Capsule-type medical apparatus

• US 7,511,733 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2002
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Moriyama, Hiroki, Takizawa, Hironobu, Mizuno, Hitoshi, Adachi, Hideyuki, Yabe, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, SHAWN S
• Application Number:
  US10/205,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20030020810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,441 Days
• Field of Search: 348/68, 348/65, 348/77, 348/76, 348/72, 348/64, 348/73, 455/100, 600/101, 600/109, 600/114, 600/160, 600/112, 600/122, 600/133, 600/585, 600/129, 600/121
• US Class Current: 348/68
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00158 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/73 Manipulators for magnetic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A battery self-containing body, which self-contains a battery or a battery accommodating body, which accommodates a battery removably is attached to a capsule body including a drive circuit for driving an imaging device and an illuminating device. Thus, the power supply can be turned ON easily. In addition, the inside portion is sealed water-tightly. Thus, the battery self-containing body or a battery can be exchanged easily, which allows the easy reuse. The direction of the visual field of the imaging device is diagonal with respect to the axis of the capsule body. Furthermore, spiral-shape projections are provided on the peripheral surface of the cylinder form. Thus, the rotation allows the surface of canal cavity wall to be examined easily.

Claims

1. A capsule-type medical apparatus, comprising:

an imaging device for imaging and an illuminating device for illumination,

cylindrical body for containing the imaging device and illuminating device, the cylindrical body having a spiral projection formed on an exterior of the cylindrical body, and

a magnet in the cylindrical body, the magnet being magnetized in one predetermined direction perpendicular to a cylinder axis of the cylindrical body,

wherein by an application of a revolving magnetic field generated from a magnetic field generating device arranged external to a patient'"'"'s body into which the capsule-type medical apparatus is inserted, the entirety of the magnet, which is placed in the cylindrical body and magnetized only in one predetermined direction perpendicular to the cylinder axis, generates a rotating force which rotates the cylindrical body with a rotation axis thereof in a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body in such a manner as to follow rotation of the revolving magnetic field;

the rotating force serves as a propelling force to move the capsule-type medical apparatus in one or the other direction in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body depending on a spiral direction of the spiral projection; and

the imaging device and the illuminating device are provided in the direction of a cylinder axis of the exterior.

2. A capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is removably attached.

3. A capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the spiral-form portion is made of a conductive member to work as an electrode.

4. A capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a forming agent.

5. A capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switch for selectively setting a magnetic field generated by a magnetic field generating device to one of clockwise and anticlockwise directions.

6. A capsule-type medical apparatus, comprising:

an imaging device for imaging and an illuminating device for illumination,

cylindrical body for containing the imaging device and illuminating device, the cylindrical body having a spiral projection formed on an exterior of the cylindrical body, and

a magnet in the cylindrical body, the magnet being magnetized in one predetermined direction perpendicular to a cylinder axis of the cylindrical body,

wherein by an application of a revolving magnetic field generated from a magnetic field generating device arranged external to a patient'"'"'s body into which the capsule- type medical apparatus is inserted, the entirety of the magnet, which is placed in the cylindrical body and magnetized only in one predetermined direction perpendicular to the cylinder axis, generates a rotating force which rotates the cylindrical body with a rotation axis thereof in a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body in such a manner as to follow rotation of the revolving magnetic field;

the rotating force serves as a propelling force to move the capsule-type medical apparatus in one or the other direction in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body depending on a spiral direction of the spiral projection; and

the imaging device and the illuminating device are provided in the diagonal direction with respect to a cylinder axis of the exterior.

7. A capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the magnet is removably attached.

8. A capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least part of the spiral-form portion is made of a conductive member to work as an electrode.

9. A capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a forming agent.

10. A capsule-type medical apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a switch for selectively setting a magnetic field generated by a magnetic field generating device to one of clockwise and anticlockwise directions.

11. A method for operating a capsule-type medical apparatus located in a body cavity, the method comprising:

locating in the body cavity a capsule-type medical apparatus having a spiral projection formed on an exterior of a cylindrical body and a magnet, the magnet being magnetized in one predetermined direction perpendicular to a cylinder axis of the cylindrical body;

applying a revolving external magnetic field generated from a magnetic field generating device arranged external to a patient'"'"'s body into which the capsule-type medical apparatus is inserted,

applying the revolving magnetic field on the entirety of the magnet which is placed in the cylindrical body and magnetized only in one predetermined direction perpendicular to the cylinder axis, thereby generating a rotating force which rotates the cylindrical body with a rotation axis thereof in a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body in such a manner that the entirety of the magnet follows rotation of the revolving magnetic field;

moving by the rotating force the capsule-type medical apparatus in one or the other direction in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body depending on a spiral direction of the spiral projection; and

controlling a progress of the capsule-type medical apparatus based on a control of the revolving magnetic field.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising selecting a direction of a revolving magnetic field generated by the external magnetic field, to allow selection between movements in one and the other directions in the longitudinal direction of the capsule-type medical apparatus.

13. A method for performing processing for examination within a body cavity, the method comprising:

introducing a capsule-type medical apparatus having an imaging device into a body cavity;

imaging within the body cavity to perform the examination;

rotating the capsule-type medical apparatus with a rotation axis thereof in a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body to change the imaging direction by the imaging device, the imaging device having an imaging direction in a predetermined direction which is different from a longitudinal direction of a cylindrical body that forms an exterior, and having an observation visual field range which is set to include the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body; and

repeating the imaging and the rotating of the capsule-type medical apparatus.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising applying a magnetic field for rotating the capsule-type medical apparatus from the outside of the body prior to the rotating of the capsule-type medical apparatus.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising propelling the capsule-type medical apparatus.

16. A method for performing processing for examination within a body cavity, the method comprising:

introducing a capsule-type medical apparatus having an imaging device and a cylindrical body into a body cavity, the cylindrical body having a spiral projection formed on a cylindrical peripheral surface and a magnet which is magnetized only in one predetermined direction perpendicular to a cylinder axis;

imaging within the body cavity to perform the examination;

applying a revolving magnetic field generated from a magnetic field generating device arranged external to a patient'"'"'s body into which the capsule-type medical apparatus is inserted, thereby propelling the capsule-type medical apparatus in a predetermined direction along a cylinder axis depending on a spiral direction of the spiral projection; and

performing a switch operation to reverse the direction of the revolving magnetic field when it is desired to move the capsule-type medical apparatus in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising operating to change a revolving direction of the magnetic field for revolving the capsule-type medical apparatus while the capsule-type medical apparatus is revolved and propelled, to enable it to move from one direction to the other direction in the longitudinal direction of the capsule-type medical apparatus.