Capsule-type medical apparatus and a communication method for the capsule-type medical apparatus

• US 7,354,397 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kotouda, Kaoru, Fujita, Manabu, Azuma, Motoo, Homan, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak; Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KASZTEJNA, MATTHEW JOHN
• Application Number:
  US10/271,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20030213495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 600/109, 600114-115, 600/117, 600/118, 600/160, 901/1, 606/1
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging

Abstract

When a capsule is manufactured, a unique number such as a serial number is stored in non-volatile memory in the capsule. If the capsule is used with an external apparatus, the unique number is sent from the capsule to the external apparatus. The external apparatus relates each unique number with a capsule ID comprising a small number of bits in a management table formed in non-volatile memory and sends the capsule ID to the capsule, and the capsule ID with the small number of bits is set as an identifier in the capsule. In this manner, it is made unnecessary to provide a switch in the capsule for setting the identifier and it becomes possible to reduce and send the quantity of information sent as the identifier.

Claims

1. A capsule-type medical apparatus comprising a capsule body, inserted in a living body and performing medical procedures such as observation, and an external apparatus disposed outside the living body, and further comprising:

an image-capturing portion for capturing an image of a subject to output an image-capturing signal, the image-capturing portion being provided to the capsule body;

capsule sending means, established in the capsule body, for sending to the external apparatus a first identifier stored in the capsule body for identifying the capsule body;

external apparatus receiving means, established in the external apparatus, for receiving the first identifier;

external apparatus sending means, established in the external apparatus, for sending to the capsule body a second identifier related to the first identifier and having a smaller number of bits than the first identifier;

first storing means, established in the external apparatus, for storing information of the second identifier sent by the external apparatus sending means;

capsule receiving means, established in the capsule body, for receiving the second identifier sent from the external apparatus sending means;

second storing means, established in the capsule body, for storing the information of the second identifier sent from the external apparatus sending;

means and

a processing circuit for generating a signal having the second identifier added to the image-capturing signal and sending the image-capturing signal with the second identifier added thereto generated by the processing circuit to the external apparatus receiving means via the capsule sending means.

2. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule body comprises means for storing a unique number such as a serial number.

3. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the capsule body sends said unique number to the external apparatus, and the external apparatus sends to the capsule body the second identifier according to said unique number.

4. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for designating the capsule body for which the second identifier is to be deleted.

5. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing different second identifiers to a plurality of capsule bodies.

6. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a counter circuit is used as means for providing different second identifiers.

7. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule body comprises image-capturing means;

and the capsule body executes the acquisition of data and the sending of data at instructions from the external apparatus.

8. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the data acquired are image data and image data are sent.

9. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein image data for one frame is captured at a single instruction;

and an image of one frame is sent.

10. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the capsule body comprises a frame memory, captures image data for a plurality of frames at a single instruction, stores image data corresponding to a plurality of frames in frame memory, and performs wireless transmission of the image data stored in frame memory.

11. The capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 8, comprising selecting means for selecting between the case where image data for one frame is captured at a single instruction and an image of one frame is sent, and the case where image data for a plurality of frames is captured at a single instruction and image data for a plurality of frames is sent.

12. A communication method for a capsule-type medical apparatus for communicating between a capsule body, inserted in a living body and performing medical procedures such as observation, and an external apparatus disposed outside the living body, and comprising:

a first step for sending from the capsule body to the external apparatus a first identifier stored in the capsule body for identifying the capsule body;

a second step in which the external apparatus receives the first identifier sent in the first step;

a third step in which the external apparatus sends a second identifier related to the first identifier and having a smaller number of bits than the first identifier;

a fourth step in which the external apparatus stores information of the second identifier;

a fifth step in which the capsule body receives the second identifier which is sent in the third step;

a sixth step in which the capsule body stores information of the second identifier;

a seventh step of capturing an image of a subject and outputting an image-capturing signal, the image-capturing being provided by the capsule; and

an eighth step in which a signal having the second identifier is added to the image-capturing signal and sending the image-capturing signal with the second identifier added thereto to the external apparatus.

13. The communication method for a capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a step for recognizing an interrupted connection between the external apparatus and the capsule body; and

a step for recovering the paired relationship between the external apparatus and the capsule body.

14. The communication method for a capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a step for deleting the second identifier provided to the capsule body.

15. The communication method for a capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a step for recognizing the powering on of the external apparatus; and

a step for providing an identifier from the external apparatus to a capsule body.

16. The communication method for a capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a step for recognizing the powering on of the capsule body; and

a step for providing an identifier from the external apparatus to the capsule body.

17. A capsule-type medical apparatus comprising a capsule body inserted in a living body for performing medical procedures such as observation, and an external apparatus disposed outside the living body, and further comprising:

;

an image-capturing unit for capturing an image of a subject to output an image-capturing signal, the image-capturing unit being provided to the capsule body;

a first storing area provided in the capsule body for storing a first identifier for identifying the capsule body beforehand;

a capsule sending unit provided in the capsule body for sending the first identifier to outside of the capsule body;

an external apparatus receiving unit provided in the external apparatus for receiving signal from the capsule sending unit;

an external apparatus storing area provided in the external apparatus for storing a second identifier related to the first identifier received by the external apparatus receiving unit and having a smaller number of bits than the first identifier;

an external apparatus sending unit provided in the external apparatus for sending the second identifier stored in the external apparatus storing area to the outside of the external apparatus;

a capsule receiving unit provided in the capsule body for receiving signal containing the second identifier sent from the external apparatus sending unit;

a second storing area provided in the capsule body for storing information of the second identifier received by the capsule receiving unit; and

a processing circuit for generating a signal having the second identifier added to the image-capturing signal and sending the image-capturing signal with the second identifier added thereto generated by the processing circuit to the external apparatus receiving means via the capsule sending means.

18. A communication method for a capsule-type medical apparatus for communicating between a capsule body, inserted in a living body and performing medical procedures such as observation, and an external apparatus disposed outside the living body, the communication method comprising:

a first step for the capsule body to send a first identifier for identifying the capsule body stored beforehand in a first storing area therein to the outside from a capsule sending unit;

a second step for the external apparatus to receive the first identifier sent at the first step by an external apparatus receiving unit;

a third step for the external apparatus to relate a second identifier having a smaller number of bits than the first identifier to the first identifier received at the second step and store it in an external apparatus storing area;

a fourth step for the external apparatus to send the second identifier stored at the third step to the outside from an external apparatus sending unit;

a fifth step for the capsule body to receive the second identifier sent at the fourth step by a capsule receiving unit;

a sixth step for the capsule body to store information of the second identifier received at the fifth step in a second storing area;

a seventh step of capturing an image of a subject and outputting an image-capturing signal, the image-capturing being provided by the capsule; and

an eighth step in which a signal having the second identifier is added to the image-capturing signal and sending the image-capturing signal with the second identifier added thereto to the external apparatus.