MEDICAL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF SWITCHING ANTENNA

• US 20100280340A1
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: TAKENAKA, Tomoya, HOMAN, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,016,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/302
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00

Abstract

A medical system includes a capsule type medical apparatus introduced into a subject and having an antenna having directionality and a communication unit which executes a communication through the antenna, an external antenna, which is disposed outside of the subject and has an antenna having directionality and an antenna disposed together with the antenna and having directionality in a direction different from the antenna, and an external machine having a selection unit which selects any of the antennas in the external antenna and a second communication unit which executes a communication with the first communication unit through the antenna whose polarized wave surface is selected by the selection unit.

Claims

1. A medical system comprising:

a capsule type medical apparatus that is introduced into a subject and includes a first antenna which outputs a radio wave having directionality in a first polarized wave direction and a first communication unit which executes a communication through the first antenna;

an external antenna that is disposed outside of the subject and includes a second antenna having directionality to a second polarized wave direction and a third antenna that is disposed together with the second antenna and has directionality to a third polarized wave direction different from the second polarized wave direction of the second antenna; and

an external machine that includes a selection unit which selects any of the second and third antennas and a second communication unit which executes a communication with the first communication unit through the external antenna whose polarized wave surface is selected by the selection unit.

2. The medical system according to claim 1, wherein the external machine includes a reception strength detection unit that detects a reception strength on the polarized wave surface selected by the selection unit, and the selection unit selects any of the second and third antennas based on the reception strength detected by the reception strength detection unit.

3. The medical system according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the second antenna and the third antenna is a dipole antenna, a loop antenna, or a micro strip antenna.

4. The medical system according to claim 1, wherein

the external antenna includes a board of a monolayer or multilayer structure on which the second and third antennas are formed;

and

the second antenna and the third antenna are formed on different surfaces or different layers in the board.

5. The medical system according to claim 4, wherein the board has a plastic property.

6. The medical system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of external antennas,

wherein the selection unit selects any of the second and third antennas as to each of the plurality of external antennas.

7. The medical system according to claim 1, wherein the external antenna is fixed to an outside surface of the subject.

8. The medical system according to claim 1, further comprising a bed that includes a mattress having a predetermined laying surface on which the subject is placed,

wherein the external antennas are fixed to the mattress in a state that one or more of the external antennas are disposed along the laying surface.

9. The medical system according to claim 8, wherein the mattress has the same dielectric constant as a dielectric constant of the subject.

10. The medical system according to claim 1, wherein a center of gravity of the capsule type medical apparatus is offset from a center.

11. The medical system according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna is a coil antenna.

12. A medical system comprising:

a capsule type medical apparatus that is introduced into a subject and includes a first antenna which outputs a radio wave having directionality in a first polarized wave direction and a first communication means for executing a communication through the first antenna;

an external antenna that is disposed outside of the subject and includes a second antenna having directionality to a second polarized wave direction and a third antenna that is disposed together with the second antenna and has directionality to a third polarized wave direction different from the second polarized wave direction of the second antenna; and

an external machine that includes a selection means for selecting any of the second and third antennas and a second communication means for executing a communication with the first communication means through the external antenna whose polarized wave surface is selected by the selection means.

13. A medical system comprising:

a capsule type medical apparatus including a first antenna that is introduced into a subject and outputs a radio wave having directionality in a first polarized wave direction and a first communication unit that executes a communication through the first antenna;

an external antenna that is disposed outside of the subject and includes a second antenna having directionality to a second polarized wave direction and a third antenna that is disposed together with the second antenna and has directionality to a third polarized wave direction different from the second polarized wave direction of the second antenna;

a sensor that detects a tilt angle of the external antenna to the ground surface; and

an external machine that includes a selection unit which selects any of the second and third antennas in response to the tilt angle detected by the sensor and a second communication unit which executes a communication with the first communication unit through the external antenna whose polarized wave surface is selected by the selection unit.

14. The medical system according to claim 13, wherein the external antenna and the sensor are formed on the same board.

15. The medical system according to claim 13, wherein

at least one of the second antenna and the third antenna is a dipole antenna, a loop antenna, or a micro strip antenna.

16. The medical system according to claim 13, wherein

the external antenna includes a board of a monolayer or multilayer structure on which the second and third antennas are formed;

and

the second antenna and the third antenna are formed on different surfaces or different layers in the board.

17. The medical system according to claim 13 wherein:

the second antenna and the third antenna are formed on different boards, respectively; and

the sensor is formed on a board on which the second antenna is formed or on a board on which the third antenna is formed.

18. The medical system according to claim 16, wherein the board has a plastic property.

19. The medical system according to claim 13 comprising a plurality of external antennas, wherein

the selection unit selects any of the second and third antennas as to each of the plurality of external antennas;

and

the sensor is formed on the same board as a board of any of the plurality of external antennas.

20. The medical system according to claim 13, wherein the external antenna is fixed to an outside surface of the subject.

21. The medical system according to claim 13, wherein a center of gravity of the capsule type medical apparatus is offset from a center.

22. The medical system according to claim 13, wherein the first antenna is a coil antenna.

23. An antenna changeover method for a medical system that includes a capsule type medical apparatus including a first antenna that is introduced into a subject and outputs a radio wave having directionality in a first polarized wave direction and a first communication unit that executes a communication through the first antenna,

an external antenna that is disposed outside of the subject and includes a second antenna having directionality to a second polarized wave direction and a third antenna that is disposed together with the second antenna and has directionality to a third polarized wave direction different from the second polarized wave direction of the second antenna, and an external machine that includes a second communication unit which executes a communication with the first communication unit through the external antenna, the antenna changeover method comprising:

a first polarized wave surface selection step of sequentially selecting any of the second and third antennas of the external antenna;

a reception strength detection step of detecting reception intensities in the antennas sequentially selected at the first polarized wave surface selection step, respectively; and

a second polarized wave surface selection step of selecting an antenna from which a largest reception strength of the reception intensities detected by the reception strength detection step is obtained.

24. An antenna changeover method for a medical system that includes a capsule type medical apparatus including a first antenna that is introduced into a subject and outputs a radio wave having directionality in a first polarized wave direction and a first communication unit that executes a communication through the first antenna, an external antenna that is disposed outside of the subject and includes a second antenna having directionality to a second polarized wave direction and a third antenna that is disposed together with the second antenna and has directionality to a third polarized wave direction different from the second polarized wave direction of the second antenna, and an external machine that includes a second communication unit which executes a communication with the first communication unit through the external antenna, the antenna changeover method comprising:

a first polarized wave surface selection step of selecting any of the second and third antennas of the external antenna;

a first reception strength detection step of detecting a reception strength in the antenna selected in the first polarized wave surface selection step;

a determination step of determining whether or not the reception strength detected at the first reception strength detection step satisfies a preset reference value;

a second polarized wave surface selection step of sequentially selecting, when the reception strength does not satisfy the reference value as a result of the determination step, any of the second and third antennas of the external antenna;

a second reception strength detection step of detecting reception intensities in the antennas sequentially selected at the second polarized wave surface selection step, respectively; and

a third polarized wave surface selection step of selecting an antenna from which a largest reception strength of the reception intensities detected by the second reception strength detection step is obtained.

25. An antenna changeover method for a medical system that includes a capsule type medical apparatus including a first antenna that is introduced into a subject and outputs a radio wave having directionality in a first polarized wave direction and a first communication unit that executes a communication through the first antenna, an external antenna that is disposed outside of the subject and includes a second antenna having directionality to a second polarized wave direction and a third antenna that is disposed together with the second antenna and has directionality to a third polarized wave direction different from the second polarized wave direction of the second antenna, and an external machine that includes a second communication unit which executes a communication with the first communication unit through the external antenna, the antenna changeover method comprising:

a detection step of detecting a tilt angle of the external antenna to the ground surface; and

a polarized wave surface selection step of selecting any of the second and third antennas of the external antenna in response to the tilt angle of the external antenna detected at the detection step.