsule endoscope including an image pickup section that picks up an image of the inside of the body of the subject.