Radio Intra-Subject Information Acquiring System

• US 20080188712A1
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Nakatsuchi, Kazutaka, Hashimoto, Masayuki, Honda, Takemitsu, Shimizu, Hatsuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00029 externally powered, e.g. wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters

Abstract

A transmitting and receiving apparatus (2) that transmits a radio signal to a capsule endoscope includes: a transmitting level determining unit (25) disposed near a transmitting resonance circuit (22); a frequency controller (26) that controls an oscillation frequency based on a result of determination executed by the transmitting level determining unit (25); and a frequency variable oscillator (16) that changes the oscillation frequency, based on the control of the frequency controller (26). By changing the oscillation frequency so that a transmission level becomes large, the oscillation frequency can be changed so as to decrease a frequency difference between the oscillation frequency and the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit (22) that changes along a variation in a self inductance value of a coil (24).

Claims

1. A radio intra-subject information acquiring system comprising:

a body-insertable apparatus that is inserted into a subject, the body-insertable apparatus including,

a receiving resonance circuit formed with a variable capacitor and a receiving coil, and

a capacitance controller that changes a capacitance of the variable capacitor so as to decrease a frequency difference between a resonance frequency of the receiving resonance circuit and a frequency of a radio signal received; and

a transmitting and receiving apparatus that is disposed at the outside of the subject, and performs radio communications with the body-insertable apparatus, the transmitting and receiving apparatus including,

a frequency variable oscillator that prescribes an oscillation frequency of a transmitted radio signal, and can adjust the oscillation frequency,

a transmitting resonance circuit formed with a fixed capacitor and a transmitting coil, and

a frequency controller that controls the frequency variable oscillator so as to decrease a frequency difference between the oscillation frequency and a resonance frequency of the transmitting resonance circuit that changes according to a change in a self inductance value of the transmitting coil.

2. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein

the transmitting and receiving apparatus further includes a transmitting level determining unit that determines strength of a radio signal transmitted by the transmitting resonance circuit, and

the frequency controller changes the frequency while referencing the strength of the radio signal determined by the transmitting level determining unit.

3. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein

the body-insertable apparatus further includes a receiving level determining unit that determines strength of a radio signal received by the receiving resonance circuit, and

the capacitance controller changes a capacitance of the variable capacitor while referencing the strength of the radio signal determined by the receiving level determining unit.

4. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 3, wherein the capacitance controller changes a capacitance of the variable capacitor so that strength of the radio signal becomes equal to or smaller than a permissible level.

7. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 1, further comprising a wearing member that the subject wears at the time the body-insertable apparatus is inserted into the subject, wherein the transmitting coil is disposed on the wearing member.

8. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 7, wherein the transmitting coil is formed to wrap around the subject when the subject wears the wearing member.

9. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein the variable capacitor is formed with a variable capacitance diode.

10. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein

the variable capacitor is formed with plural mechanisms connected in parallel, each mechanism including a fixed capacitor and a switching unit connected with each other, and a capacitance changes when the switching unit is turned on and off.

11. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein

the transmitting and receiving apparatus transmits a radio signal including at least a power supply signal which is to be converted into driving power inside the body-insertable apparatus to the body-insertable apparatus.

17. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein the frequency controller changes the frequency according to a predetermined algorithm.

5. A radio intra-subject information acquiring system comprising:

a body-insertable apparatus that is inserted into a subject; and

a transmitting and receiving apparatus that is disposed at the outside of the subject, and performs radio communications with the body-insertable apparatus, the transmitting and receiving apparatus including,

an oscillator that supplies a predetermined oscillation frequency,

a transmitting resonance circuit that is formed with a variable capacitor and a transmitting coil, and

a capacitance controller that changes a capacitance of the variable capacitor so as to decrease a frequency difference between the oscillation frequency and a resonance frequency of the transmitting resonance circuit generated according to a change in a self inductance of the transmitting coil.

6. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 5, wherein

the transmitting and receiving apparatus further includes a transmitting level determining unit that determines strength of a radio signal to be transmitted by the transmitting resonance circuit, and

the capacitance controller changes a capacitance while referencing strength of a radio signal determined by the transmitting level determining unit.

18. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 5, further comprising a wearing member that the subject wears at the time the body-insertable apparatus is inserted into the subject, wherein the transmitting coil is disposed on the wearing member.

19. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 18, wherein the transmitting coil is formed to wrap around the subject when the subject wears the wearing member.

20. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 5, wherein the variable capacitor is formed with a variable capacitance diode.

21. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 5, wherein the variable capacitor is formed with plural mechanisms connected in parallel, each mechanism including a fixed capacitor and a switching unit connected with each other, and a capacitance changes when the switching unit is turned on and off.

22. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 5, wherein the transmitting and receiving apparatus transmits a radio signal including at least a power supply signal which is to be converted into driving power inside the body-insertable apparatus to the body-insertable apparatus.

12. A radio intra-subject information acquiring system comprising:

a body-insertable apparatus that is inserted into a subject, the body-insertable apparatus including,

a receiving resonance circuit having a receiving coil and a receiving capacitor, and

a voltage converter that converts a voltage of an electric signal received by the receiving resonance circuit into a value lower than induced electromotive force generated in the receiving coil; and

a power supply apparatus that is disposed at the outside of the subject, and supplies power to the body-insertable apparatus by radio transmission.

13. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 12, wherein the voltage converter includes a power supply coil that generates induced electromotive force based on a magnetic field generated during a reception by the receiving coil.

14. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 13, wherein the power supply coil has a smaller number of winding than a winding of the receiving coil.

15. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 13, wherein the power supply coil is formed in a state where an internal periphery of the power supply coil is in contact with an external periphery of the receiving coil.

16. The radio intra-subject information acquiring system according to claim 12, wherein

the body-insertable apparatus includes

a separator that separates a power supply signal from an electric signal of which voltage is converted by the voltage converter,

a power reproducing unit that reproduces power based on the separated power supply signal;

and

a capacitor that stores reproduced power.