Magnetically guiding system and magnetically guiding method

• US 8,303,485 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Segawa, Hidetake, Chiba, Atsushi, Kimura, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres Diaz, Arnaldo
• Application Number:
  US12/486,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20090318762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/117, 600/118, 600/424, 382/28, 382/128, 356 301- 22
• US Class Current: 600/117
• 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 2034/732 arranged around the patient, e.g. in a gantry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/73 Manipulators for magnetic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters

Abstract

A magnetically guiding system includes: a capsule medical device that has a magnet provided therein; an information acquiring unit that acquires physical information about magnetic guiding of the capsule medical device; a magnetic field generating unit that generates a magnetic field for magnetically guiding the capsule medical device; and a control unit that sets a magnetic field condition based on the physical information acquired by the information acquiring unit and controls the magnetic field generating unit to generate a magnetic field corresponding to the magnetic field condition.

Claims

1. A magnetically guiding system comprising:

a medical device that has a magnet;

an information acquiring device that acquires physical information about magnetic guiding of the medical device;

a magnetic field generating unit that generates a magnetic field for magnetically guiding the medical device;

a control unit that sets a magnetic field condition based on the physical information acquired by the information acquiring device and controls the magnetic field generating unit to generate the magnetic field corresponding to the magnetic field condition; and

a container that has a mark provided therein, the medical device and a liquid being introduced into the container;

wherein the medical device in the liquid captures an image including the mark;

the information acquiring device calculates the physical information based on a captured state of the mark in the image; and

wherein the medical device is a capsule medical device including an image capturing device for capturing the image.

2. The magnetically guiding system according to claim 1, further comprising

a receiving unit that receives an image captured by the capsule medical device,

wherein the information acquiring device calculates the physical information based on the image received by the receiving unit.

4. The magnetically guiding system according to claim 1, further comprising

a storage unit that stores a magnetic field condition table that associates the physical information with magnetic field conditions for the magnetic field,

wherein the control unit selects from the magnetic field condition table the magnetic field condition corresponding to the physical information acquired by the information acquiring device.

3. A magnetically guiding system comprising:

a medical device that has a magnet;

an information acquiring device that acquires physical information about magnetic guiding of the medical device;

a magnetic field generating unit that generates a magnetic field for magnetically guiding the medical device;

a control unit that sets a magnetic field condition based on the physical information acquired by the information acquiring device and controls the magnetic field generating unit to generate the magnetic field corresponding to the magnetic field condition;

a container that has the medical device and a liquid introduced thereinto;

a magnetic field detecting unit that detects a magnetic gradient of the magnetic field applied to the medical device introduced into the liquid in the container; and

a receiving unit that receives an image captured by the medical device,

wherein the information acquiring device determines timing when the medical device starts floating up or sinking down in the liquid, based on the image received by the receiving unit, and calculates the physical information, based on the magnetic gradient of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic field detecting unit at the timing; and

wherein the medical device is a capsule medical device including an image capturing device for capturing the image.

5. A magnetically guiding system comprising:

a medical device that has a magnet;

an information acquiring device that acquires physical information about magnetic guiding of the medical device;

a magnetic field generating unit that generates a magnetic field for magnetically guiding the medical device; and

a control unit that sets a magnetic field condition based on the physical information acquired by the information acquiring device and controls the magnetic field generating unit to generate the magnetic field corresponding to the magnetic field condition;

wherein the physical information is at least one of density of the medical device and a gravity center position of the medical device.

6. A magnetically guiding system comprising:

a medical device that has a magnet;

an information acquiring device that acquires physical information about magnetic guiding of the medical device;

a magnetic field generating unit that generates a magnetic field for magnetically guiding the medical device;

a control unit that sets a magnetic field condition based on the physical information acquired by the information acquiring device and controls the magnetic field generating unit to generate the magnetic field corresponding to the magnetic field condition;

a container that has the medical device and a liquid introduced thereinto;

a magnetic field detecting unit that detects a magnetic gradient of the magnetic field applied to the medical device introduced into the liquid in the container; and

a receiving unit that receives an image captured by the medical device,

wherein the information acquiring device determines timing when the medical device starts floating up or sinking down in the liquid, based on the image received by the receiving unit, and acquires the magnetic gradient of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic field detecting unit at the timing as the physical information; and

wherein the medical device is a capsule medical device including an image capturing device for capturing the image.