Capsule medical apparatus having evacuation detecting and notifying devices and capsule medical apparatus collecting system

• US 7,144,366 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2004
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Takizawa, Hironobu, Kikuchi, Akira, Yokoi, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, PHILIP ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US10/790,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20040176685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 600/109, 600/117, 600/118, 600/160, 600/476
• US Class Current: 600/117
• 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 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters

Abstract

A capsule medical apparatus for medical actions such as examination and treatment in the body detects by a sensor or the like whether it is just being evacuated from the body or it has already been evacuated. Upon detecting the capsule medical apparatus is positioned in the large intestine or it has already been evacuated, the capsule medical apparatus notifies such information in association with the detection.

Claims

1. A capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule adapted to be introduced into the body to perform medical actions;

a detecting device provided in the capsule for detecting information of the living body;

a determining device for determining whether the capsule has been evacuated from the body, the determining device comparing a value detected by the detecting device and a preset threshold value so as to determine whether the capsule has been evacuated from the body; and

a notifying device for notifying that the capsule has been evacuated from the body in response to a determining result by the determining device.

2. A capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notifying device is a light emitting device provided in the capsule.

3. A capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notifying device is a vibrating device provided in the capsule.

4. A capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule stops performance of the medical actions in response to the actuation of the notifying device.

5. A capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule has an image pick-up device for picking up an image of a subject and an illuminating device for illuminating the subject.

6. A capsule medical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the notifying device notifies that the capsule has been evacuated from the body by making the illuminating device emit light intermittently.

7. A capsule medical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the capsule stops at least one of the actuations of the image pick-up device and the illuminating device in response to the actuation of the notifying device.

8. A capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule is capable of selectively switching between an operating mode to nullify the function of the detecting device and make effective the function to perform medical actions and a standby mode to make effective the function of the detecting device and stops performance of the medical actions.

9. A capsule medical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the capsule is capable of selectively switching between an operating mode to nullify the detecting of information by the detecting device and make effective functions of the image pickup device and the illuminating device and a standby mode to make effective the detecting of information by the detecting device and stop at least one of the functions of the image pick-up device and the illuminating device.

10. A capsule medical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the capsule switches between the operating mode and the standby mode at preset times.

11. A capsule medical apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the capsule switches between the operating mode and the standby mode at preset times.

12. A capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining device compares the value detected by the detecting device and the preset threshold value so as to determine whether the capsule is at a position just before being evacuated from the body, and

the notifying device notifies also in a case where the determining device has determined that the capsule is at a position just before being evacuated from the body.