Wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus, wireless in-vivo information acquiring system, and communication apparatus

• US 8,038,599 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Takeshi, Fujimori, Noriyuki, Kimoto, Seiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker; John P
• Application Number:
  US11/569,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20090163771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,393 Days
• Field of Search: 128/899, 128/903, 600/302
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• 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 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes

Abstract

A communication apparatus (3) arranged outside a subject (1) has an external device (32) which sequentially transmits control signals. A capsule endoscope (2) is introduced inside the subject (1). Thereafter, a system control circuit controls a driving of an intra-capsule function executing circuit so as to start driving at a previously set given time, by supplying driving power to the intra-capsule function executing circuit to control the driving thereof based on a result of detection by a control-signal detecting circuit which is provided in the capsule endoscope (2) and which detects a discontinuous state of input of the control signals. Thus, a collection and transmission of images inside the subject can be performed accurately.

In addition, a transmitting unit generates and transmits a communication confirmation signal to the communication apparatus. In response, a receiving unit receives a communication permission signal from the communication apparatus. A communication controller determines whether to transmit in-vivo information or not based on the state of reception of the communication permission signal.

Claims

1. A wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus that detects in-vivo information of a subject and transmits the in-vivo information to a communication apparatus located outside the subject, the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus comprising:

an acquiring unit that acquires the in-vivo information;

a transmitting unit that transmits the in-vivo information acquired, and generates a communication confirmation signal to transmit to the communication apparatus, the communication confirmation signal serving to confirm a communication status between the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus and the communication apparatus;

a receiving unit that receives a radio signal which is sent from the communication apparatus in response to the communication confirmation signal and which includes at least a communication permission signal; and

a communication controller that determines whether to transmit the in-vivo information or not based on a state of reception of the communication permission signal.

2. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the transmitting unit and the receiving unit share a same antenna.

3. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit includes an envelope detecting circuit.

4. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit includes

a rectifying circuit that serves to acquire power from the radio signal, and

a communication permission detector that detects the communication permission signal from an output of the rectifying circuit and sends the communication permission signal to the communication controller.

5. A wireless in-vivo information acquiring system, comprising:

a wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus which is introduced into a subject; and

a communication apparatus which is arranged outside the subject and acquires information acquired by the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus through radio communication, wherein

the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus includes

a function executing unit that executes a predetermined function in the subject into which the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus is introduced,

a first radio receiving unit that is configured to receive a radio signal from outside the subject, and

an activating unit configured to determine that an input of control signals is discontinued when an intensity level of a control signal received by the first radio receiving unit becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined level and to control an activation of the function executing unit according to a discontinuation in an input of the control signals, and

the communication apparatus includes

a second radio receiving unit that receives the information transmitted through radio communication, and

a radio transmitting unit that transmits the control signal of a predetermined output level through radio communication, the predetermined output level comprising;

an output level set to be detected as an intensity level of the control signals received by the second radio receiving unit which is higher than the predetermined level before the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus is introduced into the subject, and

the output level to be detected as an intensity level of the control signals attenuated by the subject and received by the second radio receiving unit which is equal to or lower than the predetermined level after the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus is introduced into the subject.

6. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 5, wherein

the activating unit determines that the input of the control signals is discontinued when an input level of the control signal from the first radio receiving unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined level, to control the activation of the function executing unit.

7. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 5, wherein

the radio transmitting unit of the communication apparatus transmits the control signal that is within a predetermined frequency band,

the first radio receiving unit of the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus receives the control signal within the predetermined frequency band from outside the subject, and

the activating unit determines that the input of the control signals is discontinued when an input level of the control signal that is within the predetermined frequency band and received by the first radio receiving unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined level, to control the activation of the function executing unit.

8. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 5, wherein

the activating unit activates the function executing unit after a predetermined time passes since the discontinuation in the input of the control signals.

9. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 5, wherein

the activating unit performs a control such that the function executing unit keeps being driven regardless of the presence/absence of the control signals input after the function executing unit starts to be driven.

10. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 5, wherein

the communication apparatus halts the transmission of the control signals after a predetermined time period passes since the transmission starts.

11. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 5, wherein

the communication apparatus halts the transmission of the control signals when the communication apparatus receives the image data transmitted from the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus.

12. A wireless in-vivo information acquiring system, comprising:

a wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus that is introduced inside a subject; and

a communication apparatus that is arranged outside the subject and acquires information acquired by the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus by radio communication, wherein

the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus includes

a function executing unit that executes a predetermined function inside the subject in which the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus is introduced,

a first radio receiving unit that is configured to receive a radio signal from outside the subject,

a power reproducing unit that separates a power supply signal from the radio signal received by the first radio receiving unit, reproduces power from the separated power supply signal and supplies the reproduced power to the function executing unit, and

an activating unit that controls an activation of the function executing unit according to an input of an activating signal obtained by separating the power supply signal from the radio signal received by the first radio receiving unit, and

the communication apparatus includes

a second radio receiving unit that receives the information transmitted through radio communication, and

a first radio transmitting unit that transmits a resultant signal including the activating signal superimposed on the power supply signal through radio communication.

13. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 12, wherein

the activating unit controls the activation of the function executing unit based on an input level of the activating signal received by the first radio receiving unit.

14. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 12, wherein

the activating unit controls the activation of the function executing unit according to an input of a signal that indicates a command to start activation and that is received by the first radio receiving unit.

15. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 12, wherein

the activating unit activates the function executing unit after a predetermined time passes since the signal is input.

16. A wireless in-vivo information acquiring system, comprising:

a wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus that transmits in-vivo information of a subject from inside the subject to outside the subject; and

a communication apparatus that is located outside the subject and receives the in-vivo information, the wireless in-vivo information acquiring system detecting the in-vivo information, wherein

the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus generates and transmits a communication confirmation signal to confirm a communication status between the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus and the communication apparatus,

the communication apparatus, on receiving the communication confirmation signal, transmits a communication permission signal to permit communication, and

the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus includes a communication controller that transmits the in-vivo information on receiving the communication permission signal.

17. The wireless in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 16, wherein

the communication permission signal also serves as a radio signal for supplying power to the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus.

18. A communication apparatus that is located outside a subject to receive in-vivo information which is transmitted from a wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus inside the subject, and to receive a communication confirmation signal which serves to confirm a communication status between the communication apparatus and the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that receives the in-vivo information and the communication confirmation signal;

a recording unit that records the in-vivo information received;

a communication permission signal generator that generates a communication permission signal for permitting the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus to transmit the in-vivo information, when the receiving unit receives the communication confirmation signal; and

a communication permission signal transmitting unit that transmits the communication permission signal.

19. The communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

the communication permission signal also serves as a radio signal for supplying power to the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus.

20. The communication apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

the communication permission signal transmitting unit transmits the communication permission signal at a longer interval than an interval of transmission of the communication confirmation signals from the wireless in-vivo information acquiring apparatus, while the communication confirmation signal is not received.