Capsule medical apparatus with board-separation keeping units

• US 8,460,174 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Segawa, Hidetake, Kataoka, Kanako
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLQUE, RONALD DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/564,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20100076258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/109, 600/117, 600/118, 600/160, 600/179, 600/130, 600/129, 600/176, 174/525, 607/60, 348/340, 361/801, 361/737, 361/679.58, 361/679.43
• US Class Current: 600/101
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• 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: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A capsule medical apparatus includes a plurality of rigid boards on which functional members are mounted; and a plurality of board-separation keeping units that sandwich the rigid boards to keep the rigid boards separated.

Claims

1. A capsule medical apparatus comprising:

a capsule-shaped casing;

a plurality of rigid boards on which functional parts are mounted; and

a plurality of board-separation keeping units that sandwich the rigid boards to keep the rigid boards separated, wherein

the board-separation keeping units include a plurality of fitting portions that are fitted respectively to the rigid boards, and include engaging portions that protrude across the inside of the capsule-shaped casing and are engaged with each other, and

the fitting portions are fitted respectively to the rigid boards with the board-separation keeping units being engaged with each other by the engaging portions.

2. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fitting portions are fitted to at least a part of circumferences of the rigid boards.

3. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the board-separation keeping units contain a minimum-thickness area in at least a part of an area excluding the fitting portions.

4. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the board-separation keeping units include interior wiring that extends to at least the fitting portions, and

the rigid boards are fitted respectively to the fitting portions and are electrically connected to the interior wiring.

5. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a battery that supplies electric power to the functional parts, wherein the board-separation keeping units sandwich the rigid boards and support the battery.

6. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the board-separation keeping units are a plurality of divided parts obtained by dividing an integrated board separation keeping unit that sandwiches the rigid boards to keep the rigid boards separated, along a long axis of the capsule medical apparatus.

7. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the board-separation keeping units serve as the capsule-shaped casing that houses therein at least the rigid boards.

8. The capsule medical apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the board-separation keeping units are integrated by laser welding.