Capsule medical apparatus

• US 7,604,591 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Homan, Masatoshi, Uchiyama, Akio, Takizawa, Hironobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker; John P
• Application Number:
  US10/974,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/160, 600/130, 600/407, 600/476, 343/895
• US Class Current: 600/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00029 externally powered, e.g. wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00158 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period

Abstract

A capsule casing is inserted into the living body, a thin-film substrate is cylindrically-shaped with approximately the same size of the inner surface of the casing and a coil for receiving an AC magnetic field is formed, and thus AC power is generated by the AC magnetic field from the outside of the living body with a small mounting space.

Claims

1. A capsule medical apparatus which generates power by radio using an AC magnetic field, the capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule-shaped casing; and

a thin-film substrate which is arranged in the capsule casing,

wherein a wiring is formed on the thin-film substrate such that a coil member having a power receiving coil for receiving the AC magnetic field and a sending coil for sending data outwards is constructed by cylindrically shaping the thin-film substrate, and

a sending means for sending a signal from the capsule medical apparatus and a power feed circuit for supplying a power to the capsule medical apparatus are connected to the coil member.

2. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thin-film substrate is cylindrically shaped, and the outer diameter of the cylindrically shaped thin-film substrate substantially matches the outer diameter of the capsule casing.

3. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thin-film substrate is formed into a substantially polygonally-shaped-cylinder.

4. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thin-film substrate is formed into a substantially square-shaped-cylinder.

5. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiring for the spiral coil formed onto the thin-film substrate has multi-layers.

6. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a film containing a magnetic member is arranged to the inside of a coil wiring layer on the thin-film substrate that is cylindrically shaped.

7. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the magnetic member is iron.

8. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the magnetic member is permalloy.

9. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a stick- or pipe-shaped magnetic member is arranged to the inside of the thin-film substrate that is cylindrically shaped.

10. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the magnetic member is iron.

11. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the magnetic member is permalloy.

12. A capsule medical apparatus which generates power by radio using an AC magnetic field, the capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule-shaped casing; and

a squarely-shaped thin-film substrate which is arranged to the capsule casing,

wherein a wiring is formed on the thin-film substrate such that a coil member having a power receiving coil for receiving the AC magnetic field and a sending coil for sending data outwards is constructed by connecting and cylindrically shaping two facing sides forming a part of the square shape of the thin-film substrate, and

a sending means for sending a signal from the capsule medical apparatus and a power feed circuit for supplying power to the capsule medical apparatus are connected to the coil member.

13. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the thin-film substrate is formed into a substantially square-shaped-cylinder.

14. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the wirings on the two facing sides are electrically connected by soldering.

15. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the wirings on the two facing sides are electrically connected by an anisotropic conductive film.

16. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the shape of the thin-film substrate is substantially rectangular.

17. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the shape of the thin-film substrate is substantially parallelogram.

18. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the wiring for the spiral coil formed on the thin-film substrate have multi-layers.

19. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a film containing a ferromagnetic member is arranged in the cylindrical inner surface of the thin-film substrate that is cylindrically shaped.

20. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the two facing sides are wave-shaped like a rectangular wave, and the two sides are connected to be engaged with each other.

21. A capsule medical apparatus which generates power by radio using an AC magnetic field, the capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule-shaped casing; and

a square thin-film substrate which is arranged in the capsule casing,

wherein

wirings are formed in the thin-film substrate such that a coil member having a power receiving coil for receiving the AC magnetic field and a sending coil for sending data outwards is constructed by connecting and cylindrically shaping two facing sides of a part of the square of the thin-film substrate,

a sending means for sending a signal from the capsule medical apparatus and a power feed circuit for supplying power to the capsule medical apparatus are connected to the coil member, and

the thin-film substrate comprises an electric part comprising at least one of the following;

an illuminating circuit for controlling illuminating means for illumination, an image pick-up circuit for controlling image pick-up means for picking-up an image of a portion illuminated by the illuminating means, a commutating circuit for commutating generated current, charging means for charging generated power, a sending circuit for sending the picked-up signal by radio, and a control circuit for controlling the illuminating means and the illuminating circuit.

22. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 21, wherein any of the circuits or a plurality of the circuits are mounted on the inner surface of the thin-film substrate that is cylindrically shaped.

23. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 21, wherein any of the circuits or a plurality of the circuits are mounted on the outer surface of the thin-film substrate that is cylindrically shaped.

24. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 21, wherein any of the circuits or a plurality of the circuits are mounted separately on the inner surface and the outer surface of the thin-film substrate that is cylindrically shaped.

25. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the charging means is a capacitor.

26. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the charging means is a ceramic capacitor.

27. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the charging means is an electric double-layer capacitor.

28. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the charging means is a secondary battery.

29. A capsule medical apparatus having a commutating circuit for generating AC power by an external AC magnetic field and converting the AC power into DC power, the capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule-shaped casing;

a cylindrical thin-film substrate which is arranged in the capsule casing; and

two or more pairs of coil members which are formed on the outer surface of the thin-film substrate,

wherein

each of the two or more pairs of coil members is further comprised of a power receiving coil for receiving the AC magnetic field and a sending coil for sending data outwards, and

a sending means for sending a signal from the capsule medical apparatus and a power feed circuit for supplying power to the capsule medical apparatus are connected to the coil member.

30. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the two or more pairs of coil members are formed in different directions.

31. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 29, wherein an electro-magnetic part is mounted on the thin-film substrate.

32. A capsule medical system comprising a capsule medical apparatus inserted into the living body and an extracorporeal device for supplying electric energy by radio to the capsule medical apparatus from the outside of the living body,

wherein

the extracorporeal device comprises AC magnetic field generating means for generating an AC magnetic field, and

the capsule medical apparatus comprises

a capsule-shaped casing;

a cylindrical thin-film substrate which is arranged in the capsule casing;

a coil member which is arranged onto the cylindrical thin-film substrate, the coil member having a power receiving coil for receiving the AC magnetic field and a sending coil for sending data outwards, and

a sending means for sending a signal from the capsule medical apparatus and a power feed circuit for supplying power to the capsule medical apparatus are connected to the coil member.

33. The capsule medical system according to claim 32, wherein the AC magnetic field generating means generates the AC magnetic field with a frequency band with low attenuation in the living body.

34. The capsule medical system according to claim 32, wherein the AC magnetic field generating means generates the AC magnetic field with the frequency of 150 kHz or less.

35. A capsule medical apparatus for sending data to the outside and receiving power from the outside, comprising:

a sending antenna for sending the data; and

a power receiving antenna for receiving the supplied power,

wherein

the sending antenna and the power receiving antenna are formed as a single coil member, and

a sending means for sending a signal from the capsule medical apparatus and a power feed circuit for supplying power to the capsule medical apparatus are connected to the coil member.

36. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the coil member is formed onto a flexible substrate.

37. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the sending antenna and the receiving antenna are arranged onto the same substrate.

38. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the sending antenna and the receiving antenna are arranged onto the same flexible substrate, and the flexible substrate is substantially cylindrically shaped.

39. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the power receiving antenna is coil-shaped, a shielding layer containing a conductive member is formed to the outside of the power receiving antenna, and further the sending antenna is arranged to the outside of the shielding layer.

40. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the sending means and the power feed circuit are driven by different frequencies.

41. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the sending means and the power feed circuit are driven at different times.

42. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the coil member has an intermediate electrode, and the sending means is connected to the intermediate electrode.

43. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the coil member has an intermediate electrode, and the sending means and the power feed circuit are connected to the intermediate electrode.

44. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 35, wherein a filter for removing a signal of a frequency band from the power feed circuit is arranged between the sending means and the coil member.

45. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising:

means for monitoring the charged power in the power feed circuit.

46. A capsule medical apparatus which generates power by radio using an AC magnetic field, the capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule-shaped casing; and

a thin-film substrate which is arranged in the capsule casing,

wherein

a wiring is formed on the thin-film substrate such that a spiral coil for receiving the AC magnetic field is constructed by cylindrically shaping the thin-film substrate, and

the wiring for the spiral coil formed onto the thin-film substrate has multi-layers.

47. A capsule medical apparatus which generates power by radio using an AC magnetic field, the capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule-shaped casing; and

a squarely-shaped thin-film substrate which is arranged to the capsule casing,

wherein

a wiring is formed on the thin-film substrate such that a spiral coil for receiving the AC magnetic field is constructed by connecting the cylindrically shaping two facing sides forming a part of the square shape of the thin-film substrate, and

the wirings on the two facing sides are electrically connected by an anisotropic conductive film.

48. A capsule medical apparatus which generates power by radio using an AC magnetic field, the capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule-shaped casing; and

a squarely-shaped thin-film substrate which is arranged to the capsule casing,

wherein

a wiring is formed on the thin-film substrate such that a spiral coil for receiving the AC magnetic field is constructed by connecting the cylindrically shaping two facing sides forming a part of the square shape of the thin-film substrate, and

the wiring for the spiral coil formed on the thin-film substrate have multi-layers.

49. A capsule medical apparatus which generates power by radio using an AC magnetic field, the capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule-shaped casing; and

a squarely-shaped thin-film substrate which is arranged to the capsule casing,

wherein

a wiring is formed on the thin-film substrate such that a spiral coil for receiving the AC magnetic field is constructed by connecting the cylindrically shaping two facing sides forming a part of the square shape of the thin-film substrate, and

the two facing sides are wave-shaped like a rectangular wave, and the two sides are connected to be engaged with each other.

50. A capsule medical apparatus for sending data to the outside and receiving power from the outside, comprising:

a sending antenna for sending the data; and

a power receiving antenna for receiving the supplied power,

wherein

the sending antenna and the power receiving antenna are formed on a coil member, and

the power receiving antenna is coil-shaped, a shielding layer containing a conductive member is formed to the outside of the power receiving antenna, and further the sending antenna is arranged to the outside of the shielding layer.