JP2010119515A - Capsule type medical device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a capsule type endoscope 20 for efficiently receiving power, which is a capsule type medical device for performing prescribed processing inside the body of a subject 50. <P>SOLUTION: The capsule type medical device includes: a power receiving coil 21 for wirelessly receiving power from the outside of the body of the subject 50; a processing circuit 25 for performing the prescribed processing; and a reactance element 23 for adjustment connected to the power receiving coil 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a capsule endoscope that is introduced into the body of a subject, and more particularly to a capsule medical device that receives a wireless power supply from outside the body of the subject and performs a predetermined process.

  In recent years, in the field of endoscopes, capsule endoscopes equipped with an imaging function and a wireless function have appeared. This capsule endoscope is swallowed by the subject, who is the subject for observation (examination), and then inside the organs such as the stomach and small intestine until it is spontaneously discharged from the subject. This is a configuration that moves with peristaltic motion and sequentially images the inside of an organ using an imaging function.

  In addition, image data captured in the subject by the capsule endoscope while moving in these organs is sequentially transmitted to an external device provided outside the subject by a wireless function such as wireless communication. , Stored in memory. When the subject carries the external device having the wireless function and the memory function, the subject does not suffer any inconvenience during the observation period from swallowing the capsule endoscope until it is discharged. Action is possible. After observation with a capsule endoscope, a doctor can make a diagnosis by displaying an image of an organ on a display means such as a display based on image data stored in a memory of an external device.

  An example of a system for supplying power to this type of capsule endoscope is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4080662. In this system, a radio capsule (corresponding to a capsule endoscope) is placed in a subject, so that the capsule endoscope is transmitted by transmitting power from the outside of the subject to the inside of the capsule endoscope. Supply power inside the mirror. In this system, a power transmission antenna is provided in the external device, and a power reception antenna is provided in the capsule endoscope. Power is supplied from the external device to the capsule endoscope via the transmission antenna and the reception antenna. Thus, the observation operation of the capsule endoscope that has been left in the subject for a long time has been made possible.

  Japanese Patent No. 4089778 discloses a wireless power feeding apparatus that uses a method of detecting a degree of coupling between a power receiving coil and a power transmission coil and driving a power transmission coil in a direction with a strong degree of coupling.

However, the conventional capsule medical device has poor compatibility between the power receiving coil and the processing circuit that consumes the received power, and can receive only power that is smaller than the maximum power that can be received, that is, the power receiving efficiency is low. was there.
Japanese Patent No. 40806662 Japanese Patent No. 4089778

  An object of the present invention is to provide a capsule medical device that efficiently receives power.

  In order to achieve the above object, a capsule medical device according to the present invention is a capsule medical device that performs a predetermined process in the body of a subject, and is a receiving coil that wirelessly receives power from outside the subject's body. And a processing circuit for performing the predetermined processing, and an adjustment reactance element connected to the power receiving coil.

  The present invention provides a capsule medical device that receives power efficiently.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a capsule endoscope 20 that is a capsule medical device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an outline of a wireless power feeding system including a capsule endoscope according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the wireless power feeding system including the capsule endoscope according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the outline of the structure of the capsule endoscope of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the capsule endoscope 20 of the wireless power feeding system 1 according to the present embodiment is wirelessly disposed outside the subject 50 while being introduced into the subject 50. Power is received from the power supply apparatus 10 by electromagnetic induction. That is, in the wireless power feeder 10, an alternating current is applied from the power transmission circuit 12 to the power transmission coil 11, and the power transmission coil 11 generates an alternating magnetic field.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the capsule endoscope 20 includes a power receiving circuit 22 that receives power from the wireless power feeding apparatus 10 and a processing circuit 25 that performs predetermined processing using the received power. The power receiving circuit 22 includes a circuit 21A in which a power receiving coil 21 and an adjusting reactance element 23 are connected in series to the processing circuit 25, and a resonance capacitor 24 connected in parallel to the processing circuit 25 to the processing circuit 25.

  The power receiving coil 21 is a solenoid type coil having a predetermined number of turns around which a conductive wire is wound, and the axis of the coil is in the longitudinal direction of the capsule in the body of the elongated capsule type casing 31 (see FIG. 3). It is arranged. Here, the axis of the coil means the center line of the magnetic path of the coil. The power receiving coil 21 may be wound around a part of the capsule casing 31, may have a soft magnetic core inside, or may be wound around the outside of the capsule casing 31. It may be.

  The resonance capacitor 24 is a capacitor for substantially matching, that is, matching, the resonance frequency of the power receiving circuit 22 and the resonance frequency of the wireless power feeding apparatus 10.

  On the other hand, the processing circuit 25 includes a power reception control circuit 26, a transmission / reception control circuit 27, a CCD 29 that is an imaging device, a signal processing circuit 30, and an illumination unit 32.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the capsule medical device according to the present embodiment includes a power receiving circuit 22 and a processing circuit 25 that are built in an elongated capsule type casing 31 that can be introduced into the body of a subject 50. Is a capsule endoscope 20 having Capsule endoscope 20 is of a size that can be swallowed into the body from the oral cavity of a subject, a substantially hemispherical tip cover 31A that is transparent or translucent, and a colored that does not transmit visible light. A capsule-type casing 31 that seals the inside in a liquid-tight manner is formed by elastically fitting a barrel cover 31B having a substantially hemispherical cylindrical shape at one end made of a material.

  The capsule endoscope 20 is in a capsule housing 31 and has an illumination unit 32 such as an LED that emits illumination light for illuminating the body cavity imaging region via the tip cover 31A, and reflection by illumination light. A CCD 29 that receives light and images a body cavity imaging region and an imaging lens 33 that forms an image of a subject on the CCD 29 are provided, and imaging in the front end direction on the tip cover 31A side is possible. The signal processing circuit 30 processes the captured image, and the transmission / reception control circuit 27 has a function of transmitting the captured image wirelessly outside the body.

  In the capsule endoscope 20, for example, the transmission / reception control circuit 27 processes various control signals superimposed on an alternating magnetic field that is a power supply signal, and based on the control signals, the LED lighting process by the illumination unit 32, A plurality of processes such as an imaging process by the CCD 29, an image process by the signal processing circuit 30, or a captured image transmission process by the transmission / reception control circuit 27 are controlled.

  Here, the load performed by the processing circuit 25 of the capsule endoscope 20 differs depending on the type of the capsule endoscope 20, in other words, the processing performed. For example, a capsule endoscope having a CCD that performs high-resolution color imaging has a smaller processing circuit load than a capsule endoscope that performs only low-resolution monochrome imaging. Even in the case of capsule endoscopes having the same specifications, the load on the processing circuit 25 of each product differs due to variations in manufacturing. For this reason, the impedance of the power receiving circuit 22 and the impedance of the processing circuit 25 may be shifted.

  As already described, if the impedance of the processing circuit 25 that is a load, the impedance of the power receiving circuit 22 and the impedance of the processing circuit 25 are substantially the same, that is, if they do not match, the power is originally smaller than the maximum power that can be received. Cannot receive power.

  Here, FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the relationship between the impedance of the load and the received power. As shown in FIG. 4, when the impedance of the power receiving circuit 22 is Z1, the relationship between the load impedance and the received power is the received power characteristic indicated by F1, and the impedance of the processing circuit 25 that is the load is Z1. The received power is the maximum P2. When the load impedance deviates from Z1 as in Z2 or Z3, the received power decreases to P1.

  However, since the capsule endoscope 20 according to the present embodiment includes the adjustment reactance element 23 in the power receiving circuit 22, impedance matching between the power receiving circuit 22 and the processing circuit 25 can be performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when the load is large and the impedance is as small as Z2, the impedance of the power receiving circuit 22 can be adjusted to Z2 by using a capacitive adjustment reactance element, and the received power characteristics Becomes like F2. Similarly, when the load is small and the impedance is as large as Z3, the impedance of the power receiving circuit 22 can be adjusted to Z3 by using an inductive adjustment reactance element, and the received power characteristic becomes F3. .

  Note that the impedance of the power receiving circuit 22 can be adjusted by the size of the power receiving coil 21, the number of turns of the winding, the presence or absence of magnetic cores, characteristics, and the like. However, in the special use of the capsule endoscope 20 in which electronic components must be stored in an extremely small space, there is a restriction such as the volume of the power receiving coil 21, and it is not realistic to adjust these. .

  When a capacitive adjustment reactance element is used, the value of the resonance capacitor 24 is adjusted in accordance with the connected capacitive adjustment reactance element.

  In the capsule endoscope 20 according to the present embodiment, the reactance of the adjusting reactance element 23 is adjusted at the time of manufacture. 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams for explaining a method of adjusting the reactance of the reactance element for adjustment of the capsule endoscope according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the capsule endoscope 20 has a constant load impedance Z2 with respect to the passage of time, that is, the driving of each processing of the processing circuit 25, the power is received by the adjusting reactance element 23. The impedance of the circuit 22 is adjusted from Z1 to Z2.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, in the case of the capsule endoscope 20 in which the impedance of the load changes with the passage of time, that is, the driving of each process of the processing circuit 25, (A) impedance (B) Match to the average impedance Z12, (C) Match to the impedance Z11 when the operating state is longest, (D) Match to the state Z10 with the smallest impedance, etc. The impedance of the circuit 22 is adjusted by the adjusting reactance element 23.

  In the capsule endoscope 20, the adjustment reactance element 23 and the resonance capacitor 24 are formed of fixed or semi-fixed elements to adjust the values.

  As described above, the capsule endoscope 20 efficiently receives power because the impedance of the processing circuit 25 and the impedance of the power receiving circuit 22 are matched by adjusting or selecting the adjustment reactance element 23. be able to.

<Modification of the first embodiment>
Hereinafter, a capsule endoscope 20A according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a wireless power feeding system including a capsule endoscope according to this modification. In addition, since the capsule endoscope 20A of the modification of the first embodiment is similar to the capsule endoscope 20 of the first embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, Description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the capsule endoscope 20A of the wireless power feeding system 1A of the present embodiment, a power receiving coil 21 and an adjusting reactance element 23 are connected in parallel, and the power receiving coil 21 and the adjusting reactance element 23 are connected. The capsule endoscope 20A according to the present modified example adjusts the reactance of the adjustment reactance element 23 to adjust the impedance of the processing circuit 25A. Since the impedance of the power receiving circuit 22A is matched, power can be received efficiently.

<Second Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a capsule endoscope 20B which is a capsule medical apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a wireless power feeding system including the capsule endoscope according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the adjustment reactance unit of the capsule endoscope according to the present embodiment. FIG. Since the capsule endoscope 20B of the second embodiment is similar to the capsule endoscope 20 of the first embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the capsule endoscope 20B according to the present embodiment further includes an adjustment reactance unit 23B and a reactance adjustment circuit 28. The reactance adjustment circuit 28 adjusts the reactance of the reactance unit 23B for adjustment based on the control signal received by the transmission / reception control circuit 27.

  A plurality of processes performed by the processing circuit 25B of the capsule endoscope 20B have different loads. For example, since the LED lighting process by the illumination unit 32 has a large load and a low impedance, the impedance of the processing circuit 25B varies between when the lamp is lit and when it is not lit. For this reason, the impedance of the power receiving circuit 22B and the impedance of the processing circuit 25B are shifted. A plurality of processes performed by the processing circuit 25B, for example, a plurality of processes such as an LED lighting process by the illumination unit 32, an imaging process by the CCD 29, an image process by the signal processing circuit 30, or a captured image transmission process by the transmission / reception control circuit 27, etc. The transmission / reception control circuit 27 processes various control signals superimposed on the power supply signal, and is performed based on the control signals.

  In the capsule endoscope 20B, the reactance adjustment circuit 28 adjusts the reactance of the adjustment reactance unit 23B according to each processing performed based on the control signal received by the transmission / reception control circuit 27.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the adjustment reactance unit 23B includes an adjustment reactance element group 35 having reactance elements 35A to 35N having N different reactances, and N switches 36A to 36C that switch the reactance elements connected to the power receiving coil 21. And a switch portion 36 having 36N. The adjustment reactance unit 23B may have at least two reactance elements, or may have a variable amount reactance element having a function corresponding to a plurality of reactance elements having different reactances.

  Reactance elements 35A to 35N that match each process performed by the processing circuit 25B are determined in advance. Therefore, the adjustment reactance unit 23B can adjust the reactance of the power receiving circuit 22B so as to match the impedance of each process performed by the processing circuit 25B.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the adjustment reactance unit 23B selects the positive large reactance element 35A in the process A, selects the positive reactance element 35B in the process B, and negative in the process C. Reactance element 35C is selected, and in the process D, a large negative reactance element 35D is selected.

  In the capsule endoscope 20B of the present embodiment, the reactance adjustment circuit 28 adjusts the reactance of the adjustment reactance unit 23B to match the impedance of the power receiving circuit 22B with the impedance of the processing circuit 25B. Therefore, power can be received efficiently.

  In particular, the reactance adjustment circuit 28 adjusts the reactance based on the processing information received by the transmission / reception control circuit 27, so that the reactance adjustment circuit 28 has a simple configuration and is less likely to cause a tracking delay. That is, the time until each process is actually performed by the process control signal received by the transmission / reception control circuit 27 is finite, and the reactance adjustment circuit 28 switches the switch unit 36 during that time, so that the impedance change rate of the processing circuit 25B is changed. Can follow.

  The adjusting reactance unit 23B can cope with various reactances depending on the combined reactance value by simultaneously connecting a plurality of reactance elements.

<Third Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a capsule endoscope 20C which is a capsule medical device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of a wireless power feeding system including the capsule endoscope according to the present embodiment. Note that since the capsule endoscope 20C of the third embodiment is similar to the capsule endoscope 20B of the second embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the capsule endoscope 20 </ b> C of the wireless power feeding system 1 </ b> C of the present embodiment further includes a load detection circuit 37. The load detection circuit 37 measures the load of the processing circuit 25C, in other words, the impedance in real time. The reactance adjustment circuit 28 </ b> C adjusts the reactance of the power receiving circuit 22 </ b> C based on the information of the load detection circuit 37. The load detection circuit 37 may detect the impedance at a predetermined interval, and the reactance adjustment circuit 28C may adjust the reactance at a predetermined interval.

  In the capsule endoscope 20C of the present embodiment, the reactance adjustment circuit 28C adjusts the reactance of the adjustment reactance unit 23C to match the impedance of the power receiving circuit 22C with the impedance of the processing circuit 25C. Therefore, power can be received efficiently.

  In particular, the reactance adjustment circuit 28C according to the present embodiment is highly accurate because the reactance is adjusted based on the impedance of the processing circuit 25C detected by the load detection circuit 37.

  In the above description, the capsule endoscope has been described as an example. However, the wireless power feeding system of the present invention is not limited to wireless power feeding to the capsule endoscope, but a capsule medical device for collecting digestive juice. The present invention can be applied to various capsule medical devices such as a swallowing type pH sensor or a drug delivery system.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments or modifications, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a wireless power feeding system including a capsule endoscope according to a first embodiment. 1 is a configuration diagram of a wireless power feeding system including a capsule endoscope according to a first embodiment. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram for demonstrating the outline | summary of the structure of the capsule endoscope of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the impedance of load, and received electric power. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the impedance of load, and received electric power. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the adjustment method of the reactance of the reactance element for adjustment of the capsule endoscope of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the adjustment method of the reactance of the reactance element for adjustment of the capsule endoscope of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the radio | wireless electric power feeding system containing the capsule type endoscope of the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the radio | wireless electric power feeding system containing the capsule type endoscope of 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the structure of the reactance part for adjustment of the capsule endoscope of 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating operation | movement of the reactance part for adjustment of the capsule endoscope of 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the wireless electric power feeding system containing the capsule type endoscope of 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A, 1B, 1C ... Wireless electric power feeding system 10 ... Wireless electric power feeder 11 ... Power transmission coil 12 ... Power transmission circuit 20, 20A, 20B, 20C ... Capsule type endoscope 21 ... Power receiving coil 21A, 21B ... Circuit 22, 22A, 22B ... Power receiving circuit 23 ... Adjusting reactance element 23B, 23C ... Adjusting reactance unit 24 ... Resonance capacitor 25 ... Processing circuit 26 ... Power receiving control circuit 27 ... Transmission / reception control circuit 28, 28B ... Reactance adjusting circuit 30 ... Signal processing circuit 31 ... capsule type casing 31A ... tip cover 31B ... body cover 32 ... illumination part 33 ... imaging lens 35A, 35B, 35C, 35D ... reactance element 36 ... switch part 37 ... load detection circuit 50 ... subject

Claims (11)

A capsule medical device that performs a predetermined process in the body of a subject,
A receiving coil that wirelessly receives power from outside the body of the subject; a processing circuit that performs the predetermined process;
A capsule medical device comprising: an adjustment reactance element connected to the power receiving coil. A resonance capacitor;
The power receiving coil and the adjustment reactance element are connected in series,
The capsule medical device according to claim 1, wherein a circuit including the power receiving coil and the adjusting reactance element and the resonance capacitor are connected in parallel. Having a capacitor for resonance,
The power receiving coil and the adjustment reactance element are connected in parallel,
The capsule medical device according to claim 1, wherein a circuit including the power receiving coil and the adjustment reactance element and the resonance capacitor are connected in series.   The reactance of the adjustment reactance element can be adjusted so that the impedance of the power reception circuit including the power reception coil, the adjustment reactance element, and the resonance capacitor matches the impedance of the processing circuit to be connected. The capsule medical device according to claim 2 or 3.   The capsule medical device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an imaging device for observing the inside of the body. A receiving coil that wirelessly receives power from outside the subject's body;
A processing circuit for performing a plurality of predetermined processes in the body of the subject;
A power reception circuit having an adjustment reactance unit connected to the power reception coil, the resonance coil, and the power reception coil;
A capsule medical device comprising: a reactance adjustment circuit that matches the impedance of the processing circuit and the impedance of the power receiving circuit by adjusting a reactance of the adjustment reactance unit.   The capsule medical device according to claim 6, wherein the reactance adjustment circuit adjusts a reactance of the adjustment reactance unit according to processing of the processing circuit. A load detector for detecting the impedance of the processing circuit;
The capsule medical device according to claim 6, wherein the reactance adjustment circuit adjusts a reactance of the adjustment reactance unit according to information of the load detection unit. The adjustment reactance unit includes a reactance element having a plurality of different reactances and a switch unit that switches the reactance element connected to the power receiving coil.
9. The capsule medical device according to claim 6, wherein the reactance adjustment circuit adjusts a reactance of the adjustment reactance unit by switching the switch unit. 10.   The capsule medical device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the adjustment reactance unit includes a capacitive reactance element and an inductive reactance element.   The capsule medical device according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the processing circuit includes an imaging device.

Images