In Vivo Capsule Device with Electrodes

• US 20160206182A1
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CapsoVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CapsoVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Kang-Huai
• Application Number:
  US15/081,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20160206182A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00018 using electrical cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00124 electrical, e.g. electrical plug-and-socket connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00156 using self propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6861 Capsules, e.g. for swallowing or implanting

Abstract

A capsule endoscopic system with movement control is disclosed. The capsule endoscopic system comprises a capsule endoscopic device and a processor. The capsule endoscopic device comprises a capsule housing, an image sensor, one or more electrodes disposed fixedly through the capsule housing and a signal generation/signal driver unit. The image sensor captures images when the capsule endoscopic device travels inside a patient'"'"'s gastrointestinal track. The processor derives quantified movement of the capsule endoscopic device based on the images captured using the image sensor. The electrodes apply electrical stimulus to living body tissue in the patient'"'"'s gastrointestinal track. The signal generation/signal driver unit provides the electrical stimulus generated according to the quantified movement of the capsule endoscopic device to adjust movement of the capsule endoscopic device. The image sensor and the signal generation/signal driver unit are inside the capsule housing.

Claims

1. A capsule endoscopic system comprising:

a capsule endoscopic device comprising;

a capsule housing;

an image sensor to capture images when the capsule endoscopic device travels inside a patient'"'"'s gastrointestinal track;

one or more electrodes disposed fixedly through the capsule housing, wherein said one or more electrodes apply electrical stimulus to living body tissue in the patient'"'"'s gastrointestinal track; and

a signal generation/signal driver unit to provide the electrical stimulus to said one or more electrodes, wherein the signal generation/signal driver unit generates the electrical stimulus according to quantified movement of the capsule endoscopic device to adjust movement of the capsule endoscopic device; and

wherein the image sensor and the signal generation/signal driver unit are inside the capsule housing; and

a processor to derive the quantified movement of the capsule endoscopic device based on the images captured using the image sensor.

2. The capsule endoscopic system of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to apply motion estimation based on the images to derive motion information as the quantified movement.

3. The capsule endoscopic system of claim 2, wherein the processor is arranged to apply the motion estimation based on a subset of the images, wherein the subset of the images is generated by spatially and/or temporarily sub-sampling the images, or cropping the images.

4. The capsule endoscopic system of claim 2, wherein the processor is arranged to determine global motion from the motion information as the quantified movement.

5. The capsule endoscopic system of claim 4, wherein the processor is arranged to determine the global motion from the motion information associated with the images over a period of time based on an average, mean, median or majority of the motion information.

6. The capsule endoscopic system of claim 2, wherein the processor is inside the capsule housing.

7. The capsule endoscopic system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further arranged to perform video compression for a video sequence corresponding to the images.

8. The capsule endoscopic system of claim 2, wherein an external device outside the capsule endoscopic device is used to apply motion estimation based on the images to derive motion information as the quantified movement.

9. The capsule endoscopic system of claim 8 further comprising a wireless link inside the capsule endoscopic device to transmit the images to the external device and the external device corresponds to a base station.