WO2009129793A1

WO2009129793A1 - Apparatus and method for taking measurements in hollow spaces

Info

Publication number: WO2009129793A1
Application number: PCT/DE2009/000537
Authority: WO
Inventors: Erich Kasper; Bernhard Budaker
Original assignee: Universität Stuttgart
Priority date: 2008-04-22
Filing date: 2009-04-22
Publication date: 2009-10-29
Also published as: EP2278917A1; DE112009000869A5; DE102008020217A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus which can be at least partially inserted into a hollow space of a body and comprises a transmitter for emitting signals and a receiver means for sensing transmitter signal responses. The transmitter is arranged at an insertable end of the apparatus in order to be inserted and is designed to generate radar waves ranging from 10, preferably more than 15, even more preferably more than 100 GHz, to 300 GHz. Furthermore, the receiver means is also arranged at the proximal end of the apparatus in order to be inserted into the body and is designed to generate propagation time-related electric signals in response to radar waves being sensed.

Description

Title: Apparatus and method for performing measurements in cavities

S description

The present invention relates to the preamble claimed and is accordingly concerned with the performance of measurements in cavities.

D

Measurements in cavities are always important if the cavity can not be opened or allowed, as z. B. in certain machines is the case or especially in the living, for example, human body, since today

If possible, the procedure should be carried out in a minimally invasive manner so as not to overburden a patient.

Various devices are known in which a D device is inserted into a body to obtain information about the interior of the body. Thus, imaging endoscopes can be used in which light is irradiated into the body and with a camera an image is taken from the inside of the body. It is irrelevant per se whether 5 the light source or the camera with the device in the

Body is introduced and only electrical power to the light source and the camera must be performed and optionally an image data line is provided, or if the light source and / or camera outside the body are arranged 3 and the corresponding light signals are transmitted or received via optical fibers or the like.

- l - It is also already known to work with ultrasound signals instead of light signals in order to obtain an ultrasound image from inside the body.

5 Reference is made to a device for the observation of vessels, which works with an ultrasonic transducer, in particular to DE 198 02 474 Al. An endoscopic device with a scanning head is known from WO 2005/006966 A1.

D

To guide and control a catheter, it is known from EP 1 691 860 A2 to use a system with radar support. Incidentally, a lidar radar hybrid system for medical diagnostic purposes is also known from US 2004/0019282 A1

5 known.

Although the known measuring methods, in particular in the medical field, are in some cases already useful aids, such devices as a rule however permit such devices

D only insights on the immediate surface of the cavity wall. Deep in the wall or behind it, diseased areas can not be detected or at best poorly, in particular, no statement about the depth at which a pathological change sits, or

5 to which a pathological change extends can be made; Thus, no meaningful determination of the size of a lesion or of a specific tissue material, such as the tissue of a particular organ, is possible. This is especially disadvantageous in the medical or diagnostic field. The object of the present invention is to provide new products for commercial use.

The solution to this problem is claimed in an independent form. Preferred embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, therefore, one into a cavity is at least partially, preferably only

-0 partial, that is not completely insertable device with a transmitter for signal emission into the cavity and a receiver means for detecting transmitter signal responses proposed, wherein it is provided that the transmitter for radar wave generation and the receiver means for generating electrical

.5 rischer signals is formed in response to a Radarwellenerfassung.

As radar waves in the present case electromagnetic waves are understood, the distance determination on the basis of received

! 0 allow return signals; The reference to "ranging" contained in the abbreviation "RADAR" is therefore of considerable importance for the present application. The term "radar wave" is used more precisely and in a technically more accurate sense than in other

! 5 documents, as they belong, for example, to the prior art, and in which reference is made only to so-called radar waves already, if these only supposed radar waves to any electromagnetic, sometimes at least high-frequency, at least not

10 of the distance measurement serving waves acts. If the introduction of the device in the body of an organism, there in particular in the cavity of an organism is mentioned, it is understood that both the transmitter and the antenna or the receiver, if necessary with its also separately from the transmitter antenna feasible Antenna, is introduced. The partial introduction is realized according to the understanding of the present application, if there is still a mechanical connection of the functional parts is given to the outside, such as a catheter tube on which the relevant parts are arranged by placement on an endoscope, etc., Relevant, that even then the transmitter together with its oscillator, the antenna, the receiver, etc. are introduced to close to the place of measurement in a body. Preferably, the cavity is a natural cavity. That with the insertion of the transmitter a cavity can only be created, as in the insertion of a cannula, but is mentioned as a possibility. The only partial introduction with connection to the outside, which can be realized via wires, rods or the like, makes it possible to carry out an alignment and positioning of the device or the antenna means belonging to the device.

It should be noted that, if spoken of distance measurements in the present case, it is also reasonable to make transit time measurements and / or to be able to evaluate transit times. The conversion of running times into distances is possible regardless of existing refractive index differences for different tissues; if desired, even a correction can be made thereon. The running time or distance determination can be done in different ways. In the later embodiment, transit time measurements are on pulsed signals described. Such measurements are particularly easy to understand and therefore particularly advantageous for the following description for didactic reasons. However, it should be mentioned that continuous wave radars exist and corresponding continuous wave distance measurement techniques can be used with the invention. In such continuous wave distance measurements, the frequency of an emitted radar wave is changed in a known manner, for example in the form of a sawtooth. A returning signal will therefore have a different frequency than a signal currently being radiated (for example according to another location on the sawtooth curve). If one now superimposes the signal returning from an object with a signal which has just been radiated, a beat is obtained whose frequency depends on how much the frequency of the radar wave emitted has changed between emission and return reception. From the known frequency curve course can therefore be concluded by determining the beating frequencies on the term and thus again on the distance. Such per se known techniques are well used with the invention; Incidentally, the reference to two different methods for determining the transit time is not intended to limit the invention to just these two methods. It should be noted here that electromagnetic waves from both a pulsed radar transmitter and a continuous wave radar wave transmitter are well distinguishable from a simple, such as strictly monochromatic, wave due to their characteristics required to allow distance measurement or travel time determination, etc. are, such as for cases in which an object is only on or illuminated. A basic idea of the present invention is thus to be seen in the knowledge that radar waves in cavities are particularly well suited for obtaining information if the apparatus implementation takes place in such a way that a high measurement precision can be achieved, as is the case. if transmitters, receivers and antennas according to the invention can be arranged directly at the objects to be observed, that is to be inserted into the cavity. It should be noted that the arrangement of transmitter, receiver and antenna in the cavity significant advantages over a situation are achieved in which only one antenna-like waveguide is pushed into the vicinity of an object, as by the waveguide properties, especially in moving objects such A living organism in which, for example, there is no complete rest position due to heartbeat and / or peristaltic movements, always increased measurement inaccuracies are to be expected. The radar waves offer considerable advantages over both optical waves and the ultrasound waves that have been used occasionally. Mention should be made, inter alia, the significantly better temporal and spatial resolution, which is possible in particular in near field measurements, and the ability to determine by intrusion of radar signals into a cavity wall of changes in the signal response, in particular impulse response, properties of the wall. This is especially true for the preferred wavelength ranges.

The device is in principle suitable for any type of cavity, in particular also for the investigation of pipe systems, such as in sewers, the conveyance of substances (pipelines, etc.). However, particularly preferred is the application in living organisms, in particular the human body, where the device brings particular advantages as a diagnostic or treatment instrument.

A problem of a natural cavity is usually

5 that the wall material that shapes the transmitter signal responses can change dramatically. For example, along the gastrointestinal tract not only the actual wall itself will consist of different tissues such as the esophagus, the stomach, or various sections of the intestine, but rather

.0 The inner wall will in turn be surrounded by different tissue, which contributes to a transmitter signal with. It is initially surprising that signals that are particularly strongly influenced by such effects are even meaningful. In fact, they even offer advantages.

.5 compared to other signals such as ultrasound signals, which are not or not significantly influenced by such effects, because on the one hand the use of radar waves can detect what type of wall is actually and, if applicable, whether locally abnormal or abnormal changes occur.

! 0 gen the wall. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, or otherwise resulting from the context of meaning, the wall is always understood to be the layer which, in its total thickness, contributes to the transmitter signal response in a significant and, in particular, evaluable manner.

! 5

It should be noted that in addition to an introduction into the gastrointestinal tract of a human also use with other natural cavities in question, such as the blood vessels.

! 0

The arrangement can be formed as an endoscope, which is particularly advantageous. Training as an endoscope has been This has a negative effect on the dimensioning of the device, for example with regard to the diameter and the length by which the device can be introduced into the cavity.

In a preferred variant, the transmitter will emit millimeter waves or submillimeter waves, with the range above 3 GHz, in particular above 15 GHz, having proven to be particularly preferred. The waves are typically emitted in a range above 3 GHz, preferably above 15 GHz, particularly preferably at frequencies between 100 and 300 GHz. The frequency range between 100 and 300 GHz is particularly preferred for medical purposes, since a high resolution with low energies using small, well-introduced devices is possible without tissue damage to be feared by too high performance. That lower frequencies can be used, such as when non-organic bodies such as machines, large engine combustion chambers, pipelines, especially oil or gas pipelines, and the like are to be measured, may be mentioned; It should also be noted in this regard that the use of radar waves with the present invention poses no danger to measurements in hazardous environments such as chemical lines or tanks.

It should be noted that it is readily possible to design the device not only for the emission or detection of a single frequency, but instead also for the emission of several different frequencies. These may optionally be emitted simultaneously, which is particularly preferred if there are possibilities to distinguish the impulse responses for different frequencies. Alternatively, it is possible to successively and special periodically changing, different emission frequencies to choose. This can contribute to gaining additional information about wall properties, for example, which is particularly advantageous when different walls have different properties at different frequencies. As such property is in particular an absorption in question. It should be noted in this context that it is possible to work with pulsed signals which per se have a given frequency spectrum as time-limited impulse trains and thus have "different frequencies" in their own hands Emission of waves is the speech whose average frequency varies.

In a particularly preferred variant, transmitter and receiver means need not be active simultaneously. Rather, it is possible to emit a signal pulse with a transmitter and then to receive the reflected signal without the transmitter necessarily still being active. On the one hand, this has the advantage that the receiving means is not disturbed by signals from the transmitter arranged close to the receiver in the apparatus and, on the other hand, which is particularly preferred, that the receiver means has a single antenna system.

In a preferred variant, the transmitter signal responses are detected in such a way that information related to the cavity can be obtained therefrom.

The cavity-related information may relate, on the one hand, to the distance of the device to the cavity wall and, on the other hand, to properties of the cavity wall. In a particularly preferred variant, the transmitter is formed as a SIMMWIC, that is to say as a Silicon Monolithic Millimeter Wave Integrated Circuit, which enables the highest-frequency generation of rave waves and optionally detection on a single chip. The device may be formed so that the detected transmitter signal responses are only conditioned in the interior of the cavity in such a way that they can easily be directed to the outside, that is, to the outside of the cavity. This makes it possible to perform a complex signal processing outside the cavity, which would not be possible in the interior of the cavity, at least not in a suitable form. Although this signal conditioning is not absolutely necessary, it is particularly helpful in designing a particularly useful device. The realization that the signal conditioning inside the body can be done in a simple way, such as filtering out only the contour of an impulse response, makes it possible to build particularly small and yet inexpensive devices that are also suitable for a variety of applications and can be more easily updated. The output signals may be low-frequency analog and / or digital signals, which are given in particular wire or optical fiber bound as electrical and / or electro-optical signals to the outside of the body.

The device is typically used for use with pulsed signals, in particular with predetermined shaped transmit pulse signals such as square pulses, that is those pulses in which the envelope forms a rectangle; Instead, however, other pulse shapes are readily usable, for example, sawtooth pulses or Gaussian-shaped transmission pulses, etc. The use of needle-like (DIRAC) pulses, which are particularly strong, but only short, should be mentioned. Such pulses result in particularly easily evaluable pulse shapes.

The evaluation can preferably be carried out so that the distance of the device is determined to the cavity wall. This is possible in particular even if an extensive isotropic emission takes place, that is, if signals are not emitted in a preferred direction or no spatially resolved signal reception is possible, as is the case with pixels of a camera. Typically, only a single receiver unit will be present, so no pixel-like spatially resolving receiver unit will be provided. It is preferred if the device in the interior of the cavity can be aligned and / or moved, for example rotatable and / or tiltable, in order to be able to direct a narrowly limited, that is in particular bundled, transmission signal beam. The turning and / or tilting of the device part carrying the transmitting and receiving means, typically at the proximal end of the device, ie at the foremost end of the device and / or close to it, can be done in a conventional manner, for example by means of steering wires , It should be noted that a spacing of the device may be determined for different orientations and, for example, by providing a marker on the device and aligning the device relative to the marker, the orientation may be well determined.

With regard to the orientation of the beam inside the body, it should be noted that it is particularly preferred to use an antenna system not with a single antenna, but rather with a single antenna.

- II - nem antenna field in which the phase for individual antenna elements can be specified (phased array). This allows the emission in a certain direction or the return from a certain direction. The integration 5 of the circuitry required for a phase antenna array is readily possible, in particular with at most the smallest area requirement. The use of a "phased array" for the antenna makes it possible to direct the beam to different points and thus very quickly in a scanning manner

LO even without mechanical positioning to scan the interior of the cavity dedicated, which makes a spatially resolved or direction-resolved distance determination particularly easy. Depending on the design of the antenna system, only a limited area with the beam is to be covered

L5, typically about 20 to 30 ° with reasonable effort for the antenna and given sizes of the antenna. However, it is then readily possible, by mechanical Nachbewegen especially in the arrangement of transmitter, receiver and antenna on a catheter, an endoscope or an endoscope

.0 or a tube to be introduced element, the beam roughly pre-position by mechanical movement. Alternatively and / or additionally, a plurality of different phase-controlled antenna fields can be provided in order to be able to cover a plurality of small areas in each case. This

25 can completely eliminate a mechanical (rotational) movement.

By mounting at staggered heights, for example on a cylinder wall, a 360 ° observation can also be achieved. This would allow complete swallowing of a device. The measured signals can then go out

ΪO be sent or possibly even recorded. If the measured signals are given to the outside in more or less evaluated form, this can be done via radio waves. which do not have to be radar waves, in particular radar waves within the measuring frequency range.

If, as is typical and preferred, the device is designed for use in cavities with varying wall properties, that is to say along the insertion path, it is preferable to provide a database means which displays characteristics of impulse responses of different walls or wall areas such as esophagus, stomach, small intestine, adipose tissue, well perfused (and thus often cancerous diseased) tissue etc. contains and makes available for comparison. As such pulse characteristics, for example, absorptions and reflection coefficients may be detected when arranged on other tissues.

The device may be formed so small that it is possible to provide further means for medical intervention in addition to the transmitter for generating radar waves and the receiver means or additionally the signal conditioning. These means may comprise and / or represent an optical imaging means and / or comprise a surgical means such as placing a stent or performing a biopsy. In such procedures, especially in vessels, the placement is particularly facilitated, because it can be well recognized by the use of radar waves, whether a certain, just reached with the device body is changed abnormally or if the device still a few inches or millimeters back or forth must be moved to capture such a position. It is also possible to detect vessel branches particularly well. It should be mentioned that besides and / or in addition to pure transit time measurements also a Evaluation of Doppler shift is considered to detect movements of the radar waves throwing back structures.

5 that the device for introduction into the body and / or the whereabouts outside the body can be associated with an evaluation and is preferably assigned, either by integration and / or by providing suitable interfaces, wherein the evaluation means received an evaluation

LO runtime and / or distance-related electrical signals, in particular electrical signals with characteristic frequencies is provided far below the radar wave frequencies, may be mentioned. The evaluation means for evaluating electrical, transit time-related and / or distance-related reception

L5 signals will be designed for evaluating runtime or distance information contained in received signals in such a way that distance-indicative and / or transit time-indicative signals are generated, in particular directly distance- and / or travel-time-related data, for example iθ distances of detected objects and / or object parts of the sender and / or receiver in particular, but not necessarily even if they also lie deep behind a wall or in a wall or a wall-forming tissue. That parts of the evaluation means can be entrained

! 5 NEN, which is not mandatory, should be mentioned.

The device can also be designed to detect 0 spatially resolved signals, even in the case of a transmitter without a dedicated directional characteristic and / or a receiver which is not designed per se for spatial resolution. For this purpose, the device can be formed in a suitable manner so that it can easily be moved at least for purposes of recording. dissolved signals at a given location in the cavity is movable. It should be noted that with the device of the present invention, moreover, movements can be detected, for example, peristaltic or other, even rapid movements of a cavity wall. This is possible due to a fast signal repetition, ie a high sampling rate.

The performance of the present device may be low. Typically, microwatts will suffice for certain types of tissue, but they may be increased if necessary, in particular depending on a currently encountered cavity wall and / or expected damage thereto. So it may be useful to significantly increase the emission performance of tissue damage deep inside the wall, for example, several millimeters to centimeters away from a gut wall suspected. Preference is given to adjustability of the power by power adjustment means. The radiated power can always remain below the tissue damage limit, since it is sufficient for the purposes of the present invention, when the power is sufficient only for observations, without tissue-modifying radiation must occur.

It is particularly preferred if the device is provided with an externally detectable marker. Although it can be attempted to detect radiated radar waves, if they are strong enough, from the outside. Preferably, alternatively and / or additionally, however, contactless scannable markers such as, for example, magnets or coils can be provided for emitting low-frequency, pulsed signals which can be located externally and the like. The present invention also proposes a method for material analysis in which a device of the type described is introduced into a cavity and, in response to 5 radar wave transmitter signal responses, a position of the device in a cavity and / or a characteristic thereof, in particular a cavity wall property, are determined.

The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the drawings. In this is represented by

1 shows a device according to the present invention in a cavity,

2a is a schematic view of important parts of a first device according to the invention,

2b shows a second embodiment of this,

Fig. 3 transmit and receive pulse shapes at total reflection),

4 shows transmission and pulse shapes with only partial reflection and absorption in the tissue,

5 penetrating depths into different types of tissue,

Fig. 6 is an illustration of the use of a device according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a device 1, generally designated 1, insertable into a cavity 2 comprises a transmitter 3 for emitting signals 4 into the cavity 2 and an emitter 5 for detecting transmitter signal responses, a transmitter 3 for radar wave generation, and a receiver means 5 for generating electrical signals in response to radar wave detection.

The insertable device 1 is in the present case, which is not always mandatory, formed at the proximal end of an endoscope, which can be inserted into the stomach as a cavity 2. It should be noted that the training for the introduction into other cavities is readily possible. The arrangement is formed so that the proximal end can be oriented and positioned in the cavity. The device 1 may further be equipped with optical imaging means such as one or more CCD chips for additional image information and the like, and additionally and / or alternatively with surgical or other medical intervention means (not shown).

At the device 1, the radar wave transmitter 3 is so angeox'd- net that it radiates radially away from the device 1 here.

The radar wave transmitter 3 emits waves in the range between 15 and 100 gigahertz here as a collimated beam, compare the indicated transmitter beam 4. The receiver means 3 is designed to receive waves of the frequency emitted by the transmitter after reflection on the wall 2a of the cavity 2.

In the present case, the transmitter comprises an oscillator 3b with a modulatable by a modulation device frequency and amplitude for emission of a transmission pulse 3a, the oscillator signal after appropriate amplification via a changeover switch 3c to an antenna 3d can be placed to emit the beam 4, see FIG. 2a. The receiver means comprises, in addition to the antenna 3d and the switch 3c, a high-frequency receiver 3e and, optionally, a low-noise amplifier 3f designated as an LNA unit (ie low noise amplifier). The switch 3c can be switched alternately so that either the oscillator signal is applied to the antenna or the antenna signal from the antenna 3d is applied to the HF receiver 3e. The switch 3c switches so fast that a pulse 3a emitted by the oscillator 3b via the switch 3c and the antenna 3d and emitted by the latter can be applied to the HF receiver after reflection on the wall. In the preferred variant, the oscillator 3b and its associated modulation device, the receiver 3d, the switch 3c and the antenna 3d form a structural unit on a chip, that is, they form a SIMWIC. On this chip corresponding power supplies and controls are provided in particular for the switch and the pulse shaping for the oscillator. An external control is mentioned as a possibility. It is understood that the pulse 3a is typically so short that a Nachreflexion of returning back to the cavity wall Impulsvorderflanke the antenna reached only after the falling pulse edge has been emitted by the antenna 3d, which also, if appropriate, the switching times of the switch are still taken into account ,

The receiver means 3e further comprises, optionally outside of the unit described above as a unit, high frequency signal processing for conditioning / conversion. The apparatus may further comprise a digital signal processor and digital signal processing, as will be explained. This is particularly designed to impulse responses the absorption properties, transit times and Reflections can also be determined if there is a superposition of influences of different wall types.

It should be noted that it is not mandatory to switch the oscillator and receiver alternately to the antenna. An alternative variant with separate antennas for oscillator and receiver is shown in Fig. 2b.

The antenna is to be directed together with the chip through the device 1 to changing locations of the cavity wall 2a. This can be done by moving the device 1 back and forth in cavity 2, as indicated by arrow 6 in FIG. 6, and / or by rotating the device about its own axis, as also indicated in FIG. 6, where 8 is an axis and arrow 9 indicates the rotational movement about its own axis 8. Suitable control and movement means are not shown in the figures, but known.

As described above, the signal generation and the signal reception run in such a way that a pulse shaped in a specific way is sent to the cavity wall with the transmitter and the impulse response of the cavity wall is detected with the receiver. From the shape of the response pulse conclusions can then be drawn on the wall.

In the case of a totally reflecting cavity wall, the situation illustrated in FIG. 3 results, according to which the sensor emits an electromagnetic wave 4 as a transmitter signal onto the cavity wall 2a by means of transmitter 3 in the device 1, namely a rectangular-pulse-shaped transmitter signal which is used for a certain transmission time lasts. After the distance from the cavity wall dependent transit time for Round trip the totally reflected electromagnetic wave 4b is received at the receiver. The propagation delay of the pulse can be seen in Fig. 3 with reference to the diagrams for transmitted pulse and impulse response shown schematically. The intensity of the received signal is unchanged from the shape of the emitted pulse, as illustrated by the rectangular shape for the transmission pulse and Empfangsimpulseinhüllende.

Fig. 4 shows the same situation, but with a non-total reflecting, but organic cavity wall is shown with a fat and a muscle tissue layer. The different types of tissue, such as fatty tissue and muscle tissue, have on the one hand different reflection coefficients and on the other hand different absorption coefficients. This is exemplified in FIG. 5.

An electromagnetic wave radiated onto such a tissue arrangement will therefore be partially reflected at the first boundary layer, for example the transition between stomach contents and fatty tissue layer, while a part of the wave can penetrate into the fatty tissue. From the inside of the fatty tissue, the electromagnetic incident wave is partially reflected back and at the same time continues to run partially. It runs under weakening until it reaches the next boundary layer, that is, the transition between fat and muscle tissue, where a renewed strong reflection corresponding to the interface transition takes place and subsequently on further passage a modified absorption and possibly further reflection occurs after passage of the muscle tissue , The effects described cause the pulse shape of the received pulse is no longer the Pulse shape of the transmitted pulse corresponds, but the pulse is deformed.

The high-frequency signal processing 3g (see Fig. 2a) is now i selected so that the pulse deformation by the different tissue layers remain observable and evaluable. It is possible, by suitable signal conditioning, such as envelope detection, to generate a signal in the cavity interior without digital conversion in a simple manner, which can easily be led to the outside of the cavity for further evaluation. For this purpose, electrical conductors for analog signals can be provided in the device 1 in particular.

5 A digital conversion and further digital signal processing, indicated in FIG. 2a by a DSP 3h, are then carried out outside the cavity.

Digitization now makes it possible to determine the propagation times through different layers and the reflections / absorptions that occur from the pulse shape, for By, as preferred, accessing databases containing characteristic momentum deformations for particular types of tissue and / or layers so as to provide an indication of the current cavity walls. Preferably, a database used for comparison is then organized so that a search is made therein according to the walls expected or typical of a particular procedure. Thus, despite similar impulse deformations, different types of tissue can be particularly well discriminated by the additional information, such as whether the device is in the esophagus or deep in the stomach. However, this does not rule out that as well Without such additional information, tissue can be discriminated, as a result of which pulse shape alone makes it possible to identify a specific type of tissue and thus an insertion position of the device. This makes it possible to detect a site of altered tissue properties on the basis of the pulse deformation, particularly when a device moves through a cavity, as shown in FIG. 6. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 z. For example, the dark-marked area 10 is a tissue affected by cancer and thus typically better perfused and thus changed with regard to the penetration depth of high-frequency electromagnetic radar waves.

It may be mentioned that, upon detection of the device position, which can be done, for example, by detection from the outside, for example with the aid of magnets and / or scales on the distal end, as well as detection of the orientation of the device 1, a spatially resolved image may also be recorded. Moreover, the potentially very high measuring speed which is possible with radar waves also makes it possible to detect movements, such as peristaltic movements, and the like in a highly resolved manner. This allows in particular to detect pathological changes of movement patterns. Incidentally, it is also worth mentioning that this is possible and preferred by exploiting the Doppler effect by determining indicative frequency shifts for movements of the walls of the radar waves. In that regard, the device is preferably also designed for the detection and evaluation of movements in the body.

In the above, therefore, a device which can be partially inserted into a natural cavity of a body of an organism has been described in particular, but not exclusively a transmitter for signal emission and a receiver means for detecting transmitter signal responses, wherein the transmitter for introduction into the body of the organism at a proximal end of the device and arranged for radar wave generation for the range between above 10, preferably from 15 and 300 GHz, preferably between 100 and formed below 300 GHz, and the receiver means is also arranged to be introduced into the body of the organism at the proximal end of the device and adapted to generate transit-time related electrical signals responsive to radar wave detection, wherein the device is associated with and / or associated with an evaluation means may be, are determined by the runtime-related electrical signals runtime information.

Claims

claims

1. In a cavity of a body at least partially insertable device with a transmitter for signal emission and a receiver means for detecting transmitter signal responses, wherein the transmitter arranged for insertion into the body at an inserted end of the device and radar wave generation for the range between from 10th Preferably, it is formed over 15, more preferably over 100 and up to 300 GHz, and the receiver means is also arranged for insertion into the body at the proximal end of the device and adapted to generate transit time related electrical signals in response to radar wave detection.

2. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the device is designed for at least partially len introduction into the gastrointestinal tract of a human.

3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is formed as an endoscope.

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiver means is switched to the transmitter active alternately and / or ready for operation.

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiver means comprises at least one antenna phase array.

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmitter signal responses are detected so that from this information related to the cavity can be obtained, in particular over the distance

5 of the device for cavity wall and / or properties of the cavity wall and / or movements of the wall or in the cavity located elements.

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, LO characterized in that the transmitter is formed as a SIMWIC, in particular for the highest-frequency Radarwellenerzeu- tion on a chip.

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that L5 miteinführbare in the cavity

Signal conditioning means are provided for generating electrical and / or optical output signals in response to the detected transmitter signal responses for output to the outside of the cavity, which is suitable for adjusting cavity-related information, in particular for determining a distance of the device from a cavity wall and / or a cavity wall property.

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an analog means for outputting an electrical and / or optical output signal to the outside of the cavity is provided.

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed for the emission and / or detection of pulsed signals and the reception Germittel in particular is designed so that a pulse shape and / or pulse width of the transmitter signal response can be determined.

11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an evaluation means is provided to determine the distance of the device to a cavity wall.

12. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the device is designed for use in cavities with varying wall properties and a database means is provided, based on which for different cavity walls impulse responses

.5 are tunable and / or can be recognized.

13. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in addition to the transmitter for generating radar wave and the receiver means at least one further means for a medical intervention is provided, in particular an optical imaging means and / or a surgical means, in particular for placing a Stents and / or to perform a biopsy.

15. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a fully integrated radar, in particular with powers in the range of microwatts below a tissue damage limit.

15. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with an externally detectable marker.

16. Method for material analysis, in particular of a non-living organism, characterized in that a device according to one of the preceding claims is introduced into a cavity and in response to radar transmitter signal responses a position of the device in a cavity and / or a property thereof, in particular one Cavity wall property, is determined.