Patent Application
20090054731
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antenna unit which receives a radio signal transmitted from a body-insertable device, and a receiving system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a capsule endoscope including an imaging function and a radio communication function has appeared in the field of an endoscope. The capsule endoscope has functions of traveling, after it is swallowed from a mouth of an examinee as a subject for an observation (examination), inside of organs (inside of a body cavity) such as the stomach and the small intestine according to their peristalsis and sequentially capturing their images by using the imaging function during an observation period until it is naturally excreted from a living body of the subject.
Image information captured in the body cavity by the capsule endoscope, during the observation period when the capsule endoscope travels inside the organs, is sequentially transmitted to an outside of the subject body through the radio communication function, received by an external receiving system, and thereby stored in a memory provided in the external receiving system. By carrying the receiving system having the radio communication function and the memory function, the examinee can move freely without feeling inconveniences even during the observation period which starts from the swallow of the capsule endoscope and ends by the excretion of the capsule endoscope. After the observation by using the capsule endoscope, doctors or nurses make a display unit such as a screen display device show the image information of the inside of the body cavity stored in the memory of the receiving system so that they can make a diagnosis (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-231186, for example).
An antenna unit according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a receiving antenna which is arranged on an outer surface of a subject and receives a radio signal transmitted at a first frequency from a body-insertable device inserted into an inside of the subject; a main body part which is attached to an outside of the subject and includes a frequency converter that converts the signal of the first frequency received by the receiving antenna into a signal of a second frequency and a transmitting antenna that transmits the signal of the second frequency as a radio signal; and a signal line which connects the receiving antenna and the main body part.
A receiving system according to another aspect of the present invention includes: an antenna unit including a first antenna which is arranged on an outer surface of a subject and receives a radio signal transmitted at a first frequency from a body-insertable device inserted into an inside of the subject, a main body part which is attached to an outside of the subject and includes a frequency converter that converts the signal of the first frequency received by the first receiving antenna into a signal of a second frequency and a transmitting antenna that transmits the signal of the second frequency as a radio signal, and a signal line which connects the first receiving antenna and the main body part; and an external unit including a second receiving antenna which receives the radio signal of the second frequency transmitted from the transmitting antenna, and a reception processor which demodulates the radio signal received by the second receiving antenna to acquire information transmitted from the body-insertable device.
The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Exemplary embodiments of an antenna unit and a receiving system according to the present invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that since the drawings are only schematic, a relation between a thickness and a width of each part, a ratio of a thickness of each part, and the like are different from those in the actual size, and as a matter of course that the drawings include a part having a different dimensional relation and a different ratio among the drawings. The same part is assigned with the same symbol in the description throughout the drawings. Though the embodiments will be explained below by taking the receiving system which, including the antenna unit, is applied to an intra-subject information acquiring system as one example, it is needless to say that an application field of the antenna unit and the receiving system is not necessarily limited to the intra-subject information acquiring system.
The receiving system 2 includes an antenna unit 2a which has a receiving antenna A1, and an external unit 2b which performs a processing of the radio signal received by the receiving antenna A1. By wirelessly connecting the antenna unit 2a and the external unit 2b, the receiving system 2 outputs the radio signal received from the capsule endoscope 3 by the antenna unit 2a to the external unit 2b. With this wireless connection, the antenna unit 2a and the external unit 2b are not connected to each other by using a connector or a cable via the connector.
The display device 4 is for displaying and processing the images of the inside of the body cavity captured by the capsule endoscope 3, and has a work station or the like for displaying and processing the images based on data obtained by the portable recording medium 5. The display device 4 may have a configuration such that the images are displayed directly on a CRT display, a liquid crystal display or the like, or a configuration such that the images are output to another medium such as a printer.
The portable recording medium 5 is detachably attached to the external unit 2b and the display device 4, and has a configuration such that when inserted to be attached to both of them, information can be input or output. Specifically, the portable recording medium 5 is inserted to be attached into the external unit 2b and records the image information transmitted from the capsule endoscope 3 therein while the capsule endoscope 3 is moving in the body cavity of the subject 1. After the capsule endoscope 3 is excreted from the subject 1, namely, after the imaging of the inside of the subject 1 is completed, the portable recording medium 5 is removed from the external unit 2b and inserted to be attached into the display device 4, and the display device 4 reads out the information recorded in the portable recording medium 5. For example, by using the portable recording medium 5 such as CompactFlash (registered trademark) for the information transfer between the external unit 2b and the display device 4, the subject 1 can move freely during the imaging of the inside of the body cavity unlike the case such that the external unit 2b and the display device 4 are connected with each other by a wire. Here, though the portable recording medium 5 is used for the information transfer between the external unit 2b and the display device 4, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, another recording device such as a hard disc drive built into the external unit 2b may be used, and the external unit 2b and the display device 4 may be connected with or without a wire for the information transfer therebetween.
Next, the receiving system 2 will be explained.
The frequency converter 22 converts the radio signal of the first frequency received via the receiving antenna A1 into a signal of a second frequency which is different from the first frequency. For example as shown in
On the other hand, the external unit 2b includes a receiving antenna 31, a receiver 32, a signal processor 33, a control unit 34, a storage unit 35, a display unit 36, and a power supply unit 37, as shown in
Since the receiving system 2 according to the first embodiment is configured to wirelessly connect the antenna unit 2a and the external unit 2b and the antenna unit 2a and the external unit 2b are not connect by using a connector, a cable, or the like, it is possible to extend the useful life of the entirety of the receiving system 2 without using a connector whose life is generally short, and to extend the life of the entirety of the receiving system 2.
Besides, since the antenna unit 2a and the external unit 2b are not connected with a cable in the receiving system 2 according to the first embodiment, it is not necessary to perform a complicated work of a cable wiring for connecting the antenna unit 2a and the external unit 2b on the subject 1, and it is possible to reduce a physical strain on the patient as a subject.
Furthermore, by using a sealing member or an adhesive agent in performing a processing of attaching a battery constituting the power supply unit 24 and of assembling the frame, it is possible to easily secure a drop-proof property in the antenna unit 2a according to the first embodiment.
In the antenna unit 2a, the protrusion part 241c of the cover part 24c is fitted in the hole part 241a of the battery housing part 24a to cover the battery housing part 24a with the cover part 24c in a state of arranging the sealing member 25 between the battery housing part 24a and the cover part 24c after the battery 24b is attached into the battery housing part 24a. The sealing member 25 arranged between the cover part 24c and the battery housing part 24a blocks an air gap between the cover part 24c and the battery housing part 24a due to a direct contact between the cover part 24c and the periphery of the battery housing part 24a, thereby preventing a liquid intrusion into the antenna unit 2a through the battery housing part 24a.
Moreover, when the antenna unit 2a is constituted by a combination of frames 26a and 26b as shown in
As described, since the antenna unit 2a according to the first embodiment is not provided with a connector and the like for an external connection, it is possible to easily assemble the antenna unit 2a by arranging a sealing member or an adhesive agent in an air gap part, and to secure a high drop-proof property. As a result of this, a sterilizing solution never intrudes into the inside of the antenna unit 2a even when a sterilizing operation for the antenna unit 2a is performed by soaking the antenna unit 2a directly into a sterilizing solution 28 as shown in
A second embodiment of the present invention will be explained next. In contrast to the first embodiment described above provided with one receiving antenna, a plurality of receiving antennas are provided in the second embodiment, and these receiving antennas are switched over to receive a radio signal including the image information captured by the capsule endoscope 3.
As shown in
Next, the receiving system 202 will be explained with reference to
The selecting unit 221, after outputting the radio signal received by each of the receiving antennas A1 to An to the strength detector 225, selects an antenna A which is suitable for receiving the radio signal among the receiving antennas A1 to An and outputs the radio signal received from the capsule endoscope 3 via the selected receiving antenna A to the frequency converter 22 under the control by the selection controller 226. The frequency converter 22 converts the radio signal which is transmitted from the capsule endoscope 3 and output from the selecting unit 221 from the first frequency to the second frequency which is different from the first frequency, and output the converted radio signal similarly to the first embodiment. The strength detector 225 detects the strength of the radio signal received by each of the receiving antennas A1 to An, converts an analogue signal corresponding to the strength to a digital signal, and then output the converted digital signal. The selection controller 226 determines the receiving antenna A to be used based on the digital signal which corresponds to the received strength and is output from the strength detector 225, and performs a control of instructing the selecting unit 221. In addition, the selection controller 226 outputs number information which indicates the selected receiving antenna among the receiving antennas A1 to An, and strength information which indicates the received strength of each of the receiving antennas A1 to An. The converter 227 converts the number information and the strength information output from the selection controller 226 into a radio signal of the second frequency and outputs the converted radio signal. The insertion unit 228 inserts or superimposes the signal which corresponds to the number information and the strength information and is output from the converter 227 into the signal which is transmitted from the capsule endoscope 3 and output from the frequency converter 22, and outputs the inserted or superimposed signal. The signal input from the frequency converter 22 and the converter 227 to the insertion unit 228 is converted into a signal of the second frequency. The transmitting antenna 23 transmits the signal which is transmitted from the capsule endoscope 3 and output from the insertion unit 228, and the signal corresponding to the number information and the strength information output from the selection controller 226 at the second frequency.
On the other hand, the external unit 202b includes a signal processor 233 instead of the signal processor 33 according to the first embodiment. The signal processor 233 processes the signal output from the receiver 32 via the receiving antenna 31 and extracts image information and the like transmitted from the capsule endoscope 3, similarly to the first embodiment. The signal processor 233 further extracts the number information and the strength information output from the selection controller 226, detects a position of the capsule endoscope 3 inside the subject 1 based on the extracted number information and strength information, and outputs the position information which indicates the detected position. The control unit 34 outputs the image information and the position information output from the signal processor 233 to the storage unit 35 and the display unit 36.
In the antenna unit 202a according to the second embodiment, the number information which indicates the receiving antenna selected as a receiving antenna for receiving a radio signal among the receiving antennas A1 to An and the strength information which indicates the received strength of each of the receiving antennas A1 to An is converted into a radio signal of the second frequency, the converted radio signal is inserted or superimposed into the radio signal transmitted from the capsule endoscope 3, and the inserted or superimposed radio signal is wirelessly transmitted to the external unit 202b.
Since the receiving system 202 according to the second embodiment is configured to wirelessly connect the antenna unit 202a and the external unit 202b and the antenna unit 202a and the external unit 202b are not connect by using a connector, a cable, or the like similarly to the first embodiment, it is possible to extend the useful life of the entirety of the receiving system 202 without using a connector whose life is generally short, and to extend the life of the entirety of the receiving system 202.
Besides, since the antenna unit 202a and the external unit 202b are not connected with a cable in the receiving system 202 according to the second embodiment similarly to the first embodiment, it is not necessary to perform a complicated work of a cable wiring for connecting the antenna unit 202a and the external unit 202b on the subject 1, and it is possible to reduce a physical strain on the patient as a subject, Furthermore, by using a sealing member or an adhesive agent in performing a processing of attaching a battery constituting the power supply unit 24 and of assembling the frame similarly to the first embodiment, it is possible to easily secure a drop-proof property in the antenna unit 202a according to the second embodiment.
The insertion unit 228 of the antenna unit 202a may output a signal after superimposing or inserting a signal corresponding to the number information and the strength information output from the selection controller 226 on or into the radio signal transmitted from the capsule endoscope 3. For example, when the radio signal transmitted from the capsule endoscope 3 includes image information, the insertion unit 228 may superimpose a signal corresponding to number information Dn and strength information Dp on an idling period Ta which is provided before an image information period Tb including the image information within one frame period Tf corresponding to one image and includes a predetermined synchronization signal component as shown in
The antenna units 2a and 202a may perform a conversion into a frequency of an integral multiple of the frequency of the radio signal transmitted from the capsule endoscope 3 or into a frequency which is away from the frequency of the radio signal transmitted from the capsule endoscope 3 and is not confused with the frequency of the radio signal transmitted from the capsule endoscope 3, and may transmit the converted radio signal. In this case, the external units 2b and 202b receive the radio signal transmitted from the transmitting antenna 23 of the antenna units 2a and 202a at the receiving antenna 31. Since the antenna unit 2a and the external unit 2b, and the antenna unit 202a and the external unit 202b are wirelessly connected in this case too, the receiving systems 2 and 202 have the same effect as the case of transmitting a signal at the gigahertz range frequency. Further, even in the case of arranging a device which outputs a radio signal of the gigahertz range frequency in the environment of the receiving systems 2 and 202, the radio signal transmitted from the antenna units 2a and 202a to the external units 2b and 202b never interferes with a radio wave of the gigahertz range frequency output from this device, and the antenna units 2a and 202a can accurately transmit the radio signal from the capsule endoscope 3 respectively to the external units 2b and 202b.
The antenna units 2a and 202a may first encode the radio signal from the capsule endoscope 3 and then transmit the encoded radio signal from the transmitting antenna 23. Here, the external units 2b and 202b decode the signal received via the receiving antenna 31 to acquire image information and the like. In this case, even in the case of arranging the device which receives a signal of the same frequency range as the radio signal transmitted from the antenna units 2a and 202a in the environment of the receiving systems 2 and 202, the radio signal transmitted from the antenna units 2a and 202a is not processed by the device, and a confusion with processing information can be prevented in the receiving systems 2 and 202 and in their peripheral equipment.
Though each of the antenna units 2a and 202a described above is configured to have the power supply unit 24, the present invention is not limited to this configuration and the power may be wirelessly supplied from the external units 2b and 202b.
Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-122683 | Apr 2006 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation of PCT international application Ser. No. PCT/JP2007/058962 filed on Apr. 25, 2007 which designates the United States, incorporated herein by reference, and which claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-122683, filed on Apr. 26, 2006, incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2007/058962 | Apr 2007 | US |
| Child | 12257896 | US |
