Energy management of a video capsule

• US 6,428,469 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2000
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Iddan, Gavriel J., Meron, Gavriel
• Primary Examiner(s): MULCAHY, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/581,628
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 600/109, 600/117, 600/118, 600/160, 600/407, 600/476, 348/65, 348/76, 348/82, 348/84, 455/66, 455/95, 455/100, 396/17
• US Class Current: 600/109
• 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 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• 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 5/067 using accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/42 Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the gastrointestinal, the endocrine or the exocrine systems A61B1/00, A61B5/4857, A61B5/486, A61B5/4866, A61B5/4869 take precedence

Abstract

An energy saving device for acquiring in vivo images of the gastro-intestinal tract is provided. The device, such as an autonomous capsule (10), includes at least one imaging unit (12), a control unit (14) connected to the imaging unit, and a power supply (24) connected to the control unit. The control unit includes a switching unit (18, 20), and an axial motion detector (22) connected to the switching unit, disconnects the power supply thereby preventing the acquisition of redundant images.

Claims

1. A device for acquiring in vivo images of the gastro-intestinal tract, said images forming a sequence of electronic scenes, said device comprising:

at least one imaging unit;

a control unit connected to said at least one imaging unit, said control unit comprising;

a switching unit; and

an axial motion detector connected to said switching unit; and

a power supply connected to said control unit;

wherein said axial motion detector detects the axial movement of the device and if the axial acceleration is below a pre-determined threshold, disconnects said power supply thereby preventing the acquisition of redundant images.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said axial motion detector comprises:

an accelerometer;

an amplifier connected to said accelerometer, for amplifying said signal from said accelerometer;

an analyzer connected to said amplifier, for analyzing said amplified signal.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said analyzer comprises a comparator for comparing said analyzed signal with said pre-determined threshold.

4. A method for reducing redundant image acquisition of the internal gastro-intestinal tract by an imaging unit residing within a capsule within said tract, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the axial motion of said capsule; and

if said detected motion is below a pre-determined threshold, disconnecting said imaging unit.

5. A method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of reconnecting said imaging unit if said detected motion is above said pre-determined threshold.