Biomedical receiver and sensor system for physiological monitoring of patients

• US 8,786,691 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Koide, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Czekaj, Dave
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABIMBOLA, KEHINDE
• Application Number:
  US13/089,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20110285835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 348/76
• US Class Current: 348/76
• 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: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters

Abstract

An object is to provide a receiver system that allows a plurality of antennas to be easily attached onto a body surface without losing receiving functions of the antennas while improving freedom for a living body. A receiver system transmits in-vivo information including in-vivo images received from a capsule endoscope being the interior of a subject to an exterior receiving device via a plurality of wireless relay devices. Each of the wireless relay devices includes a receiving unit that receives the in-vivo information from the capsule endoscope at a first frequency, a transmitting unit that transmits the in-vivo information at a second frequency, a receiving unit that receives a control signal transmitted by the receiving device at the second frequency, and a control unit that controls transmissions and receptions performed by the receiving unit and the transmitting unit based on the control signal.

Claims

1. A receiving system comprising:

an ex-vivo device for processing in-vivo information acquired by a capsule endoscope configured to be introduced into a subject; and

a plurality of relay devices for relaying the in-vivo information acquired by the capsule endoscope to the ex-vivo device, the plurality of relay devices comprising;

a first relay device comprising a first receiving unit and a first transmitting unit; and

a second relay device comprising a second receiving unit and a second transmitting unit;

wherein the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit are each configured to wirelessly receive an in-vivo information signal transmitted from the capsule endoscope, wherein the in-vivo information signal carries the in-vivo information,

wherein the first receiving unit is configured to measure a first electrical field intensity of the in-vivo information signal received by the first receiving unit, and the second receiving unit is configured to measure a second electrical field intensity of the in-vivo information signal received by the second receiving unit,

wherein the ex-vivo device is configured to transmit a polling signal to each of the first relay device and the second relay device,

wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to transmit a first electrical field intensity signal carrying the first electrical field intensity in response to the polling signal, and the second transmitting unit is configured to transmit a second electrical field intensity signal carrying the second electrical field intensity in response to the polling signal,

wherein the ex-vivo device is configured

to compare the first electrical field intensity signal and the second electrical field intensity signal to determine that the first electrical field intensity is stronger than the second electrical field intensity, and

to transmit a selection signal identifying the first relay device as a selected relay device based on the determination that the first electrical field intensity is stronger, and

wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to transmit an in-vivo information relay signal carrying the in-vivo information to the ex-vivo device, in response to the selection signal transmitted by the ex-vivo device.

2. The receiving system according to claim 1, wherein each of the ex-vivo device and the plurality of relay devices have an anti-collision function.

3. The receiving system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of relay devices further comprise a power converting and accumulating unit configured to convert at least one of the polling signal and the selection signal transmitted by the ex-vivo device to power and to accumulate therein the power.

4. The receiving system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of relay devices further comprise a battery configured to supply power to the first receiving unit, the first transmitting unit, the second receiving unit and the second transmitting unit, respectively.

5. The receiving system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of relay devices further comprise a control unit configured to perform intermittent reception control,

wherein the control unit of the first relay device is configured to control the first receiving unit to start wirelessly receiving the in-vivo information signal in response to the polling signal;

wherein the control unit of the second relay device is configured to;

control the second receiving unit to start wirelessly receiving the in-vivo information signal in response to the polling signal;

determine that the selecting signal has not been received after a predetermined time period;

determine that the selecting signal does not identify the second relay device as the selected relay device; and

control the second receiving unit to stop wirelessly receiving the in-vivo information signal when the control unit determines that the selecting signal has not been received after a predetermined time period or determines that the selecting signal does not identify the second relay device as the selected relay device.

6. The receiving system according to claim 1,

wherein each of the first relay device and the second relay device further comprises:

a plate-like dielectric member;

a subject-side antenna arranged to one surface of the plate-like dielectric member, the subject-side antenna being configured to wirelessly receive the in-vivo information signal transmitted from the capsule endoscope introduced into the subject; and

an ex-vivo-side antenna arranged to another surface of the plate-like dielectric member, the ex-vivo-side antenna being configured to wirelessly receive and wirelessly transmit the polling signal, the selection signal, the first electrical field intensity signal, the second electrical field intensity signal, and the in-vivo information relay signal, respectively,

wherein the first relay device and the second relay device are configured such that the one surface of the plate-like dielectric member is arranged to face a surface of the subject.

7. The receiving system according to claim 6,

wherein the first receiving unit and the first transmitting unit is arranged on the plate-like dielectric member or in the plate-like dielectric member of the first relay device, and

wherein the second receiving unit and the second transmitting unit is arranged on the plate-like dielectric member or in the plate-like dielectric member of the second relay device.

8. A receiving system comprising:

a plurality of relay devices for relaying an in-vivo information acquired by a capsule endoscope configured to be introduced into a subject, to an ex-vivo device, the plurality of relay devices comprising;

a first relay device comprising a first receiving unit and a first transmitting unit; and

a second relay device comprising a second receiving unit and a second transmitting unit;

wherein the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit are each configured to wirelessly receive an in-vivo information signal transmitted from the capsule endoscope, wherein the in-vivo information signal carries the in-vivo information,

wherein the first receiving unit is configured to measure a first electrical field intensity of the in-vivo information signal received by the first receiving unit, and the second receiving unit is configured to measure a second electrical field intensity of the in-vivo information signal received by the second receiving unit,

wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to transmit a first electrical field intensity signal carrying the first electrical field intensity in response to a polling signal transmitted from the ex-vivo device, and the second transmitting unit is configured to transmit a second electrical field intensity signal carrying the second electrical field intensity in response to the polling signal transmitted from the ex-vivo device, and

wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to transmit an in-vivo information relay signal carrying the in-vivo information to the ex-vivo device, in response to a selection signal transmitted by the ex-vivo device, the selection signal identifying the first relay device as a selected relay device based on comparison of the first electrical field intensity signal and the second electrical field intensity signal by the ex-vivo device to determine that the first electrical field intensity is stronger than the second electrical field intensity.

9. The receiving system according to claim 8, wherein each of the ex-vivo device and the plurality of relay devices have an anti-collision function.

10. The receiving system according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of relay devices further comprise a power converting and accumulating unit configured to convert at least one of the polling signal and the selection signal transmitted by the ex-vivo device to power and to accumulate therein the power.

11. The receiving system according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of relay devices further comprise a battery configured to supply power to the first receiving unit, the first transmitting unit, the second receiving unit and the second transmitting unit, respectively.

12. The receiving system according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of relay devices further comprise a control unit configured to perform intermittent reception control,

wherein the control unit of the first relay device is configured to control the first receiving unit to start wirelessly receiving the in-vivo information signal in response to the polling signal;

wherein the control unit of the second relay device is configured to;

control the second receiving unit to start wirelessly receiving the in-vivo information signal in response to the polling signal;

determine that the selecting signal has not been received after a predetermined time period;

determine that the selecting signal does not identify the second relay device as the selected relay device; and

control the second receiving unit to stop wirelessly receiving the in-vivo information signal when the control unit determines that the selecting signal has not been received after a predetermined time period or determines that the selecting signal does not identify the second relay device as the selected relay device.

13. The receiving system according to claim 8,

wherein each of the first relay device and the second relay device further comprises:

a plate-like dielectric member;

a subject-side antenna arranged to one surface of the plate-like dielectric member, the subject-side antenna being configured to wirelessly receive the in-vivo information signal transmitted from the capsule endoscope introduced into the subject; and

an ex-vivo-side antenna arranged to another surface of the plate-like dielectric member, the ex-vivo-side antenna being configured to wirelessly receive and wirelessly transmit the polling signal, the selection signal, the first electrical field intensity signal, the second electrical field intensity signal, and the in-vivo information relay signal, respectively,

wherein the first relay device and the second relay device are configured such that the one surface of the plate-like dielectric member is arranged to face a surface of the subject.

14. The receiving system according to claim 13,

wherein the first receiving unit and the first transmitting unit is arranged on the plate-like dielectric member or in the plate-like dielectric member of the first relay device, and

wherein the second receiving unit and the second transmitting unit is arranged on the plate-like dielectric member or in the plate-like dielectric member of the second relay device.