KR20090084342A - Capsule endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

A capsule type endoscope is provided to obtain clear image information by preventing a light generated in a lighting unit from being incident into an imaging unit. An optical system(10) includes an imaging unit(11), a lighting unit(12), and an optical cap(13). The imaging unit obtains an image of a subject. The imaging unit is a CCD(Charge-Coupled Device) or CMOS(Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. The lighting unit lights the subject. The lighting unit is a white LED. The optical cap has a shape of transparent hemisphere. The optical cap protects the imaging unit and the lighting unit. The optical cap totally reflects a light generated in the lighting unit.

Description

Capsule Endoscope {CAPSULE ENDOSCOPE}

The present invention relates to an endoscope for acquiring information in the human body, and more particularly, to a capsule endoscope for acquiring image information in a body cavity which is a digestive organ of the human body.

Recently, in order to acquire the information in a human body cavity, the endoscope equipped with the image pickup means in the front-end is used.

In general, endoscopy refers to a medical device used for diagnosing or treating gastrointestinal lesions such as the stomach or esophagus, and internal organs of the human body such as the chest cavity and the abdominal cavity without surgery or surgery. Collectively, these endoscopes are not welcomed by patients because of the pain and discomfort they receive when they are treated. For example, in the case of colonoscopy, the pain and lesion judgment rate of the patient is determined by the doctor because the bowel is bent at a very large angle. The situation is highly dependent on experience and skill.

In order to improve the problem of the endoscope, recently developed a capsule-type endoscope equipped with an imaging means in the swallowable capsule and transmits the image information in the body cavity to the outside, so that traditional endoscopes can easily obtain the image information difficult to obtain The diagnosis attempted to expand the scope of medical care.

The above-mentioned capsule endoscope includes a lighting means for greatly illuminating the inside of the body cavity, an image acquiring means for acquiring an image and transmitting the acquired image, and a power supply means for supplying power to the illuminating means and the image acquiring means. And an optical cap positioned in front of the lighting means and a case including the above-described functional means fastened to the optical cap.

In general, a hemispherical transparent window is used as the optical cap, and the light generated by the lighting means passes through the transparent window to illuminate a dark place, but part of it is reflected to be incident to the image acquisition means. Because of light, clear image information could not be obtained.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention to provide a capsule endoscope that prevents the light generated from the illumination means is reflected to the image acquisition means.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a capsule endoscope capable of obtaining clearer image information by preventing the light generated by the lighting means from being reflected to the image acquisition means.

Capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems, the imaging unit including an illumination unit including an illumination element for illuminating the subject and the imaging means for imaging the subject and the illumination unit and the imaging unit A capsule endoscope comprising a covering hemispherical transparent optical cap, wherein the light generated from the illumination element is located in an area that is totally reflected from the optical cap and is not incident to the imaging means.

Here, the area is referred to as a non-flare area, and light corresponding to the maximum angle of view of the imaging means is totally reflected to the optical cap so that the intersection of the imaging means horizontal plane and the imaging means horizontal plane and the outermost portion of the optical cap is performed. Between the nodes.

In this case, the imaging means is located in an area coinciding with the center of curvature of the optical cap.

In addition, the capsule endoscope includes a transmission unit for transmitting the image information obtained from the imaging means, the transmission unit is composed of at least two transmission electrodes, by applying an electrical signal between the two transmission electrodes in the imaging means The acquired video information is transmitted.

The transmitting electrode surrounds the front end and the rear end of the capsule endoscope in a band form, and the illumination element is an LED.

As described above, the present invention provides a method and system for displaying the position and orientation information of the image acquired in the body cavity of the human body, so that more accurate diagnosis can be performed.

In addition, the present invention provides a method and system for displaying the position and orientation information of the image acquired in the body cavity of the human body, it is possible to easily recognize the organs in the body, thereby providing an effect that an efficient diagnosis is possible.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a plan view of an optical system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 1, the optical system 10 comprises an imaging means 11, an luminaire 12 and an optical cap 13.

The imaging means 11 is a means for imaging and acquiring an image, for example, employing a CCD element or a CMOS image sensor. The optical system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a disadvantage in that the operation speed is slow. However, since a limited power source must be used, a CMOS image sensor having an advantage of very low power consumption is used as the image pickup means 11. I adopt it.

The illuminating means 12 illuminates the subject so that the image capturing means captures an image of the subject. In the optical system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a white LED capable of operating with low power consumption and capable of being compact and one-chip is employed as the lighting means 12.

The optical cap 13 serves to protect the image pickup means 11 and the illumination means 12 in the form of a transparent hemispherical shape. In detail, the above-described configuration is provided with a lens (not shown) behind the light dome 13 and a CMOS image sensor (not shown) in which various circuits are integrated behind the lens. The distance between the lens and the CMOS image sensor 14 is adjusted so that light incident through the optical cap 13 can be focused on the surface of the CMOS image sensor.

The lens and CMOS image sensor are located at the center portion opposite to the center of curvature of the optical cap 13. The luminaire 12 is arranged in an area between the center and the outermost part where the lens and CMOS image sensor are located.

In the optical system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, four to six LEDs are used as the luminaire 12. In order to allow the light irradiated from the lighting device 12 to pass through the optical cap 13 so as to illuminate an object, an inner surface of the optical cap 13 has an anti-reflective coating. Behind the CMOS image sensor is a battery that acts as a power source. In the embodiment of the present invention, a silver oxide battery having a flat discharge voltage and less harm to a human body is used as a battery.

Briefly referring to the internal operation of the capsule endoscope, the CMOS image sensor captures an image of an object from the light emitted from the luminaire 12 through a lens, and the CMOS image sensor processes the captured image signal through various internal circuits. After the image is transmitted to the outside through the transmission unit. The transmission unit may employ any one of an antenna and a transmission electrode, but is not necessarily limited to the above-described example.

In the optical system 10 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the light generated by the luminaire 12 is disposed in the region 14 which is totally reflected by the optical cap 13 and is not incident to the imaging unit 11.

The area 14 is a non flare area 14 in which light corresponding to the maximum angle of view of the imaging means 11 is totally reflected on the optical cap 13 so as to be in contact with the horizontal plane of the imaging means 11. Between the intersection point and the intersection of the image pickup means 11 horizontal plane and the outermost portion of the optical cap 13.

2 is an optical path diagram of the optical system 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which a portion indicated by a red line represents a maximum angle of view of the imaging unit 11, and a portion indicated by a green line represents an illumination means. The optical path diagram of the light generated in (12) is shown.

Flare or ghost phenomenon in the optical system 10 adversely affects the image acquisition of the imaging means 11. As a factor causing the flare or ghost phenomenon, the total reflection generated in the optical cap 13 may be exemplified.

Total reflection does not occur if the refractive index advances from the dense medium to the dense medium, but vice versa. This can be confirmed by Snell's law.

The total reflection causing the above-described flare and ghost phenomenon is generated when the light passing through the inner surface of the optical cap 13 passes through the outer surface, and the light generated from the luminaire 12 due to the total reflection causes the light cap ( The area in which the luminaire 12 is located should be limited so as to be totally reflected at 13 and not incident on the imaging unit 11.

In the optical system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the radius of curvature R = 4.5 to 6.5 of the optical cap 13 is designed to be limited, and thus the position of the luminaire 12 is designed to be limited as described below. It was.

In the optical system 10, in order to minimize a condition in which total reflection may occur, the optical system 10 is disposed to coincide with the center of curvature corresponding to the center of the diaphragm of the aperture and the outer surface of the optical cap 13. (12) is disposed in the non-flared region 14.

2A and 2B illustrate an optical system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which an luminaire 12 is located in a non-flare region 14, in which light totally reflected by the optical cap 13 is captured. It can be seen that no incident is made to the means 11.

2C and 2D illustrate a general optical system 10, in which light generated from the luminaire 12 is totally reflected by the optical cap 13 and incident to the imaging unit 11.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a capsule endoscope including an optical system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the capsule endoscope 101 has a diameter of about 10 mm and a length of about 20 mm, and one end of the housing forming an external shape of the capsule endoscope is formed of a dome-shaped optical cap 223, and the other end thereof. Is formed of a rectangular housing 224 to form a bullet shape as a whole.

The optical cap 223 of the capsule endoscope is made of glass or polycarbonate as a material through which light passes while the light cap 223 of the capsule endoscope is harmless to the human body. As shown in FIG. The optical cap 223 is sealed with the housing 224 to prevent, for example, the mucus of the digestive organs from penetrating into the capsule endoscope, or the substance in the capsule endoscope does not leak into the human body.

As shown in FIG. 3, the capsule endoscope 201 forms an outer shape with a housing formed of an optical cap 223 and a housing 224, and includes an illumination element 221 and a lens inside the housing 224. 222, a CMOS image sensor 225, a battery 226, and a transmission electrode 210 formed electrically isolated from a surface of the housing 224.

First, a lens 222 is disposed behind the optical cap 223, and a CMOS image sensor 225 in which various circuits are integrated behind the lens 222 is disposed. The distance between the lens 222 and the CMOS image sensor 225 is adjusted so that light incident through the optical cap 223 can be focused on the surface of the CMOS image sensor 225. A plurality of lighting elements 221 are arranged in a donut-shaped arrangement between the lens 222 and the CMOS image sensor 225. In one embodiment according to the present invention, at least two LEDs 221a and 221b are used as the lighting device 221. In order to allow the light irradiated from the lighting device 221 to pass through the optical cap 223 smoothly to reflect the object, the inner surface of the optical cap 223 is non-reflective coding. Behind the CMOS image sensor 225 is a battery 226 that acts as a power source. In the embodiment of the present invention, as the battery 226, a silver oxide battery having a flat discharge voltage and less harm to a human body is used.

Looking at the internal operation of the capsule endoscope 201 briefly, the CMOS image sensor 225 captures the image of the object from the light irradiated from the illumination element 221 through the lens 222, the CMOS image sensor 225 After the captured image signal is processed through various internal circuits, a signal is applied to the transmission electrodes 210a and 210b respectively connected to the two output lines. As described above, the image is sensed by a receiving electrode outside the human body using the human body as a conductor. Will be.

The above embodiments are examples for describing the technical idea of the present invention in detail, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and combinations are possible, and various embodiments of the technical idea are all present inventions. Naturally, it belongs to the protection scope of.

1 is a plan view of the optical system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is an optical path diagram of an optical system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a capsule endoscope including an optical system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10 optical system 11 imaging means

12: lighting means 13: light cap

14: non-flare area 15: flare area

201: capsule endoscope 210: electrode

221: lighting element 222: lens

223: optical cap 224: housing

225: CMOS 226: battery

Claims (9)

An capsule endoscope including an illumination unit including an illumination element for illuminating a subject, an imaging unit including an imaging unit for imaging the subject, and a hemispherical transparent optical cap covering the illumination unit and the imaging unit, Capsule endoscope characterized in that the light generated from the illumination element is located in the area (area) that is totally reflected from the optical cap and is not incident to the imaging means. The method of claim 1, wherein the region, A capsule endoscope, characterized in that it is a non flare area. The method of claim 2, wherein the region, And a light corresponding to the maximum angle of view of the image pickup means is totally reflected by the optical cap to be between an intersection point of the image pickup means horizontal plane and an intersection point of the image pickup means horizontal plane and the outermost portion of the optical cap. The method of claim 3, wherein the image pickup means, Capsule type endoscope, characterized in that located in the region coinciding with the center of curvature of the optical cap. The method of claim 1, wherein the capsule endoscope, And a transmission unit for transmitting the image information acquired by the image pickup means. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmission unit, A capsule endoscope comprising at least two transmitting electrodes. The method of claim 6, wherein the capsule endoscope, A capsule endoscope, characterized in that for transmitting the image information obtained from the image pickup means by applying an electrical signal between the two transmission electrodes. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting electrode, Capsule endoscope characterized in that the front end and the rear end of the capsule endoscope in the form of a band. The method of claim 1, wherein the lighting device, Capsule type endoscope, characterized in that the LED.

Images