JP2001231744A - Capsule endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a capsule endoscope which can assure safety to the human body and can maintain a good signal transmission state. SOLUTION: This capsule endoscope has an illumination means which illuminates the inside of the living body, an imaging means which picks up the image of the part to be inspected illuminated by this illumination means, a modulated signal transmission means which modulates the output of this imaging means to a transmission signal and transmits this signal, a signal transmission antenna which sends the transmission signal outputted from the modulated signal transmission means and a shielding member which prevents the noise liable to be generated during the signal transmission by this signal transmission antenna within a hermetic capsule.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a capsule endoscope for imaging the inside of a body cavity and wirelessly transmitting the image information outside the body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In conventional fiberscopes and electronic endoscopes, a flexible tube is used to connect an operation unit or an image monitor arranged outside a human body and an imaging unit to be introduced into the human body. Configuration. Even if the imaging head unit is reduced in size and diameter to reduce the pain of the subject, the pain that the “tube” passes through the throat of the subject cannot be fundamentally eliminated. Therefore, in recent years, a capsule endoscope apparatus having a capsule-shaped imaging unit without a tube and an image monitor unit separated from the imaging unit has been proposed.

The proposed capsule endoscope apparatus includes an image sensor for imaging the inside of a body cavity, a transmitter for modulating image information captured by the image sensor into a transmission signal and transmitting the transmission signal, and a transmission antenna. The capsule endoscope is introduced into the body, and image information captured by the capsule endoscope inside the body is wirelessly transmitted to an image monitor outside the body.
However, since the transmitting antenna for transmitting the transmitting signal easily generates noise at the time of transmission and is preferably isolated as much as possible from electric components such as an image sensor, the above-mentioned electric components provided inside the capsule are not provided. Although it is assumed that it is provided outside the capsule, mounting the transmitting antenna outside the capsule requires processing to prevent the transmitting antenna from falling off inside the body or damaging the lumen, and this processing is not easy. Did not. Further, when a transmission antenna line is used as a transmission antenna, a good information transmission state cannot be obtained depending on the direction of the capsule endoscope due to the directivity of the transmission antenna line.

[0004]

The object of the present invention is to ensure safety to the human body,
An object of the present invention is to provide a capsule endoscope capable of maintaining a good transmission state.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides illumination means for illuminating a living body; imaging means for imaging a portion illuminated by the illumination means; and modulation transmission means for modulating an output of the imaging means into a transmission signal and transmitting the signal. And a transmission antenna for transmitting a transmission signal output from the modulation transmission means, and a shield member for blocking noise generated at the time of transmission by the transmission antenna, in a sealed capsule. According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a capsule endoscope that can ensure safety for a human body.

In the capsule endoscope, the imaging means includes: an objective optical system for forming an image of a test portion illuminated by the illumination means; an image sensor for imaging an image formed by the objective optical system; It is preferable to have Further, when the shield member is formed in a cylindrical shape and surrounds each of the electrical components such as the imaging means and the modulation transmission means and is housed in the hermetically sealed capsule, the electrical components can be reliably shielded and noise is prevented. This is preferable because a good image signal can be generated. Further, the transmitting antenna is an antenna substrate wired with an antenna on a flexible substrate, and when the antenna substrate forms a cylinder and surrounds the shield member and is housed in the sealed capsule, the direction of the capsule endoscope is changed. It is preferable because a good transmission state can be maintained irrespective of this, and there is also an advantage that it can be stored efficiently. For example, the transmission antenna wiring is formed on the flexible substrate in a shape that repeats reciprocation in a circumferential direction of the sealed capsule or in a direction along the optical axis of the objective optical system when the sealed capsule is housed in the sealed capsule. It is more effective if provided. Further, the shield member is provided uniformly on the back surface of the antenna wiring surface of the antenna substrate, and the antenna substrate is housed in the sealed capsule in a cylindrical shape having the shield surface as an inner surface. Is more preferable. Note that the transmission antenna may be provided at one end in the sealed capsule.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, based on the illustrated embodiment,
The present invention will be described. Capsule endoscope 1 to which the present invention is applied
Numeral 0 denotes an image which is introduced into the body of the subject at the time of measurement and observation, captures an image of the inside of the body cavity, and wirelessly transmits the image information to a receiving device outside the body. As shown in FIG. 1, the capsule endoscope 10 includes an image sensor unit 110 provided with an objective optical system 20, an image sensor 111, and the like, a signal processing unit 120, and a battery 101 in this order from the front (left side in FIG. 1). , A modulation / transmission amplifier unit 130, and the transmission antenna unit 14
0, which are all watertight hermetic capsules 50.
Is housed inside. For this reason, the transmission antenna unit 140
There is no danger of falling off in the body or damaging the lumen, and safety to the human body can be ensured. The hermetically sealed capsule 50 has a rounded (spherical shape) front end portion and a rear end portion and is formed into a cylindrical shape having a smooth appearance as a whole, and a hemispherical transparent cover 50a is formed of a transparent material at the front portion. ing.

[0008] The capsule endoscope 10 captures an image of a portion to be observed through the transparent cover 50 a via the objective optical system 20 and the image sensor 111. The charge (accumulated signal) photoelectrically converted and stored by the image sensor 111 is converted into an image signal by the signal processing unit 120, and the modulation / transmission amplifier unit 1
The signal is modulated and amplified by 30 to become a transmission signal, and is radiated from the transmission antenna section 140 to the outside of the body as a radio wave. The transmission antenna unit 140 is provided with a shield member 143 so as not to affect the electrical components such as the signal processing unit 120 due to noise during signal transmission (see FIG. 4).

The above-described image sensor section 110, signal processing section 120, modulation / transmission amplifier section 130, and transmission antenna section 140 are integrally formed on a circuit board 100 as shown in the development views of FIGS. ing. Circuit board 100
Are three circular circuit boards (image sensor section 110, signal processing section 120, modulation / transmission amplifier section 130) and one rectangular flexible board (transmission antenna section 14).
0) are connected. Image sensor unit 1
10, each of the signal processing unit 120 and the modulation / transmission amplifier unit 130 are connected by a strip-shaped connection strip substrate 150,
It is connected by a conductive member wired on this back surface. Although the circuit board 100 of the present embodiment is formed from a single circuit board, it may be formed by connecting the circuit boards.

An image sensor window 112 is formed in a circular circuit board of the image sensor section 110, an image sensor 111 is fixed to the front surface of the substrate with the substrate interposed therebetween (FIG. 3), and an infrared cut filter 113 is fixed to the back surface. (Fig. 4). Further, although not shown in detail, the image sensor unit 110 also includes a light emitting diode as an illuminating unit for illuminating the inside of a living body, an image sensor control electric component for performing light emission control of the light emitting diode, scanning control of the image sensor 111, and the like. Is provided. An image of the test portion illuminated by the light emitting diodes is transmitted through the infrared cut filter 113 by the objective optical system 20 and formed on the image sensor 111. A signal processing electric component 121 for processing an output signal of the image sensor 111 is fixed on the front surface of the circular circuit board of the signal processing unit 120 with the board therebetween (FIG. 3), and an electric contact 123 for the battery 101 is provided on the back surface. (FIG. 4). In the signal processing unit 120, the image sensor unit 1
The stored signal output from 10 is subjected to A / D conversion processing, video processing, and the like to generate an image signal, which is output to the modulation / transmission amplifier unit 130. A modulation / transmission electric component 131 for modulating and transmitting the output of the signal processing unit 120 is fixed on the front surface of the circular circuit board of the modulation / transmission amplifier unit 130 with the substrate interposed therebetween (FIG. 3), and a battery is mounted on the back surface. An electrical contact 133 for 101 is provided (FIG. 4). The image signal output from the signal processing unit 120 is modulated and amplified by the modulation / transmission amplifier unit 130, becomes a transmission signal, is output to the transmission antenna unit 140, and is radiated from the transmission antenna unit 140 as a radio wave.

On the flexible substrate of the transmitting antenna section 140, a transmitting antenna surface 142 provided with a transmitting antenna wiring 141 is formed on the surface of the substrate (FIG. 3), and a shield member 143 for preventing noise is uniformly provided on the back surface. An applied shield surface 144 is formed (FIG. 4). The transmission antenna wiring 141 is provided in a shape in which one antenna line reciprocates in the left-right direction in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the circuit board 100 includes an image sensor section 110 and a signal processing section 1 of the circuit board 100.
20, the modulation / transmission amplifier section 130 is bent at the connection portion with the strip substrate 150 so that each becomes parallel, and the battery 101 is assembled so as to be in contact with the electrical contacts 123 and 133. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the transmission antenna unit 140 is wound around the outer periphery of the substantially columnar shape with the shield surface 144 inside and housed in the sealed capsule 50, so that the shield member 143 reduces noise during signal transmission. It is possible to protect each electrical component such as the signal processing unit 120 and generate a good image signal. In this stored state, the transmission antenna wiring 141 emits a transmission signal from the entire peripheral surface of the capsule endoscope 10, so that a good transmission state can be maintained regardless of the direction of the capsule endoscope 10 in the body cavity. .

FIG. 8 shows an outline of the reed switch 102 provided in the capsule endoscope 10. As shown in FIG. The reed switch 102 is a switch that is turned on / off according to the presence or absence of magnetism. In the present embodiment, when there is no magnetism around the capsule endoscope 10, the reed switch 102 is turned on to supply power from the battery 101 to the capsule endoscope 10. When not in use, the capsule endoscope 10
Is stored in a magnetically shielded container containing a permanent magnet.

Based on the above configuration, the capsule endoscope 10
The outline of the use will be described with reference to FIG. First,
Remove all the magnetized things from the subject's body and make the subject swallow the capsule endoscope 10. In the body cavity of the subject, the reed switch 102 is turned on, power is supplied from the battery 101 to the capsule endoscope 10, and measurement observation is started. In the body cavity, a part of the lumen pushed away by the capsule endoscope 10 becomes a transparent cover 50a of the sealed capsule 50.
Adhere to The contact portion and the transparent cover 50a
Is illuminated by a light-emitting diode (not shown) provided in the image sensor unit 110.
The image of the illuminated portion (tested portion) is
Is formed on the image sensor 111, and is photoelectrically converted by the image sensor 111 and stored. The accumulated signal output from the image sensor 111 is output to the signal processing unit 120.
Is converted into an image signal, and the image signal is modulated and amplified by the modulation / transmission amplifier unit 130 to become a transmission signal, which is transmitted from the transmission antenna 132 to the outside of the body. Then, this transmission signal is received by a receiving device outside the body, projected on a monitor device, and observed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the transmitting antenna section 140 is housed inside the sealed capsule 50,
There is no possibility that the transmitting antenna unit 140 falls off in the body or damages the lumen, and safety to the human body can be ensured. In the present embodiment, the transmitting antenna unit 1
40 is provided on a flexible substrate, and a transmission antenna surface 142 having a transmission antenna wiring 141 provided on the surface of the substrate,
A shield member 143 for preventing noise is provided on the back surface of the substrate.
Is formed, and the transmitting antenna section 140 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape with the shield surface 144 as an inner surface, and the image sensor section 110, the signal processing section 120, the modulation / modulation section Since it is wrapped around the outer periphery of the transmitting unit 130 and housed in the sealed capsule 50, the shield member 143 protects each electric system component from noise at the time of signal transmission, can generate a good image signal, and has a good space efficiency. There is an advantage that it can be stored in the sealed capsule 50. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the transmitting antenna unit 140 is housed in the sealed capsule 50, the transmitting antenna wiring 141 radiates a transmission signal from the entire peripheral surface (side surface) of the capsule endoscope 10, so that A good transmission state can be maintained regardless of the direction of the capsule endoscope 10 in the above.

In the present embodiment, the transmission antenna wiring 141 and the shield member 143 are formed on the front and back surfaces of the flexible substrate. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the transmission antenna wiring 141 is not provided on the rectangular flexible substrate, and the shield member 143 is applied to one or both surfaces, while the modulation / transmission electric component 1 of the modulation / transmission amplifier unit 130 is provided.
A transmission antenna line 145 is provided on the surface to which 31 is fixed,
It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a signal is transmitted from outside the closed capsule 50 to the outside of the body.

[0017]

According to the present invention, since the transmitting antenna is housed in the capsule, there is no danger of the transmitting antenna dropping out of the capsule endoscope inside the body, or the projecting transmitting antenna damaging the lumen. A high capsule endoscope can be provided. In addition, since the imaging means and the modulation transmission means are surrounded by the shield member, a good image signal can be generated without being affected by noise. Furthermore, if the transmitting antenna is an antenna substrate on which antenna wiring is provided on a flexible substrate, and a shield surface on which a shielding member is uniformly applied is provided on the back surface of the antenna wiring surface of the antenna substrate, transmission can be performed without enlarging the capsule. An antenna can be built in, and a good transmission state can always be maintained regardless of the direction of the capsule endoscope.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing one embodiment of a capsule endoscope to which the present invention is applied, (A) is a side sectional view of the capsule endoscope, and (B) is a sectional view taken along the II plane. Is shown.

FIG. 2 is a development view of a circuit board provided in the capsule endoscope.

FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow II in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a circuit board in which each substantially circular circuit board is assembled.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of another embodiment of a capsule endoscope to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a circuit board obtained by assembling each substantially circular circuit board in another embodiment shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a reed switch provided in the capsule endoscope.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Capsule endoscope 20 Objective optical system 50 Hermetic capsule 100 Circuit board 101 Battery 102 Reed switch 110 Image sensor unit 111 Image sensor 113 Infrared cut filter 120 Signal processing unit 121 Signal processing electric component 123 133 Electrical contact 130 Modulation / transmission amplifier Unit 131 Modulation / transmission electric component 140 Transmission antenna unit 141 Transmission antenna wiring 142 Transmission antenna surface 143 Shield member 144 Shield surface 150 Connection strip board

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Ichiro Ninomiya 2-36-9 Maenocho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Inside Asahiko Gaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tetsuya Nakamura 2-36-9 Maenocho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo No. Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masahiro Fushimi 2-36-9 Maenocho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Masaru Eguchi 2-36-9 Maenocho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo No. Asahi Gaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kenichi Ohara 2-36-9 Maenocho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo F-term in Asahi Gaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. JJ19 LL02 NN03 UU06

Claims (7)

[Claims] An illumination unit configured to illuminate a living body; an imaging unit configured to capture an image of a portion illuminated by the illumination unit; a modulation transmission unit configured to modulate an output of the imaging unit into a transmission signal and transmit the transmission signal; A capsule endoscope, comprising: a transmission antenna for transmitting a transmission signal output from a transmission means; and a shield member for blocking noise generated at the time of transmission by the transmission antenna, in a sealed capsule. 2. The capsule endoscope according to claim 1, wherein said imaging means includes an objective optical system for forming an image of a test portion illuminated by said illumination means, and an image formed by said objective optical system. A capsule endoscope having an image sensor for capturing an image. 3. The capsule endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the shield member has a cylindrical shape, surrounds the imaging unit and the modulation transmission unit, and is housed in the sealed capsule. mirror. 4. The capsule endoscope according to claim 3, wherein the transmission antenna is an antenna substrate wired on a flexible substrate, and the antenna substrate has a cylindrical shape and surrounds the shield member. A capsule endoscope housed in a sealed capsule. 5. The capsule endoscope according to claim 4, wherein the shield member is provided uniformly on the back surface of the antenna wiring surface of the antenna substrate, and the antenna substrate has the shield surface as an inner surface. A capsule endoscope having a cylindrical shape and housed in the closed capsule. 6. The capsule endoscope according to claim 4, wherein the transmission antenna wiring is provided on the flexible substrate in a circumferential direction of the sealed capsule or when the transmission antenna wiring is housed in the sealed capsule. A capsule endoscope provided in a shape that repeats reciprocation in a direction along an optical axis of an objective optical system. 7. The capsule endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the transmission antenna is provided at one end in the sealed capsule.