Intrabody introduced device

• US 7,837,617 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Takeshi, Homan, Masatoshi, Honda, Takemitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker; John P
• Assistant Examiner(s): CANDLER, SAMUEL M
• Application Number:
  US11/137,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/109, 600/117, 600/118, 600/160, 600/178, 600/407, 600/424, 600/476, 607/11, 607/27, 607/29
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00032 internally powered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00036 Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00158 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving

Abstract

An intrabody introduced device comprising: a power storage section for supplying driving power to a function executing section; a detecting section for detecting a supply voltage of the power storage section; and a timing output section for outputting a detection signal for use in detecting the supply voltage using the detecting section at given timing. The detection timing of the supply voltage can be controlled in this manner, and therefore the supply voltage can be detected at timing at which the load of function executing section is low, thereby enabling efficient voltage detection. For example, if the aforementioned timing is synchronized with the blanking period of a picked-up image, a stable voltage measurement is enabled at timing at which the intrabody introduced device applies a low load.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a power supply from an internal battery of a capsule type endoscope, comprising:

generating a pulse signal exclusively during a blanking period of an image signal captured by the capsule type endoscope;

detecting a voltage of the internal battery of the capsule type endoscope during an output period of the pulse signal; and

at least reducing the power supply from the internal battery if the voltage is lower than a given voltage.