JP2007236592A - Storage built-in capsule endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a storage built-in capsule endoscope capable of acquiring complete and precise image data. <P>SOLUTION: This capsule endoscope includes a control device, or an elliptical columnar capsule body of roughly 11x26 mm, connected to a host interface, an optical detection chip connected to the controller, a plurality of light emitting diodes, a memory module, a battery pack feeding a power and an acid- and alkali-proof capsule body covering the components; and an imaging window at its tip has a transparent and optical arc face. The capsule body, when being swallowed from the oral cavity, starts an imaging examination, when finishing the imaging examination, is discharged from the body, and when the capsule body is torn and the host interface is connected to a terminal, the terminal is accessed to image data of the memory module in the device by executing handshaking between the control device and the terminal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a video copying apparatus, and more particularly, to a capsule endoscope with a built-in storage device for photographing a human digestive system.

A long time ago, since 1795, many medical seniors have started examining the digestive tract. The idea of inventing an endoscope was born in order to improve the convenience of the examination, because only the front and rear ends of the digestive tract can be examined under the condition that the examination instrument is poor. When inspecting, the pipe is inserted into the organ to be inspected, the inside of the organ is brightened by the cold light from the cold light source, and the light detection chip (CCD, DV or V8 video recorder fitted at the end of the pipe) The video signal is clearly sent back to the device, and the computer of the device converts the signal into a video, however, the endoscope cannot inspect some small intestines, If the length of the endoscope is too long, it will be difficult to operate, and the pain will be great for the sick.

With the advancement of technology, bioradio telemetry technology has been developed, which does not use conventional wired transmission, and eliminates the drawbacks of existing endoscopes from the angle of volume and usage. In recent years, a power-saving and miniaturized light detection chip and a wireless emission device have been invented, so a capsule endoscope that is light and thin has appeared, and the capsule endoscope includes a light detection chip for photographing and a cold light source, It can be reduced to the same size as the capsule, its size is 11x26mm, and inside there is a small battery and light emitting diode (LED), computer chip and wireless transmitter in addition to the light detection chip, every second, Two photographs can be taken, and the inspection time for one inspection is slightly 8 hours, and a total of 50000 photographs can be taken. When the endoscope of the size of the above capsule is held, the capsule endoscope moves forward with the intestinal peristalsis in the stomach, and at the same time, the capsule endoscope itself flashes twice per second. At the same time, the photodetection chip captures an image of the inside of the organ, and then the video signal obtained by the photodetection chip is transmitted to the outside of the body in a wireless manner, and also to the abdomen of the subject. Nine wireless receiving antennas are installed, and the received signals are stored in the portable receiver. Therefore, the capsule endoscope faithfully records the situation from the esophagus to the small and large intestines in the abdomen until the battery is depleted, and is discharged from the anus along with feces, The entire test is completed, so it is very convenient to test the sick.

However, when such a capsule endoscope that transmits data wirelessly is used, the required peripheral devices are very high, and a large volume antenna and In order to receive video data by installing a device for receiving and storing, the procedure is complicated, and the examinee is inconvenient to operate with a large volume antenna and receiver installed on the body. Therefore, such a system related to a capsule endoscope is difficult to spread.

In addition, since data is received by the antenna attached to the examinee, there is a problem in reception sensitivity. For example, a capsule that transmits data wirelessly in a range of 1 meter from the small intestine to the pylorus. Endoscopes are relatively insensitive.

In terms of accuracy, since the wireless data transmission applied to the human body must be a low-frequency wireless data transmission system, the amount of data transmission and the width of each data are limited. Therefore, the number of images and resolution per second Is limited, and a large amount of data cannot be transmitted, and the number of images transmitted per second is also limited. For example, when the device is located in a fast moving part such as the esophagus, two images per second When only video is transmitted, a complete message cannot be collected, and the light detection chip that can be mounted on such a device is limited, so that more video data can be acquired immediately and enough information for the doctor to read. Cannot be provided.

The present invention proposes a capsule endoscope with a built-in storage device in order to eliminate the various drawbacks of the prior art described above.

A main object of the present invention is to store a photographed video in a storage device, so that a wireless transmitter required for a capsule endoscope that is an existing wireless transmission and a wireless receiver that receives it via an external antenna Therefore, a capsule endoscope with a built-in storage device that can greatly reduce the cost and improve the convenience of use is provided.

Another object of the present invention is that the controller is connected to the storage device via the DATABUS interface, and can control and access the storage device at a high speed and with a large amount of data. Provided is a capsule endoscope with a built-in storage device in which the number of stored captured images per second and the resolution are greatly improved.

Still another object of the present invention is that a plurality of light detection chips are installed in front and rear of the capsule main body, and an image of about 360 degrees is photographed by an assembling method. Provided is a capsule endoscope with a built-in storage device that can be read more accurately.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a capsule endoscope apparatus connected to a terminal, comprising a host interface, a controller connected to the host interface, and light detection connected to the controller. A chip, a light emitting diode and a memory module, a battery pack that supplies power, and an acid-resistant frame covering the above-described components (the shooting window is a transparent optical arc surface) are contained, and the size is As with a capsule, when it is 11x26mm and an endoscope of this size is squeezed, the capsule endoscope moves forward in the stomach with intestinal peristalsis, and at the same time inside the capsule The endoscope itself flashes twice or more per second, and at the same time, the photodetection chip captures an image of the inside of the organ, and then the image obtained by the photodetection chip No. is a capsule endoscope storage device built to be written to the storage device at a very fast rate.

The object, technical contents, features, and effects of the present invention will be described in detail below by giving specific examples with reference to the drawings.

The present invention provides a wireless transmitter required for a capsule endoscope, which is an existing wireless transmission, and a wireless receiver for receiving via an external antenna by installing a storage device that stores a video imaged immediately. Is not necessary, the cost can be greatly reduced, and the convenience of use is improved.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is a capsule main body 10, and the capsule main body 10 includes a light detection chip 102 that captures an image, and an image compressed by the controller 104 is transmitted to the memory module 106. The capsule main body 10 has a plurality of light-emitting diodes 108 for supplying a light source for the light detection chip 102 to take an image at the tip, and the battery pack 110 supplies power to the internal elements. The video data stored in the memory module 106 connected to the common series bus 22 of the external terminal 2 is transmitted to the terminal 2 via the host interface 112 and displayed.

2 and 3, a transparent optical arc surface 114 is installed at the tip of the capsule main body 10, a lens base 116 is installed on the back side of the arc surface, and a lens 118 is installed on the lens base 116. Is placed behind the lens base 116 so as to surround the lens base 116, and when the capsule main body 10 is sandwiched by the body, a plurality of light emitting diodes 108 provide a light source, which is clearly You can shoot video. There is a light detection chip 102 behind the lens 118, and the volume reduction is realized by integrating the controller 104, the light detection chip 102, and the memory module 106 into a single chip by a semiconductor process technology. A large amount of data can be stored, power can be saved, the problem of adverse effects on the human body due to high frequencies can be solved, and the host interface 112 connected to the back can communicate with the terminal 2 and The memory module 120 for expansion and the expansion slot 122 are installed, and the memory capacity can be expanded.

In the present invention, the host interface 112 is a USB interface of the common series bus 22, but may be an IEEE 1394 interface or another standard interface. The USB interface is connected to the terminal 2, the controller 104 is connected to the host interface 112, whereby the controller 104 is connected to the terminal 2 via the host interface 112, and Connected to the memory module 106. In this embodiment, the memory module 106 is a NAND Flash interface, but may be a storage device interface such as a SmartMedia (registered trademark) interface, a MemoryStick interface, an SD interface, an xD interface, or another standard interface. In the example, the light detection chip is a CMOS image sensor, but may be a CCD image sensor or another image device.

The controller 104 communicates with the terminal 2 and controls the memory module 106, the light emitting diode 108, and the light detection chip 102. The memory module 106 includes a storage chip or a memory for storing at least one data. For example, the memory module 106 is a flash memory, a programmable ROM (PROM) or an electrically erasable programmable ROM. The controller 104 drives the light emitting diode 102 and the light detection chip 102 to continuously capture images, and simultaneously stores the captured images in the memory module 106. The controller 104 simultaneously stores the memory module 106 in the memory module 106. Manage and store multiple shot images in a video file, which enables the capsule endoscope to faithfully describe the situation from the esophagus to the small intestine and the large intestine in the stomach before battery power is exhausted. It is recorded and drained from the anus along with feces and the entire examination is completed.

Thereafter, after the discharged capsule endoscope is cleaned and disinfected, the capsule main body 10 is torn and the host interface 112 of the apparatus is connected to the terminal 2. The capsule endoscope controller 104 communicates with the terminal 2 via the host interface 112, and after the power is supplied by connecting the controller 104 to the terminal 2, the information block Is loaded into the SRAM of the controller. Based on the data of the information block read into the SRAM, the controller 104 arranges the memory module in response to a request from the terminal 2, and uses it as a logical disk. Since the video software stored in the logical disk can be accessed and the application software of the terminal 2 operates in a multiplexed manner, all video files in the memory module 106 are continuously cached. The image file is immediately displayed on the display, and the displayed video file is processed and stored, or a CD file is created.

In the apparatus according to the present invention, the optical detection chip 102 and the memory module 106 are controlled by the controller 104 in an integrated manner, and the video data of the optical detection chip controlled by the controller via the data bus (DATABUS) interface. And then writing to the memory module 106 on the same bus interface at a very fast rate, so that the number of images per second is greatly improved, where a plurality of light detection chips 102 are It may be mounted on the front and rear ends to assemble a captured image that is about 360 degrees, thereby improving the completeness of the video information and improving the doctor's reading accuracy.

According to the present invention, since the memory module 106 is built in the capsule main body 10, shooting and storage can be performed immediately, and an antenna for a wireless transmitter or a receiver is not required. In addition, since no equipment is mounted on the inspected person's body, the inspected person can act freely, and the convenience of use is improved. By integrating the light detection chip 102 and the memory module 106 into a single chip, the volume can be reduced, and a large amount of data can be stored, which greatly increases the number of images captured per second. It can be improved or the high-resolution photodetection chip 102 can be used, and the battery pack 110 of the present invention can be used for a plurality of mercury batteries or redundant charge / discharge. A lithium battery or a lithium polymer capacity, also the capsule main body 10 is a frame of the acid resistance and alkali fabricated by nanotechnology.

The above describes the features of the present invention by referring to the drawings with reference to the drawings. If the skilled person knows the technology well, the contents of the present invention can be understood and implemented in accordance therewith. However, the patent registration request of the present invention is not limited thereby, and all equivalent changes and modifications completed in accordance with the spirit of the present invention are included in the scope of the patent registration request of the present invention.

Block diagram of a capsule endoscope with a built-in storage device according to the present invention 3D view of a capsule endoscope with a built-in storage device according to the present invention Sectional view of a capsule endoscope with a built-in storage device according to the present invention

Explanation of symbols

10 capsule main body 102 light detection chip 104 controller 106 memory module 108 light emitting diode 110 battery pack 112 host interface 114 transparent optical arc surface 116 lens base 118 lens 120 expansion memory module 122 expansion slot 2 terminal 22 common series bus

Claims (3)

There is at least one light detection chip connected to a controller for photographing an internal image of the organ of the subject, and a plurality of light emitting diodes for supplying a light source are provided at the tip of the capsule main body. A capsule main body in which a host interface for communication connection with an external terminal is installed behind the controller;
A memory module connected to the controller and storing video data captured by the at least one light detection chip;
A capsule endoscope apparatus with a built-in storage device. 2. The capsule endoscope apparatus with a built-in storage device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is integrated into a single chip together with the memory and the light detection chip by a semiconductor process technology. 2. The light detection chip according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the light detection chips are installed at a front end and a rear end of the capsule main body, respectively, and 360-degree video is assembled to obtain more complete video information. Capsule endoscope device with built-in storage device.