Medical camera system

• US 4,278,077 A
• Filed: 07/24/1979
• Issued: 07/14/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizumoto, Morihide
• Primary Examiner(s): YASKO JR, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US06/060,008
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 128/3-8, 128/631, 128/769, 128/260, 354/62, 354/63, 354/131, 354/135, 354/126, 354/234, 354/235
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00029 externally powered, e.g. wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00158 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/00 Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe

Abstract

A capsule-shaped miniature camera comprising at least one permanent magnet, an induction coil, a lamp serially connected to the induction coil and a shutter device. The induction coil induces an electromotive force when an magnetic field generated by electromagnets outside the camera acts on it. The electromotive force turns on the lamp and drives the shutter device.

Claims

1. A medical camera system comprising a capsuleshaped miniature camera being received in a body cavity and a magnetic field generating device including electromagnet means disposed outside a body and a power supply unit for supplying an energizing current to the electromagnet means to permit the electromagnet means to generate a magnetic field, said miniature camera comprising an envelope provided with at least one permanent magnet, a coil disposed in the envelope for inducing an electromotive force from the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating device, illumination means provided in the envelope and excited by the electromotive force of the coil for illuminating an object, a shutter device operated by the electromotive force of said coil, a film box disposed in the envelope for containing films, and an optical system for focusing an image of the illuminated object on one of the films contained in the film box.

2. A medical camera system according to claim 1, wherein said miniature camera includes a permanent magnet whose north and south poles are disposed on both ends of said envelope, respectively.

3. A medical camera system according to claim 1, wherein said miniature camera includes a pair of permanent magnets, north and south poles of one of which face the north and south poles of the other respectively.

4. A medical camera system according to claim 1, wherein said permanent magnet is disposed on a central portion of the envelope to partition the envelope into two chambers one of which houses said illumination means and the other of which houses said optical system and said film box.

5. The medical camera system according to claim 1, wherein said envelope comprises by an outer envelope and an inner envelope, and said coil is wound about the inner envelope.

6. The medical camera system according to claim 1, wherein said shutter device comprises a shutter plate which is slidably disposed between said optical system and said film box and an electromagnet which is connected to said coil and excited by the electromotive force of said coil to attract the shutter plate.

7. The medical camera system according to claim 6, wherein said shutter device includes a film feeding member which operates together with said shutter plate to feed a film outside said film box.

8. The medical camera system according to claim 1, wherein said illumination means and optical system are recessed from the outer periphery of said envelope.