In vivo autonomous camera with on-board data storage or digital wireless transmission in regulatory approved band

• US 8,073,223 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CapsoVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CapsoVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Gordon C, Wang, Kang-Huai
• Primary Examiner(s): PERUNGAVOOR, SATHYANARAYA V
• Application Number:
  US13/107,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20110249105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 207 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0002 provided with data storages
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00029 externally powered, e.g. wireless
• 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 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/03 Detecting, measuring or recording fluid pressure within the body other than blood pressure, e.g. cerebral pressure; Measuring pressure in body tissues or organs A61B5/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/105 Selection of the reference unit for prediction within a chosen coding or prediction mode, e.g. adaptive choice of position and number of pixels used for prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/137 Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/423 characterised by memory arrangements H04N19/433 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules

Abstract

A capsule camera apparatus includes a swallowable housing, a light source within the housing, a camera within the housing for capturing a first digital image and a second digital image of a view of the camera illuminated by the light source, a motion detector that detects a motion of the housing the first digital image and the second digital image, and a motion evaluator that selects a disposition of the second digital image, based on a metric on the motion. The disposition may include writing the second image into an archival storage or providing the second digital image to the outside by a wireless communication link.

Claims

1. A capsule camera apparatus, comprising:

a housing adapted to be swallowed, said housing enclosing;

a light source;

a camera for capturing a digital image of a scene illuminated by the light source;

an archival memory to store data corresponding to the digital image and other data;

a modulated light source to provide access to the data stored;

a motion detector comprising;

a metric measurement module that measures a metric of a motion between a first digital image and a second digital image captured by the camera;

a motion detection module coupled to the metric measurement module to detect motion based on the metric and a threshold; and

a threshold update module coupled to the metric measurement module and the motion detection module to update the threshold; and

a control circuit to designate the second digital image for further processing based on the motion detected by the motion detection module.

2. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source is an LED.

3. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source is a laser diode.

4. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the access to the data stored is performed when the capsule camera is outside human body.

5. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein a photodiode sensor is used outside the capsule camera to received light from the modulated light source.

6. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capsule camera is powered inductively from an external device when the access to the data stored is provided through the modulated light source.

7. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capsule camera is powered inductively from an external device when on-board power source of the capsule camera is exhausted.

8. A capsule camera apparatus, comprising:

a housing adapted to be swallowed, said housing enclosing;

a light source;

a camera for capturing a digital image of a scene illuminated by the light source;

an archival memory to store data corresponding to the digital image and other data;

a means for modulating the light source to provide modulated light for access to the data stored;

a motion detector comprising;

a metric measurement module that measures a metric of a motion between a first digital image and a second digital image captured by the camera;

a motion detected module coupled to the metric measurement module to detect motion based on the metric and a threshold; and

a threshold update module coupled to the metric measurement module and the motion detection module to update the threshold; and

a control circuit to designate the second digital image for further processing based on the motion detected by the motion detection module.

9. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein the light source is an LED.

10. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein the light source is a laser diode.

11. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein the access to the data stored is performed when the capsule camera is outside human body.

12. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein a photodiode sensor is used outside the capsule camera to received the modulated light.

13. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein the capsule camera is powered inductively from an external device when the access to the data stored is provided through the modulated light.

14. The capsule camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein the capsule camera is powered inductively from an external device when on-board power source of the capsule camera is exhausted.