Capsule type endoscope and method for fabricating the same

• US 9,107,568 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jo, Wan-Hee, Moon, Jang-Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anhtuan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOLER, RYNAE E
• Application Number:
  US11/453,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,350 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/109, 600/118, 600/160, 600/178, 600/180, 600/181, 600/473, 600475-477, 348/65, 348/68, 348/73, 348/74, 348/241, 348/243
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• 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 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 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/63 applied to dark current

Abstract

An image sensing system includes: a light emitting device; a pixel configured to capture an optical signal and to convert the optical signal into an analog image signal; an analog circuit configured to selectively filter the analog image signal; an analog-to-digital converting circuit configured to convert the analog image signal to a digital image signal; a digital circuit configured to receive the digital image signal and to switch the light emitting device on and off; wherein the digital image signal includes a dark image frame if the optical signal is captured when the light emitting device is off; wherein the digital image signal includes an effective image frame if the optical signal is captured when the light emitting device is on and the analog circuit is configured to filter the analog image signal; and wherein the digital image signal includes a punctured image frame if the optical signal is captured when the light emitting device is on and the analog circuit is not configured to filter the analog image signal.

Claims

1. A capsule-type endoscope for use in a human body, wherein the capsule-type endoscope comprises:

a light-emitting device configured to be;

turned on during capture of an effective image frame and a punctured image frame; and

turned off to create an aphotic state during capture of a dark image frame;

a plurality of pixels configured to capture light and to convert the light into an analog image signal;

an analog circuit configured to filter the analog image signal and configured to be;

turned on during capture of the dark image frame and the effective image frame; and

turned off during capture of the punctured image frame;

an analog-to-digital converting circuit configured to convert the analog image signal into a digital image signal; and

a digital circuit configured to receive the digital image signal and to switch the light-emitting device on and off;

wherein the analog image signal includes information corresponding to each of the plurality of pixels; and

wherein the digital image signal includes information corresponding to each of the plurality of pixels.

2. The capsule-type endoscope of claim 1, further comprising an image data compensation circuit.

3. The capsule-type endoscope of claim 2, wherein the image data compensation circuit comprises:

a black level compensation unit; and

a dark noise compensation unit.

4. The capsule-type endoscope of claim 2, further comprising:

a capsule containing the light-emitting device, the plurality of pixels, the analog circuit, and the digital circuit;

wherein the image data compensation circuit is outside of the capsule.

5. The capsule-type endoscope of claim 3, wherein the black level compensation unit is configured to offset pixel information in the digital image signal of the effective image frame by an average value of pixel information in the digital image signal of the dark image frame.

6. The capsule-type endoscope of claim 1, wherein the analog circuit is further configured to remove a fixed pattern noise from the analog image signal.

7. A method for sensing an image, the method comprising:

turning an analog circuit on and off to selectively filter image data by filtering electrical analog image signals received from a pixel;

generating a dark image frame by capturing image data in an aphotic state;

generating an effective image frame by capturing image data in a photic state and by filtering the image data when the analog circuit is turned on; and

generating a punctured image frame by capturing image data in the photic state when the analog circuit is turned off.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising controlling a light-emitting device to cause the aphotic state and the photic state.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

counting the effective image frame to determine a counted value; and

turning off the light-emitting device if the counted value equals a dark image frame generation setting value.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising transferring out of a human body the dark image frame, the effective image frame, and the punctured image frame to an image data compensation circuit.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising compensating for a black level by offsetting pixel information of the effective image frame by an average value of pixel information of the dark image frame.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising converting, with an analog-to-digital converter, the image data selectively filtered by the analog circuit to form one of the dark image frame, the effective image frame, or the punctured image frame.

13. An image sensing system comprising:

a light-emitting device configured to be;

turned on during capture of an effective image frame and a punctured image frame; and

turned off during capture of a dark image frame;

a plurality of pixels configured to capture light and to convert the light into an analog image signal;

an analog circuit configured to filter the analog image signal and configured to be;

turned on during capture of the dark image frame and the effective image frame; and

turned off during capture of the punctured image frame;

an analog-to-digital converting circuit configured to convert the analog image signal into a digital image signal;

a digital circuit configured to receive the digital image signal and to switch the light-emitting device on and off; and

an endoscopic capsule encapsulating the light-emitting device, the plurality of pixels, the analog circuit, the analog-to-digital converting circuit, and the digital circuit;

wherein the analog image signal includes information corresponding to each of the plurality of pixels; and

wherein the digital image signal includes information corresponding to each of the plurality of pixels.

14. The image sensing system of claim 13, further comprising an image data compensation circuit outside of the endoscopic capsule.

15. The image sensing system of claim 14, wherein the image data compensation circuit comprises:

a black level compensation unit; and

a dark noise compensation unit.

16. The image sensing system of claim 15, wherein the black level compensation unit is configured to offset pixel information in the digital image signal of the effective image frame by an average value of pixel information in the digital image signal of the dark image frame.

17. The image sensing system of claim 13, wherein the analog circuit is further configured to remove a fixed pattern noise from the analog image signal.