Capsule endoscope with flexible printed circuit board

• US 8,454,496 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiaoxun Zhu
• Original Assignee: Xiaoxun Zhu
• Inventors: Lu, Yiqun
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P
• Application Number:
  US10/598,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,002 Days
• Field of Search: 600/130, 600/109, 600/160
• US Class Current: 600/130
• 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 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period

Abstract

The present invention involves a new type of capsule pattern endoscope intended to greatly reduce the effective internal volume of the capsule pattern endoscope through reasonable structure arrangement. The technical proposal to implement the above invention is: a kind of capsule pattern endoscope comprises an intelligent capsule and an image-receiving device. The intelligent capsule includes a shell with an electronic circuit printed thereon, and an image information pick-up device including an image sensor and a lens optical system, an image signal processing and transmitting device, a light source, and a power supply, which are arranged inside the shell.

Claims

1. A capsule pattern endoscope comprising:

an intelligent capsule comprising;

a flexible PCB structure;

an outer shell having a front cover, a rear cover, and a main body, wherein the main body consists essentially of the flexible PCB structure;

shell;

an image information acquiring device operatively positioned relative to the main body and comprising;

an image sensor, operatively positioned on the flexible PCB structure within the outer shell; and

a lens optical system, operatively positioned on the flexible PCB structure within the outer shell and operatively connected to the image sensor;

an image signal processing and transmitting device operatively positioned on the flexible PCB structure within the outer shell;

a light source, operatively positioned on the flexible PCB structure within the outer shell; and

a power source, operatively positioned within the outer shell and operatively connected to the flexible PCB structure and physically separate and spaced physically apart from the flexible PCB structure; and

an image receiving device operatively positioned relative to the intelligent capsule.

2. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 1, wherein the image signal processing and transmitting device further comprises:

antenna structure operatively positioned proximate the rear cover of the outer shell.

3. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 1 wherein the image information acquiring device further comprises:

an image compression processor.

4. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 3 wherein the image compression processor includes an image-cutting device.

5. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 3, wherein the image compression processor includes an image compression rate adjusting device.

6. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 3, wherein the image compression processor comprises a CPU, DSP or ASIC processor.

7. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 1, wherein the image signal processing and transmitting device further comprises:

a microwave transceiver capable of sending compressed image data.

8. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 1, wherein the image sensor comprises:

a CMOS image sensor.

9. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 1 further comprising:

a microwave communication chip.

10. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 1, wherein the image-receiving device includes an external controller compatible with a corresponding controller of the intelligent capsule.

11. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 10, wherein the external controller is capable of sending microwave control commands to the intelligent capsule so that the controller of the intelligent capsule completes the commands received from the external controller.

12. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 1, wherein the flexible PCB structure comprises a cylindrical shape.

13. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 12, wherein the cylindrical shaped flexible PCB structure is operatively connected to the power source.

14. The capsule pattern endoscope of claim 13, wherein the cylindrical shaped flexible PCB structure us and the power source are operatively positioned inside the outer shell.