JP5123741B2 - Capsule medical device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a capsule medical device that is introduced into a subject and captures an image inside the organ of the subject.

  In recent years, in the field of endoscopes, capsule medical devices having an imaging function and a wireless communication function have appeared in a capsule casing. Capsule-type medical devices are organs such as the stomach and small intestine that are swallowed from the subject's mouth for observation (examination) inside the subject's organ, and then discharged from the subject during peristalsis. An image inside the organ of the subject (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an in-vivo image) is sequentially taken while moving inside the body (inside the digestive tract). Such a capsule medical device inside the subject sequentially transmits in-vivo images to a receiving device outside the subject by wireless communication.

  The receiving device outside the subject sequentially receives the in-vivo images from the capsule medical device in the subject, and accumulates the received in-vivo image group in the recording medium. The recording medium of such a receiving device is inserted into a predetermined image display device. This image display apparatus captures a group of in-vivo images of a subject accumulated in such a recording medium. A doctor, a nurse, or the like can diagnose the subject by displaying the in-vivo image group of the subject on the image display device and observing the in-vivo image group.

  As such a capsule medical device, for example, there is a capsule endoscope that captures an in-vivo image of a subject through a transparent cover at the end of the capsule housing that has a dome shape (see Patent Document 1). The capsule endoscope described in Patent Document 1 includes a white LED mounted on an illumination board in a capsule housing, a solid-state imaging device that captures an in-vivo image of a subject, The objective optical system of the aspect inserted and fixed to the illumination board | substrate, and the solid-state image sensor of the aspect fixedly arrange | positioned in the lens back position of this objective optical system are provided. In such a capsule endoscope, the white LED irradiates the subject with illumination light through the transparent cover of the capsule-type housing, and the solid-state image pickup device reflects the reflected light from the subject illuminated by the illumination light as objective optical. Light is received through a system and the like, and a photoelectric conversion process is performed to capture an in-vivo image of the subject.

JP 2003-325441 A

  However, when the above-described conventional capsule medical device illuminates the inside of the organ of the subject that is the subject of such a solid-state imaging device, the light irradiated to the illumination substrate of the illumination means such as a white LED, specifically, Light directly irradiated onto the mounting surface of the illumination board from the illumination means (direct light), and light that has reached the mounting surface of the illumination board after reflecting from the inner surface of the dome or the internal organ of the transparent cover from the illumination means (indirect light) It was not used effectively for lighting.

  In the endoscope field, there is a demand for a capsule medical device that can effectively use the light applied to the mounting surface of the illumination board for illumination of the subject. If the light emitted to the mounting surface of the illumination board can be effectively used for illumination of the subject, the subject can be illuminated more brightly without increasing the amount of light emitted from the illumination means, so the in-vivo image of the subject can be captured clearly. It is effective in doing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a capsule medical device capable of increasing the amount of illumination light of a subject by effectively using the light irradiated on the illumination substrate for illumination of the subject. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a capsule medical device according to the present invention is introduced into a subject, and the capsule medical device captures an in-vivo image of the subject by an imaging unit. One or more light emitting units that emit illumination light that illuminates the subject of the imaging unit, an objective optical system that collects reflected light from the subject on a light receiving surface of the imaging unit, and an aperture through which the objective optical system is inserted The mounting surface is formed along a circumference centered on the optical axis of the objective optical system, and the portion is formed so that the center of the opening and the optical axis of the objective optical system can be aligned with each other. An illumination substrate on which the one or more light emitting units are mounted, and the objective optical system is longer than a separation distance between the one or more light emitting units within the mounting surface of the illumination substrate and inserted through the opening. Provided at a position away from the system The light irradiated to the illumination substrate, characterized by comprising a reflecting portion for reflecting the subject.

  Further, in the above invention, the capsule medical device according to the present invention is provided within the mounting surface of the illumination board and at a position less than the separation distance from the objective optical system inserted through the opening. A light absorbing portion that absorbs light applied to the substrate is provided.

  The capsule medical device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the reflecting portion is a sheet-like metal member.

  In the capsule medical device according to the present invention as set forth in the invention described above, the reflecting portion is a light-reflective metal film formed by vapor deposition.

  In the capsule medical device according to the present invention as set forth in the invention described above, the reflective portion is a light-reflective resin film formed by a printing process.

  The capsule medical device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the reflecting portion is a part of circuit wiring formed on a mounting surface of the illumination board.

  The capsule medical device according to the present invention includes a capsule-type housing including an optical dome that is transparent to the illumination light and has a dome shape. It is characterized in that the center of curvature of the dome and the entrance pupil position of the objective optical system are arranged in the capsule housing so as to coincide with each other.

  The capsule medical device according to the present invention is mounted on the mounting surface of the illumination board along an objective optical system inserted through the opening of the illumination board and a circumference centered on the optical axis of the objective optical system. Provided at a position separated from the objective optical system more than the separation distance between the light emitting part and the objective optical system inserted through the opening and the one or more light emitting parts within the mounting surface of the illumination board. A reflection unit and an imaging unit, and the illumination light emitted from the one or more light-emitting units is irradiated to the subject of the imaging unit, and the illumination unit is configured to irradiate the illumination substrate with light reflected by the reflection unit. The image of the subject reflected by the subject and illuminated by the illumination light of the one or more light emitting units and the reflected light of the reflection unit is captured by the imaging unit. For this reason, the capsule medical device according to the present invention can effectively use the light irradiated to the illumination board for illumination of the subject, and can increase the illumination light amount of the subject without increasing the light emission amount of the light emitting unit. There is an effect.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a capsule medical device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, as an example of a capsule medical device according to the present invention, a capsule medical device (capsule type) that is introduced into a human organ as a subject by oral ingestion or the like and sequentially captures in-vivo images of the subject. An endoscope) is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a capsule medical device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the capsule medical device viewed from the direction D1 shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the capsule medical device 1 according to this embodiment includes a capsule housing 2 realized by a cylindrical housing 2a and a dome-shaped housing 2b, and an illumination board 3e. The illumination unit 3 realized by mounting a plurality of light emitting units 3a to 3d on the surface, the reflection units 4a to 4h for reflecting the light irradiated on the illumination substrate 3e to the subject, and the subject to the illumination substrate 3e. A light absorbing portion 5 that absorbs light. In addition, the capsule medical device 1 includes an objective optical system 6 that collects reflected light from the subject illuminated by the illumination unit 3 and the reflecting units 4a to 4h, and reflection from the subject collected by the objective optical system 6. An imaging unit 7 that receives light and captures an image of the subject (in-vivo image of the subject) and a wireless communication unit 8 that wirelessly transmits the in-vivo image of the subject captured by the imaging unit 7 to the outside. Furthermore, the capsule medical device 1 includes a control unit 9 mounted on the mounting surface of the control board 10 and a power supply unit 11 that supplies power to each component of the capsule medical device 1.

  The capsule-type housing 2 is a capsule-type housing formed in a size that can be introduced into a subject such as a patient, and the other end (opening end) of the cylindrical housing 2a having one end having a dome shape. This is realized by closing the dome with the dome-shaped housing 2b. The dome-shaped casing 2b is an optical member (that is, an optical dome) that has a dome shape with an inner wall curvature radius r and is transparent to illumination light (for example, visible light such as white light) by the light emitting units 3a to 3d. . On the other hand, the cylindrical housing 2a is a housing that is substantially opaque to visible light. A capsule-type casing 2 formed by the cylindrical casing 2a and the dome-shaped casing 2b includes components of the capsule-type medical device 1 (illumination section 3, reflection sections 4a to 4h, light absorption section 5, objective section). The optical system 6, the imaging unit 7, the wireless communication unit 8, the control unit 9 on the control board 10 and the power supply unit 11) are liquid-tightly included.

  The illumination unit 3 illuminates the inside of the organ of the subject, which is the subject of the imaging unit 7, with illumination light. Specifically, the illumination unit 3 includes a plurality of light emitting units 3a to 3d that emit predetermined illumination light, and an illumination substrate 3e on which a circuit for realizing the function of the illumination unit 3 is formed.

  The light emitting units 3a to 3d are light emitting elements such as LEDs, for example, and emit illumination light for illuminating the subject of the imaging unit 7 (for example, visible light of a predetermined wavelength band such as white light). The light emitting units 3a to 3d illuminate the subject of the imaging unit 7 through the dome-shaped housing 2b, and illuminate the inside of the organ of the subject that is the subject of the imaging unit 7 with the illumination light. In addition, the arrangement | positioning quantity of the light emission part of this illumination part 3 should just be one or more, and is not specifically limited to four.

  The illumination board 3e is a disk-shaped rigid circuit board on which a circuit for realizing the functions of the light emitting units 3a to 3d is formed. An opening through which the objective optical system 6 is inserted is formed at a substantially central portion of the illumination substrate 3e so that the objective optical system 6 can be disposed with the center of the opening and the optical axis of the objective optical system 6 aligned. Is done. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of light emitting portions 3a to 3d are mounted on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e along a circumference centered on the opening. The light emitting portions 3a to 3d on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e are in a four-fold rotationally symmetrical positional relationship around the opening, and are on the optical axis of the objective optical system 6 inserted through the opening. This is a state separated from the point (for example, the entrance pupil 6c of the objective optical system 6) by a distance L1 or more. In FIG. 2, the four light emitting units 3 a to 3 d are located on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3 e and along a circumference having a distance L <b> 1 as a radius around the position of the entrance pupil 6 c of the objective optical system 6. It arrange | positions in the aspect which touches this circumference from the outside. The mounting surface of the illumination board 3e is a board surface facing the dome-shaped casing 2b when the illumination board 3e is accommodated in the capsule-type casing 2, and imaging is performed via the dome-shaped casing 2b. It faces the subject of the unit 7 (that is, inside the organ of the subject).

  The reflection units 4 a to 4 h reflect the light emitted to the illumination board 3 e to the subject of the imaging unit 7. Specifically, the reflecting portions 4 a to 4 h are realized by using a thin sheet-like metal member such as an aluminum foil, and have a high reflectivity enough to reflect light toward the subject of the imaging unit 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the reflecting portions 4 a to 4 h are formed in, for example, a rectangular shape, the objective optical system 6 and the light emitting portion 3 a in a state of being inserted in the opening portion of the illumination board 3 e within the mounting surface of the illumination board 3 e. It is fixedly arranged by a bonding process using, for example, an adhesive or the like, at a position separated from the objective optical system 6 by a distance L2 or more from 3d. In this case, each of the reflecting portions 4a to 4h is located in a region between a circumference having a distance L1 as a radius around the position of the entrance pupil 6c of the objective optical system 6 and the outer periphery (outer edge) of the illumination substrate 3e. To do. More specifically, the reflecting portion 4a is disposed between the outer periphery of the illumination substrate 3e and the light emitting portion 3a, and the reflecting portion 4b is disposed between the outer periphery of the illumination substrate 3e and the light emitting portion 3b. 4c is arrange | positioned between the outer periphery of the illumination board | substrate 3e, and the light emission part 3c, and the reflection part 4d is arrange | positioned between the outer periphery of the illumination board | substrate 3e, and the light emission part 3d. Moreover, the reflection part 4e is arrange | positioned between the light emission part 3a and the light emission part 3d, the reflection part 4f is arrange | positioned between the light emission part 3a and the light emission part 3b, and the reflection part 4g is light emission with the light emission part 3b. The reflecting part 4h is arranged between the light emitting part 3c and the light emitting part 3d. The reflection units 4 a to 4 h on the illumination board 3 e reflect the light irradiated on the illumination board 3 e toward the subject of the imaging unit 7. Thereby, the reflection units 4a to 4h support the illumination of the subject of the imaging unit 7 by the light emitting units 3a to 3d described above, and increase the amount of illumination light of the subject (specifically, inside the organ of the subject).

  The light reflected by the subject of the imaging unit 7 by the reflecting units 4a to 4h, that is, the light irradiated on the illumination substrate 3e, for example, light directly applied to the illumination substrate 3e from the light emitting units 3a to 3d (directly) Light), light that has reflected the inner wall surface of the dome-shaped housing 2b from the light emitting units 3a to 3d and reached the illumination substrate 3e (indirect light), and light that has reflected the inner wall surface of the organ of the subject from the light emitting units 3a to 3d. Examples thereof include light (indirect light) that has reached the substrate 3e.

  The light absorption unit 5 absorbs unnecessary light reflected in the vicinity of the objective optical system 6 inserted through the opening of the illumination substrate 3e. Specifically, the light absorption part 5 is implement | achieved using dark color resin members, such as black or green, and has a very low reflectance compared with the reflection parts 4a-4h mentioned above. As shown in FIG. 2, the light absorbing portion 5 is provided within the mounting surface of the illumination board 3 e and at a position less than the above-mentioned separation distance L <b> 2 from the objective optical system 6 inserted through the opening of the illumination board 3 e. . In this case, the light absorption unit 5 is located in a region between a circumference having the distance L1 as a radius around the position of the entrance pupil 6c of the objective optical system 6 and the opening (inner circumference) of the illumination substrate 3e. . The light absorbing portion 5 on the illumination board 3e is within the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e and in the vicinity of the objective optical system 6 in a state of being inserted through the opening of the illumination board 3e (specifically, the entrance pupil 6c). Absorbs unnecessary light that is reflected on a region centered on the position and having a distance L1 as a radius and the opening of the illumination board 3e. The unnecessary light referred to here is light that is not used for capturing an image of the subject (in-vivo image of the subject) by the imaging unit 7, and is, for example, from the organ inner wall of the subject to the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e. Reflected light or the like. When such unnecessary light is incident on the objective optical system 6, a flare phenomenon may occur. The light absorption unit 5 absorbs the unnecessary light and prevents the unnecessary light from entering the objective optical system 6, thereby preventing the occurrence of flare.

  The objective optical system 6 captures the reflected light from the inside of the organ of the subject illuminated by the illumination light of the light emitting units 3a to 3d and the reflected light of the reflection units 4a to 4h (that is, the subject of the imaging unit 7). Condensed on the light receiving surface. Specifically, the objective optical system 6 includes a lens 6a that collects light on the light receiving surface of the imaging unit 7, and a lens frame 6b that holds the lens 6a. The lens 6a condenses the reflected light from the subject of the imaging unit 7 on a light receiving surface of the imaging unit 7 (specifically, a light receiving surface of a solid-state imaging device 7a described later), and an optical image of the subject is captured by the imaging unit 7. An image is formed on the light receiving surface. The lens frame 6b has a cylindrical structure with both ends open, and holds the lens 6a inside the cylinder. In this case, the lens 6a is fixed in the vicinity of the upper end side opening of the lens frame 6b. The lens frame 6 b is fixed by inserting the upper end side through the opening of the illumination board 3 e and the lower end side of the lens frame 6 b by the solid-state image sensor 7 a of the imaging unit 7. The lens frame 6b in the fixed state exposes the upper end opening on the mounting surface side of the illumination board 3e so that the upper end of the lens 6a and the dome-shaped housing 2b face each other, and the lower end of the lens 6a and the solid-state imaging. The light-receiving surface of the element 7a is opposed. The objective optical system 6 constituted by the lens 6a and the lens frame 6b is placed inside the capsule-type casing 2 in such a manner that the position of the center of curvature of the dome-shaped casing 2b matches the position of the entrance pupil 6c of the lens 6a. Fixed placement. In this case, it is desirable that the optical axis of the objective optical system 6 coincides with the longitudinal center axis CL of the capsule housing 2.

  The imaging unit 7 captures an image (in-vivo image) inside the organ of the subject that is the subject illuminated by the illumination light of the light emitting units 3a to 3d and the reflected light of the reflection units 4a to 4h. Specifically, the imaging unit 7 includes a solid-state imaging device 7a such as a CCD or a CMOS, and an imaging substrate 7b on which a circuit for realizing the function of the imaging unit 7 is formed.

  The imaging board 7b is, for example, a disc-shaped rigid circuit board. The solid-state imaging device 7a is for capturing an in-vivo image of the subject, and is mounted on the mounting surface of the imaging substrate 7b and is fixed to the lower end opening of the lens frame 6b as described above. The solid-state imaging device 7a receives the reflected light from the subject collected by the objective optical system 6 through the light receiving surface, and performs photoelectric conversion processing on the reflected light from the received subject, thereby image of the subject. That is, an in-vivo image of the subject is taken.

  The wireless communication unit 8 wirelessly sequentially transmits in-vivo images of the subject sequentially captured by the imaging unit 7 to a receiving device (not shown) outside the subject. Specifically, the wireless communication unit 8 includes a communication processing unit 8a that performs communication processing such as modulation processing on an image signal, an antenna 8b that wirelessly transmits an in-vivo image of the subject, and such communication processing. And a communication board 8c on which the part 8a and the antenna 8b are mounted.

  The communication board 8c is a disk-shaped rigid circuit board on which a circuit for realizing the function of the wireless communication unit 8 is formed. The communication substrate 8c has the communication processing unit 8a mounted on one mounting surface (a mounting surface facing the power supply unit 11) and the other mounting surface (a mounting surface facing the dome-shaped portion of the cylindrical housing 2a). An antenna 8b is mounted. The communication processing unit 8a acquires an image signal including in-vivo image data of the subject imaged by the imaging unit 7 described above from the control unit 9, and performs communication processing such as modulation processing on the acquired image signal. Then, a radio signal including the image signal is generated. The communication processing unit 8a transmits the generated radio signal to the outside via the antenna 8b. Note that the in-vivo image of the subject wirelessly transmitted from the antenna 8b in this way is received by a receiving device outside the subject.

  The control unit 9 is realized using a CPU that executes a predetermined processing program, a ROM that stores various data such as white balance in advance, and a RAM that stores calculation parameters and the like. The control board 10 is a disk-shaped rigid circuit board on which a circuit for realizing the function of the control unit 9 is formed. The control unit 9 is arranged inside the capsule-type casing 2 in such a manner that it is mounted on the mounting surface of the control board 10. The control unit 9 controls the operation of each component (such as the illumination unit 3, the imaging unit 7, and the wireless communication unit 8) of the capsule medical device 1 and controls input / output of signals between the components. Specifically, the control unit 9 operates the light emitting units 3a to 3d and the solid-state imaging device 7a so that the solid-state imaging device 7a captures an in-vivo image of the subject during a period in which the light-emitting units 3a to 3d emit illumination light. Control timing. In addition, the control unit 9 acquires a signal that has been subjected to photoelectric conversion processing by the solid-state imaging device 7a, performs predetermined signal processing on the acquired signal, and generates an image signal including in-vivo image data of the subject. To do. The control unit 9 sets the communication processing unit 8a of the wireless communication unit 8 so that a radio signal including the image signal is transmitted to the outside every time the image signal is generated (that is, every time the imaging unit 7 captures an in-vivo image). Control.

  The power supply unit 11 includes batteries 11a to 11c that store predetermined power, a switch unit 11d that switches on / off of power supply, and a power supply substrate 11e on which a circuit for realizing the function of the power supply unit 11 is formed. Power is supplied to each component (the illumination unit 3, the imaging unit 7, the wireless communication unit 8, and the control unit 9) of the capsule medical device 1.

  The power supply board 11e is, for example, a disc-shaped rigid circuit board. The batteries 11a to 11c are button-type dry batteries such as silver oxide batteries, for example, and are arranged between the power supply board 11e and the control board 10 as shown in FIG. The switch unit 11d is mounted on the mounting surface of the power supply substrate 11e, and switches between an on state and an off state by a magnetic field applied from the outside, for example. The power supply unit 11 having such a configuration supplies the power of the batteries 11a to 11c to each component unit of the capsule medical device 1 when the switch unit 11d is switched to the on state. Here, the illumination board 3e, the imaging board 7b, the communication board 8c, the control board 10 and the power supply board 11e described above are electrically connected to each other through a flexible circuit board or the like. The power of the batteries 11a to 11c is appropriately supplied to each component of the capsule medical device 1 via the power supply board 11e and the like. On the other hand, the power supply unit 11 stops the power supply to each component of the capsule medical device 1 when the switch unit 11d is switched to the off state.

  Note that the number of batteries disposed in the power supply unit 11 may be one or more as long as necessary power can be supplied to each component of the capsule medical device 1, and is not particularly limited to three. . The switch unit 11d of the power supply unit 11 is not limited to one that switches on and off according to a magnetic field from the outside (that is, a magnetic switch), and switches on and off based on an optical signal such as infrared light incident from the outside. An optical switch may be used.

  Next, the arrangement of the light emitting units 3a to 3d and the reflecting units 4a to 4h in the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e described above will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a state in which light emitted from a predetermined position on the mounting surface of the illumination board reflects the dome-shaped housing and reaches the illumination board. In FIG. 3, positions A1 to A3 and positions B1 to B3 are positions on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e described above. Hereinafter, the position (region) in the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e where the light emitting units 3a to 3d and the reflection units 4a to 4h described above should be arranged will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, a region that is less than the above-described distance L1 (see FIG. 2) from the center of curvature C1 of the dome-shaped casing 2b that is a hemispherical transparent member will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, when an arbitrary position A1 in the region less than the distance L1 from the center of curvature C1 is the light emission point, the light emitted from this position A1 is, for example, the inner wall surface of the dome-shaped housing 2b. Is reflected at the position P1, and then reaches the position B1 in the illumination board 3e. In this case, the incident angle of light incident on the tangential plane F1 perpendicular to the center of curvature C1 from the position A1 in the illumination board 3e to the position P1 in the dome-shaped housing 2b is a position in the illumination board 3e from the position P1. It is equal to the reflection angle of the light reflected toward B1.

  Here, the position B1 in the illumination board 3e is a position in a region less than the distance L1 from the center of curvature C1. That is, the light emitted from the region less than the distance L1 from the center of curvature C1 reaches the vicinity of the center of curvature C1 (in the region less than the distance L1 from the center of curvature C1) when reflected from the dome-shaped casing 2b. . For this reason, when the objective optical system 6 described above is fixedly arranged in such a manner that the curvature center C1 and the entrance pupil 6c coincide with each other, the light emitted from within the region less than the distance L1 from the curvature center C1 is reflected in the dome-shaped housing. The possibility of reaching the vicinity of the objective optical system 6 by reflecting the body 2b is high. As a result, the possibility of unnecessary light entering the objective optical system 6 increases, and as a result, the possibility of occurrence of flare increases. Therefore, as described above, the light emitting portions 3a to 3d and the reflecting portions 4a to 4h that emit light by light emission or reflection should not be disposed in a region less than the distance L1 from the center of curvature C1 in the illumination substrate 3e.

  Next, a region separated from the center of curvature C1 of the dome-shaped housing 2b by a distance L1 or more will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, when an arbitrary position A2 in a region separated from the center of curvature C1 by a distance L1 is a light emission point, the light emitted from this position A2 is, for example, within the dome-shaped housing 2b. The light is reflected at the position P2 on the wall surface, and then reaches the position B2 in the illumination board 3e. In this case, the incident angle of light incident from the position A2 in the illumination board 3e to the tangential plane F2 perpendicular to the center of curvature C1 at the position P2 in the dome-shaped casing 2b is a position in the illumination board 3e from the position P2. It is equal to the reflection angle of the light reflected toward B2.

  Here, the position B2 in the illumination board 3e is a position separated from the center of curvature C1 by a distance L1. That is, when the light emitted from the position separated from the curvature center C1 by the distance L1 is reflected from the dome-shaped housing 2b, the light reaches a position separated from the curvature center C1 in the illumination board 3e by the distance L1.

  On the other hand, when an arbitrary position A3 in a region separated from the center of curvature C1 by a distance L3 that is longer than the distance L1 described above is a light emission point, the light emitted from this position A3 is, for example, a dome-shaped housing. The light is reflected at the position P3 on the inner wall surface of the body 2b, and then reaches the position B3 in the illumination board 3e. In this case, the incident angle of light incident on the tangential plane F3 perpendicular to the center of curvature C1 from the position A3 in the illumination board 3e to the position P3 in the dome-shaped housing 2b is a position in the illumination board 3e from the position P3. It is equal to the reflection angle of light reflected toward B3.

  Here, the position B3 in the illumination board 3e is a position separated from the curvature center C1 by a distance longer than the distance L1 described above. That is, when the light emitted from a position far from the center of curvature C1 compared to the position A2 described above reflects the dome-shaped housing 2b, the curvature compared to the position B2 in the illumination board 3e described above. It reaches a position in the illumination board 3e far away from the center C1.

  As exemplified by the positions A2 and A3 in the illumination board 3e described above, the light emitted from the region separated by the distance L1 or more from the curvature center C1 is reflected from the curvature center C1 when reflected from the dome-shaped housing 2b. It reaches a region (specifically, a region between a circumference centered on the center of curvature C1 and a radius of the distance L1 and the outer edge of the illumination substrate 3e or a region outside the illumination substrate 3e) separated by the distance L1 or more. For this reason, when the objective optical system 6 described above is fixedly arranged in a manner in which the center of curvature C1 and the entrance pupil 6c coincide with each other, the light emitted from the region separated by a distance L1 or more from the center of curvature C1 is dome-shaped. When the case 2b is reflected, it does not reach the vicinity of the objective optical system 6 (and does not enter the objective optical system 6) and reaches a region separated from the center of curvature C1 by a distance L1 or more. Therefore, the light emitting units 3a to 3d and the reflecting units 4a to 4h described above should be arranged in a region separated by a distance L1 or more from the center of curvature C1 in the illumination board 3e.

  Next, the operation of the light emitting units 3a to 3d and the reflecting units 4a to 4h arranged in the region separated by the distance L1 or more from the center of curvature C1 in the illumination substrate 3e as described above will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the light emitting unit and the reflecting unit of the capsule medical device according to the embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the operation of the light emitting portions 3a to 3d and the reflecting portions 4a to 4h will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 described above.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the objective optical system 6 in a state of being inserted and fixed through the opening of the illumination board 3e matches the position of the center of curvature C1 of the dome-shaped housing 2b with the position of the entrance pupil 6c. In this manner, the capsule medical device 1 is fixedly arranged. Further, as described above, the light emitting portions 3a to 3d and the reflecting portions 4a to 4h on the illumination substrate 3e are from the center of curvature C1 of the dome-shaped housing 2b (that is, the entrance pupil 6c of the objective optical system 6 in the insertion fixed state). It is fixedly arranged in a region separated by a distance L1 or more. In this case, the reflecting portions 4a to 4h are respectively located in regions separated from the curvature center C1 by more than the light emitting portions 3a to 3d.

  The light emitting units 3 a to 3 d arranged in this way emit illumination light toward the inside of the organ of the subject that is the subject of the imaging unit 7. In this case, most of the illumination light emitted from the light emitting units 3a to 3d passes through the dome-shaped housing 2b and reaches the inside of the organ of the subject, and a part of the illumination light is directly or dome-shaped. The shape housing 2b is reflected and indirectly reaches a region separated from the center of curvature C1 in the illumination substrate 3e by a distance L1 or more.

  Here, the reflection parts 4a to 4h arranged in the region separated from the center of curvature C1 by the distance L1 or more in the illumination substrate 3e are part of the illumination light emitted from the light emission parts 3a to 3d, that is, light emission. The light directly or indirectly irradiated on the illumination substrate 3e by the units 3a to 3d is reflected toward the inside of the organ of the subject (the subject of the imaging unit 7). Further, the reflecting portions 4a to 4h reflect light that has reached the region separated by the distance L1 or more from the center of curvature C1 in the illumination substrate 3e by reflecting the inner wall of the organ irradiated with the illumination light of the light emitting portions 3a to 3d. Is reflected toward the subject of the imaging unit 7. The reflection units 4a to 4h thus reflect the light toward the inside of the organ of the subject, thereby supporting the illumination of the subject of the imaging unit 7 by the light emitting units 3a to 3d, and the subject that is the subject. Increase the amount of illumination inside the organ.

  As a result, the imaging unit 7 (see FIG. 1) of the capsule medical device 1 captures the image of the subject (the object to be illuminated) brighter by the illumination light from the light emitting units 3a to 3d and the reflected light from the reflection units 4a to 4h. (In-vivo image of the specimen) can be taken, and a clearer in-vivo image can be acquired.

  On the other hand, the light absorption part 5 is arrange | positioned in the area | region less than the distance L1 from the curvature center C1 in the illumination board | substrate 3e, as shown to FIG. The light absorbing unit 5 absorbs light (unnecessary light) irradiated to a region within the illumination substrate 3e that is less than the distance L1 from the radius of curvature C1 (that is, near the objective optical system 6). As a result, the light absorption unit 5 prevents unnecessary light from entering the objective optical system 6 and, as a result, prevents flare in the in-vivo image.

  As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the light emitting unit is mounted on the mounting surface of the illumination board along the circumference centered on the opening of the illumination board that passes through the objective optical system. A reflective part is arranged at a position separated from the objective optical system by a distance greater than the distance between the objective optical system inserted through the opening and the light emitting part, and the light emitting part illuminates the subject of the imaging unit Light is emitted, and the reflection unit is configured to reflect the light applied to the illumination substrate toward the subject. For this reason, it is possible to illuminate the subject of the imaging unit with the reflected light from the reflecting unit together with the illumination light from the light emitting unit, and support the illumination of the subject by the light emitting unit with the reflected light from the reflecting unit. As a result, a capsule medical device that can effectively use the light emitted to the illumination board for illumination of the subject and increase the amount of illumination of the subject of the imaging unit without increasing the amount of light emitted from the light emitting unit is realized. it can.

  The capsule medical device according to the present invention can illuminate the subject of the imaging unit brighter than when the subject is illuminated only by the light emitting unit. As a result, the image of the subject illuminated more brightly (the subject's image) An in-vivo image) can be taken, and a clearer in-vivo image can be acquired.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the position of the entrance pupil of the objective optical system inserted through the opening of the illumination board and the optical dome (dome-shaped casing) of the capsule casing inside the capsule casing. The light emitting part and the reflecting part are arranged in a region separated from the center of curvature by a predetermined distance or more. For this reason, it is possible to prevent light emitted from the light emitting unit or the reflecting unit from reflecting the optical dome and reaching the vicinity of the objective optical system (and entering the objective optical system), thereby making the imaging brighter. It is possible to illuminate the subject, and to suppress the occurrence of flare in the subject image (in-vivo image of the subject).

  Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the light absorption unit is disposed in a region within the illumination substrate and less than a predetermined distance from the center of curvature of the optical dome, and the light reaching the vicinity of the objective optical system is transmitted by the light absorption unit. Absorbs. For this reason, reflection of light in the vicinity of the objective optical system can be prevented, thereby preventing unnecessary light from entering the objective optical system and preventing occurrence of flare in the in-vivo image of the subject. Can do.

  In the above-described embodiment, the rectangular reflecting portions 4a to 4h are arranged in a region on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e that is separated from the position of the center of curvature C1 of the dome-shaped housing 2b by a distance L1 or more. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the reflection part that reflects the light applied to the illumination board 3e may be a circular shape, a fan, or the like as long as the reflection part is disposed in a region separated from the position of the curvature center C1 by a distance L1 or more. It may be of a desired shape such as a shape or a polygonal shape, or may be of a desired material such as a metal film or a resin film having high light reflectivity, or the illumination substrate 3e by a desired treatment. It may be provided on the mounting surface.

  Specifically, the reflection part of the capsule medical device according to the present invention may be a light reflective metal film formed on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e by vapor deposition. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a capsule medical device according to the first modification of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows the capsule medical device 21 according to the first modification viewed from the front (the dome-shaped housing 2b side).

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, the capsule medical device 21 according to the first modification includes a reflecting unit 24 instead of the reflecting units 4 a to 4 h of the capsule medical device 1 according to the above-described embodiment. Other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components. The reflecting portion 24 is a light-reflective metal film such as an aluminum film, and the center of curvature of the dome-shaped casing 2b in the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e is obtained by a deposition process such as aluminum deposition on the mounting surface of the lighting board 3e. That is, it is formed in a region separated from the position of the entrance pupil 6c of the objective optical system 6 by a distance L1 or more.

  Here, since the reflection part 24 by a vapor deposition process has a high freedom degree of shape compared with light reflection members, such as a metal plate, the formation area in the illumination board | substrate 3e can be easily widened. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the reflection part 24 can be formed in substantially the entire region in the region separated from the position of the entrance pupil 6c of the objective optical system 6 on the mounting surface of the illumination substrate 3e by a distance L1 or more. The reflection unit 24 can emit (reflect) light having a reflected light amount equal to or greater than that of the reflection units 4a to 4h in the above-described embodiment toward the inside of the organ of the subject (the subject of the imaging unit 7).

  Thus, in this modification 1, since the reflection part 24 which is a light-reflective metal film is formed in the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e by a vapor deposition process, it is the same as that of the capsule type medical device 1 concerning embodiment mentioned above. It is possible to easily realize a capsule medical device that can enjoy the effects of the above and can further increase the amount of illumination light of the subject.

  On the other hand, the reflection part of the capsule medical device according to the present invention may be a light-reflective resin film formed on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e by a printing process. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a capsule medical device according to the second modification of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows the capsule medical device 31 according to the second modification as viewed from the front (the dome-shaped housing 2b side).

  As illustrated in FIG. 6, the capsule medical device 31 according to the second modification includes a reflecting unit 34 instead of the reflecting units 4 a to 4 h of the capsule medical device 1 according to the above-described embodiment. Other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components. The reflection part 34 is a light-reflective resin film, and the center of curvature of the dome-shaped housing 2b on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e (that is, the objective optical) by a printing process such as silk printing on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e. It is formed in a region separated from the position of the entrance pupil 6c) of the system 6 by a distance L1 or more. In addition, the color of the reflection part 34 which is this light-reflective resin film is a bright color effective for light reflection, such as white.

  Here, since the reflection part 34 by a printing process has a high freedom degree of shape compared with light reflection members, such as a metal plate, the formation area in the illumination board | substrate 3e can be enlarged easily. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the reflecting portion 34 can be formed in substantially the entire region in a region separated by a distance L1 or more from the position of the entrance pupil 6 c of the objective optical system 6 on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3 e. The reflection unit 34 can emit (reflect) light having a reflected light amount equal to or greater than that of the reflection units 4a to 4h in the above-described embodiment toward the inside of the organ of the subject (the subject of the imaging unit 7).

  As described above, in the second modification, the reflective portion 34 that is a light-reflective resin film is formed on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e by the printing process, so that it is similar to the capsule medical device 1 according to the above-described embodiment. It is possible to easily realize a capsule medical device that can enjoy the effects of the above and can further increase the amount of illumination light of the subject. In addition, since the reflecting portion 34 is formed by a printing technique used in a normal circuit board manufacturing process such as silk printing used when a part number or a board name is written on the board, the manufacturing cost is not increased. In addition, the reflective portion 34 can be formed on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e.

  On the other hand, the reflection part of the capsule medical device according to the present invention may be a part of circuit wiring formed on the illumination board 3e. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a capsule medical device according to the third modification of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows a capsule medical device 41 according to Modification 3 as viewed from the front (the dome-shaped housing 2b side).

  As illustrated in FIG. 7, the capsule medical device 41 according to the third modification includes reflective portions 44 a to 44 d instead of the reflective portions 4 a to 4 h of the capsule medical device 1 according to the above-described embodiment. Other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components. The reflectors 44a to 44d are part of circuit wiring formed on the illumination board 3e, and have a high reflectivity enough to reflect light toward the subject of the imaging unit 7 described above. Specifically, the reflecting portions 44a to 44d are in a region separated by a distance L1 or more from the position of the center of curvature of the dome-shaped housing 2b (that is, the entrance pupil 6c of the objective optical system 6) on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e. This is realized by performing a metal plating process on the exposed surface of the circuit wiring of a predetermined pattern (for example, a solid pattern) formed in the above. The reflecting portions 44a to 44d may be formed in an insulated state as necessary. In addition, as a metal plating process for implement | achieving these reflection parts 44a-44d, a tin plating process, a solder plating process, a gold plating process etc. are mentioned, for example.

  Here, the reflection portions 44a to 44d, which are part of the circuit wiring of the illumination board 3e, have a higher degree of freedom in shape than the light reflection member such as a metal plate attached to the illumination board 3e. The formation region in can be easily widened. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the reflecting portions 44 a to 44 d are formed so as to occupy substantially the entire area in a region separated by a distance L1 or more from the position of the entrance pupil 6 c of the objective optical system 6 on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3 e. can do. The reflection units 44a to 44d can emit (reflect) light having a reflected light amount that is greater than or equal to the reflection units 4a to 4h in the above-described embodiment toward the inside of the organ of the subject (the subject of the imaging unit 7).

  Thus, in the third modification, the reflective portions 44a to 44d are formed on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e by performing metal plating on a part of the circuit wiring of the illumination board 3e. It is possible to easily realize a capsule medical device that can enjoy the same operational effects as the capsule medical device 1 and can further increase the amount of illumination light of the subject. In addition, since the reflection portions 44a to 44d are formed by circuit wiring technology and metal plating technology that are normally used in the circuit board manufacturing process, the reflection portions 44a to 44d are formed on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e without increasing the manufacturing cost. Can be formed.

  On the other hand, the reflection part of the capsule medical device according to the present invention may have a convex light reflection surface. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a capsule medical device according to the fourth modification of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line EE of the capsule medical device illustrated in FIG. FIG. 8 shows a capsule medical device 51 according to Modification 4 as viewed from the front (the dome-shaped housing 2b side).

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the capsule medical device 51 according to the modified example 4 includes convex reflecting portions 54a to 54h instead of the reflecting portions 4a to 4h of the capsule medical device 1 according to the above-described embodiment. 54d. Other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components. The reflecting portions 54a to 54d are structures having convex light reflecting surfaces, and are realized using a light reflecting metal member, a resin member, a glass member, or the like. The reflective portions 54a to 54d are adhesives or the like in a region separated by a distance L1 or more from the position of the center of curvature of the dome-shaped housing 2b (that is, the entrance pupil 6c of the objective optical system 6) on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e. It is fixedly arranged by bonding using

  9 shows the sectional structure (convex structure) of the reflecting portions 54b and 54d, the sectional structure of the remaining reflecting portions 54a and 54c is the same as that of the reflecting portions 54b and 54d. Further, the convex reflecting surfaces of the reflecting portions 54a to 54d may be subjected to metal plating as shown in the above-described modification example 3, or may be mirror-finished.

  Here, the reflection parts 54a to 54d having a convex reflection surface can reflect light over a wider range than the reflection parts 4a to 4h in the above-described embodiment. Thereby, the reflection units 54a to 54d can uniformly illuminate the inside of the organ of the subject that is the subject of the imaging unit 7.

  As described above, in the fourth modification, the reflecting portions 54a to 54d having the light reflecting surface formed in a convex shape are fixedly arranged on the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e, so the capsule medical device according to the above-described embodiment. 1 can be enjoyed in a wide range and the inside of the organ of the subject can be illuminated in a wide range, thereby suppressing illumination spots inside the organ that is the subject of the imaging unit 7 and capturing a clear in-vivo image. A possible capsule medical device can be realized.

  In the above-described modification 4, the light reflecting surfaces of the reflecting portions 54a to 54d are convex. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the light reflecting surface of the reflecting portion of the capsule medical device according to the present invention is concave. It may be an arc shape, an arc shape, or a surface processed into a frosted glass shape. The reflection part having the light reflection surface formed in a concave shape or an arc shape can reflect light intensively inside the organ which is the subject of the imaging unit 7, thereby further increasing the amount of illumination light of the subject. can do. On the other hand, the reflection part having the light reflection surface processed into a frosted glass shape can illuminate the inside of the organ of the subject over a wide range, as in the case of the reflection parts 54a to 54d in the modified example 4 described above. Illumination spots on the subject of the imaging unit 7 can be suppressed.

  Moreover, in embodiment mentioned above and the modifications 1-4, although the light absorption part 5 was provided in the area | region less than the distance L1 from the curvature center C1 of the dome shape housing | casing 2b, it is not restricted to this, The illumination board 3e A region less than the distance L1 from the center of curvature C1 of the mounting surface may be colored black or green or the like, and a region (part of the mounting surface of the illumination board 3e) less than the distance L1 may be a non-reflective region. . In this case, the light absorption part 5 mentioned above does not need to be provided in the illumination board | substrate 3e.

  Furthermore, in embodiment mentioned above and the modifications 1-4, although the light emission parts 3a-3d emitted white light (visible light) as a to-be-photographed object's illumination light, not only this but light emission parts 3a-3d The illumination light emitted toward the subject (inside the organ of the subject) of the imaging unit 7 may be visible light in a desired wavelength band such as red light, blue light, green light, infrared light, or ultraviolet light. It may be non-visible light such as light.

  Moreover, in embodiment and the modifications 1-4 mentioned above, the monocular type capsule medical device which incorporated the single imaging part 7 was illustrated, However, It is not restricted to this, The capsule medical device concerning this invention is Further, it may be a compound eye type capsule medical device incorporating a plurality of imaging units. In such a compound eye type capsule medical device, a plurality of illumination units and objective optical systems are arranged inside the capsule housing 2 corresponding to a plurality of imaging units. In this case, the light emitting unit and the reflecting unit that emit light to the subject of the imaging unit may be arranged in a region within the illumination substrate and less than the distance L1 from the entrance pupil of the objective optical system.

It is a mimetic diagram showing an example of 1 composition of a capsule type medical device concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a schematic diagram which illustrates the capsule type medical device seen from the direction D1 shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which illustrates the state which the light radiate | emitted from the predetermined position on the mounting surface of an illumination board reflects a dome shape housing | casing, and arrives at an illumination board. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the effect | action of the light emission part and reflection part of the capsule type medical device concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows one structural example of the capsule type medical device concerning the modification 1 of embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows one structural example of the capsule type medical device concerning the modification 2 of embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows one structural example of the capsule type medical device concerning the modification 3 of embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows one structural example of the capsule type medical device concerning the modification 4 of embodiment of this invention. It is the EE sectional view taken on the line of the capsule type medical device shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1, 21, 31, 41, 51 Capsule-type medical device 2 Capsule-type housing 2a Tubular housing 2b Dome-shaped housing 3 Illumination unit 3a to 3d Light-emitting unit 3e Illumination substrate 4a to 4h, 24, 34, 44a to 44d , 54a to 54d Reflector 5 Light absorber 6 Objective optical system 6a Lens 6b Lens frame 6c Entrance pupil 7 Imaging unit 7a Solid-state imaging device 7b Imaging substrate 8 Wireless communication unit 8a Communication processing unit 8b Antenna 8c Communication substrate 9 Control unit 10 Control Substrate 11 Power supply unit 11a to 11c Battery 11d Switch unit 11e Power supply substrate 45 Upper end surface C1 Center of curvature CL Center axis

Claims (7)

In a capsule medical device that is introduced into a subject and images an in-vivo image of the subject by an imaging unit,
One or more light emitting units for emitting illumination light for illuminating the subject of the imaging unit;
An objective optical system for condensing the reflected light from the subject on the light receiving surface of the imaging unit;
The opening through which the objective optical system is inserted is formed so that the center of the opening and the optical axis of the objective optical system coincide with each other so that the objective optical system can be arranged, and the optical axis of the objective optical system is the center. A lighting board for mounting the one or more light emitting units on a mounting surface along a circumference to be
The illumination substrate is provided at a position within the mounting surface of the illumination substrate and spaced from the objective optical system by a distance greater than a separation distance between the objective optical system inserted through the opening and the one or more light emitting units. A reflection part for reflecting the reflected light to the subject;
A capsule-type medical device comprising:   Provided with a light absorbing portion that is provided within a mounting surface of the illumination board and at a position less than the separation distance from the objective optical system that is inserted through the opening, and that absorbs light irradiated on the illumination board. The capsule medical device according to claim 1, wherein the capsule medical device is a medical device.   The capsule medical device according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting portion is a sheet-like metal member.   The capsule medical device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection part is a light-reflective metal film formed by a vapor deposition process.   The capsule medical device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection part is a light-reflective resin film formed by a printing process.   The capsule medical device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection part is a part of circuit wiring formed on a mounting surface of the illumination board. A capsule-type housing including an optical dome that is transparent to the illumination light and has a dome shape,
7. The objective optical system according to claim 1, wherein the objective optical system is disposed inside the capsule casing in a manner in which a central position of curvature of the optical dome coincides with an entrance pupil position of the objective optical system. The capsule medical device according to any one of the above.

Images