In-vivo information acquiring system and body-insertable apparatus

• US 8,574,151 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitsuhashi, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Philip R
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOLER, RYNAE E
• Application Number:
  US12/327,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20090149704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 600/103, 600/117, 600/118, 600/160, 600/178, 348/65, 348/69, 396/17, 386/201
• US Class Current: 600/118
• 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 1/00036 Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A body-insertable apparatus includes an imaging unit that captures an in-vivo image of a subject; a signal processing unit that writes the in-vivo image in a memory, reads the in-vivo image from the memory on a pixel basis and converts the in-vivo image to serial information to transfer the serial information; and a rate converter that converts a transfer processing rate to a rate higher than a writing processing rate. The transfer processing rate is at which the signal processing unit reads the in-vivo image from the memory and converts the in-vivo image to the serial information to transfer the serial information. The writing processing rate is at which the signal processing unit writes the in-vivo image in the memory. The apparatus also includes a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits the serial information transferred from the signal processing unit at a transmission rate corresponding to the transfer processing rate.

Claims

1. A body-insertable apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit that captures an in-vivo image of a subject;

a signal processing unit that includes a memory in which the in-vivo image is temporarily stored, writes the in-vivo image in the memory, the signal processing unit reading the in-vivo image from the memory on a pixel basis and converting the in-vivo image to serial information to transfer the serial information;

a rate converter that converts a transfer processing rate to a rate higher than a writing processing rate, the transfer processing rate being at which the signal processing unit reads the in-vivo image from the memory and converts the in-vivo image to the serial information to transfer the serial information, the writing processing rate being at which the signal processing unit writes the in-vivo image in the memory; and

a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits the serial information transferred from the signal processing unit at a transmission rate corresponding to the transfer processing rate.

2. The body-insertable apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rate converter increases the transfer processing rate by increasing a clock rate to be supplied to the signal processing unit.

3. The body-insertable apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rate converter sets the transfer processing rate such that an imaging processing time required for the imaging unit to capture an in-vivo image is equal to a transmission processing time required for the transmitting unit to transmit an in-vivo image.

4. An in-vivo information acquiring system comprising:

a body-insertable apparatus that is introduced into a subject, and transmits a wireless signal including an in-vivo image of the subject to the outside of the subject; and

a receiving apparatus that receives the wireless signal received from the body-insertable apparatus,

wherein the body insertable apparatus includes

an imaging unit that captures an in-vivo image of a subject;

a signal processing unit that includes a memory in which the in-vivo image is temporarily stored, writes the in-vivo image in the memory, the signal processing unit reading the in-vivo image from the memory on a pixel basis and converting the in-vivo image to serial information to transfer the serial information;

a rate converter that converts a transfer processing rate to a rate higher than a writing processing rate, the transfer processing rate being at which the signal processing unit reads the in-vivo image from the memory and converts the in-vivo image to the serial information to transfer the serial information, the writing processing rate being at which the signal processing unit writes the in-vivo image in the memory; and

a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits the serial information transferred from the signal processing unit at a transmission rate corresponding to the transfer processing rate.

5. The in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 4, wherein the rate converter increases the transfer processing rate by increasing a clock rate to be supplied to the signal processing unit.

6. The in-vivo information acquiring system according to claim 4, wherein the rate converter sets the transfer processing rate such that an imaging processing time required for the imaging unit to capture an in-vivo image is equal to a transmission processing time required for the transmitting unit to transmit an in-vivo image.