Capsular medical apparatus

• US 7,367,940 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Uchiyama, Akio, Fujita, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker; John P.
• Application Number:
  US10/846,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20050038321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 600/117, 600/118, 600/160, 600/109, 348/74, 348/75, 348/76
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00022 removable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes

Abstract

A capsular medical apparatus according to the present invention includes a capsule which can be swallowed or inserted in the body, a recording device which receives living body information transmitted from the capsule and which records the received information, and a display device of the living body information. Further, the capsular medical apparatus includes a USB connector which connects and disconnects the recording device and the display device, a voltage detecting circuit which detects the connection between the recording device and the display device, and a USB cable which transmits the living body information to the display device from the recording device.

Claims

1. A capsular medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule which can be swallowed or inserted in the body;

a recording device which receives living body information transmitted from the capsule and which records the received information;

a battery which supplies power to the recording device;

a display device which displays the living body information;

a detecting unit which detects the connection between the recording device and the display device; and

a transfer unit which transfers the living body information to the display device from the recording device substantially concurrently with the transmission of the living body information from the capsule to the recording device.

2. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording device comprises a control unit which determines a signal from the detecting unit and which reduces consumption of the battery.

3. An examining method using a capsular medical apparatus having a capsule which can be swallowed or inserted in the body;

a recording device powered by a battery which receives living body information transmitted from the capsule and which records the received information; and

a display device which displays the living body information, the examining method using the capsular medical apparatus, comprising;

a step of receiving the living body information transmitted from the capsule and recording the received information in the recording device;

a step of detecting the connection between the recording device and the display device independently of the connection; and

a step of canceling a standby mode of a transfer unit upon detecting the connection and transferring the living body information transmitted from the capsule to the display device substantially concurrently with the transmission of the living body information from the capsule to the recording device.

4. A capsular medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule which can be swallowed or inserted in the body;

a recording device which receives living body information transmitted from the capsule and which records the received information;

a battery which supplies power to the recording device;

a display device to display the living body information substantially concurrently with the transmission of the living body information from the capsule to the recording device; and

a detecting unit which detects the connection between the recording device and the display device;

wherein an operating mode of the recording device is changed in accordance with a detected result of the detecting unit.

5. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the recording device records the received living body information in a recording unit therein when the detecting unit detects that the display device is not connected.

6. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the recording device transmits the received living body information to the display device when the detecting unit detects that the display device is connected.

7. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the recording device records the received living body information in a recording unit therein and transmits the received living body information to the display device when the detecting unit detects that the display device is connected.

8. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detecting unit detects the connection or disconnection by a voltage.

9. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the living body information is image information.

10. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display device displays a plurality of pieces of image information.

11. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the recording device adds date and time information for reception upon receiving the living body information.

12. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detecting unit sets, to a standby mode with low consumption-power, an operating state of a transfer unit which transfers the living body information to the display device from the recording device when the detecting unit detects that the display device is not connected.

13. A capsular medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule which can be swallowed or inserted in the body;

a recording device which receives living body information transmitted from the capsule;

a display device which displays the living body information;

a detecting unit which detects a connection between the recording device and the display device; and

a battery which supplies power to the recording device;

wherein the recording device is equipped with following two operation modes;

(a) living body information receiving mode, wherein, an antenna is connected to the recording device to receive living body information transmitted from the capsule;

(b) living body information receiving and displaying mode, wherein an antenna is connected to the recording device to receive living body information transmitted from the capsule when the display device is connected to the recording device to substantially concurrently display the received living body information with the transmission of living body information from the capsule to the recording device.

14. A capsular medical apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the recording device reduces consumption current when operated in the operation mode (a).

15. A capsular medical apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the recording device is equipped with two non-volatile memories.

16. A capsular medical apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the two non-volatile memories has different storage capacity.

17. A capsular medical apparatus according to claim 15, wherein one of the two non-volatile memories are detachable from the recording device.

18. A capsular medical apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the recording device records the living body information to the two non-volatile memories in order of detachable non-volatile memory and the other non-volatile memory.

19. A capsular medical apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the display device is adapted to set a parameter of the recording device.

20. A capsular medical apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the display device is adapted to display plural of living body information enabling to open one of the plural living body information by clicking a tab.

21. A capsular medical apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the recording device records the received living body information when operated in mode (a).

22. A capsular medical apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the operation modes are switched based on the connection of the recording device and the display device.

23. A capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule which can be swallowed or inserted in the body;

a recording device which receives living body information transmitted from the capsule and which records the received information;

a display device which displays the living body information and is formed independently from the recording device;

a battery which supplies power to the recording device;

a connecting unit which detachably connects the recording device and the display device;

a detecting unit which detects the connection between the recording device and the display device; and

a transferring unit which transfers the living body information from the recording device to the display device,

wherein the capsule medical apparatus includes

a first operating mode in which the recording device transfers the living body information to the display device substantially concurrently with the transmission of the living body information from the capsule to the recording device, if detected result of the detecting unit shows that the connection is made, and

a second operating mode in which the recording device records the living body information therein without transferring the living body information to the display device, if detected result of the detecting unit does not show that the connection is made.