Capsular medical apparatus

• US 20050038321A1
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Uchiyama, Akio, Fujita, Manabu
• Granted Patent: US 7,367,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00022 removable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes
• 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

Abstract

A capsular medical apparatus according to the present invention includes a capsule which can be swallowed or inserted in the body, a recording device which receives living body information transmitted from the capsule and which records the received information, and a display device of the living body information. Further, the capsular medical apparatus includes a USB connector which connects and disconnects the recording device and the display device, a voltage detecting circuit which detects the connection between the recording device and the display device, and a USB cable which transmits the living body information to the display device from the recording device.

Claims

1. A capsular medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule which can be swallowed or inserted in the body;

a recording device which receives living body information transmitted from the capsule and which records the received information;

a display device of the living body information;

detaching means which connects and disconnects the recording device and the display device;

detecting means which detects the connection between the recording device and the display device; and

transfer means which transfers the living body information to the display device from the recording device.

2. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detaching means has a conductive terminal which switches an electrically conductive state and an electrically insulating state between the detecting means and the transfer means.

3. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording device comprises control means which determines a signal from the detecting means and which reduces consumption current.

4. An examining method using a capsular medical apparatus having a capsule which can be swallowed or inserted in the body;

a recording device which receives living body information transmitted from the capsule and which records the received information; and

a display device of the living body information, the examining method using the capsular medical apparatus, comprising;

a step of receiving the living body information transmitted from the capsule and recording the received information in the recording device;

a step of detecting the connection between the recording device and the display device independently of the connection; and

a step of canceling a standby mode of transfer means upon detecting the connection and transferring the living body information transmitted from the capsule to the display device.

5. A capsular medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule which can be swallowed or inserted in the body;

a recording device which receives living body information transmitted from the capsule and which records the received information;

a display device which displays the living body information;

detaching means which detachably connects and disconnects the recording device and the display device; and

detecting means which detects the connection between the recording device and the display device;

wherein an operating mode of the recording device is changed in accordance with a detected result of the detecting means.

6. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the recording device records the received living body information in recording means therein when the detecting means detects that the display device is not connected.

7. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the recording device transmits the received living body information to the display device when the detecting means detects that the display device is connected.

8. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the recording device records the received living body information in recording means therein and transmits the received living body information to the display device when the detecting means detects that the display device is connected.

9. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the detecting means detects the connection or disconnection by a voltage.

10. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the living body information is image information.

11. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the living body information simultaneously displays a plurality of pieces of image information.

12. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the recording device adds date and time information for reception upon receiving the living body information.

13. The capsular medical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the detecting means sets, to a standby mode with low consumption-power, an operating state of transfer means which transfers the living body information to the display device from the recording device when the detecting means detects that the display device is not connected.