KR102019229B1 - Method and apparatus for activating and deactivating a capsule endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for powering on and off a capsule endoscope, comprising a magnet inside or outside the capsule endoscope, using a wireless communication antenna inside the capsule endoscope as a power source, and rectifying an induced current to supply a power supply unit. It characterized in that it comprises a power drive for turning (ON). According to the present invention, before the capsule endoscope is introduced into the body, the capsule endoscope is shaken to turn on the capsule endoscope with a current induced in the wireless communication antenna by an internal or external magnet, and after the power is turned on, the capsule endoscope is wirelessly communicated. By turning off the power of (OFF), there is an effect that the power of the capsule endoscope can be easily on-off.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACTIVATING AND DEACTIVATING A CAPSULE ENDOSCOPE}

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for powering on and off a capsule endoscope. More particularly, the power supply of the capsule endoscope is turned on with a current induced in a wireless communication antenna before the capsule endoscope is introduced into the body. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for turning off the capsule endoscope by wireless communication after it is turned on.

Endoscopy is often used to perform medical activities such as photographing the state of human organs, collecting tissues, or injecting drugs without surgery. However, because the endoscope is introduced into the body through the tube, there is pain and discomfort, and to solve this problem, a wireless capsule endoscope without a tube has been developed and used in the medical field.

The capsule endoscope is introduced into the body by swallowing the patient, there is a way that the capsule endoscope is discharged by the peristalsis of the natural organs without controlling the movement of the capsule endoscope from the outside, it is necessary to control the movement of the capsule endoscope from the outside to the magnetic field There is a way of intensive medical care only in the body.

Capsule endoscope uses a lot of power for LED or camera for body imaging, compression of captured images, in vitro wireless transmission of compressed images. However, since the capsule endoscope is made small enough to be swallowed by the patient, since the size of the built-in battery is small, much consideration should be given to low power. In addition, since water, body fluids, foreign substances, etc. in the body should be made to be sealed so that it is not possible to make a predetermined power switch to the housing surface of the capsule endoscope. Therefore, the capsule endoscope is made so that the power is connected from the moment the battery is bonded in the manufacturing process, and eventually there is a problem that the power is continuously consumed until the capsule endoscope is actually used.

In order to solve this power supply problem, Japanese Patent No. 3,373,730 introduces a technique of keeping an external magnet close to the capsule endoscope to suppress the power drive and turning on the power by being separated from the external magnet during use. There is an inconvenience to keep the magnet close to the manufacturing stage at all times. In addition, Korean Patent No. 1050340 discloses a method of turning on / off a capsule endoscope by a magnetic field to a magnetic field generating unit external to the capsule endoscope, and a problem of having a complex device such as a magnetic field generating unit and a controller thereof outside the body is known. have.

JP 3753730 B2. KR 10-1050340 B1.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and before the capsule endoscope is introduced into the body by turning on the power of the capsule endoscope with a current induced in the wireless communication antenna (ON), A method and apparatus for turning off the capsule endoscope by wireless communication.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, to achieve the above technical problem, a capsule endoscope including a magnet, an antenna, and a power driver, the magnet is moved when the capsule endoscope is shaken, induction current to the antenna by the movement of the magnet Is generated, wherein the power driving unit turns on the power of the capsule endoscope by the generated induction current.

According to another embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above technical problem, as an capsule endoscope including an antenna and a power driving unit, by shaking the capsule endoscope adjacent to an external magnet to generate an induced current in the antenna, the power source The driving unit is provided with a capsule endoscope, characterized in that to turn on the power of the capsule endoscope by the induced current generated.

The capsule endoscope may further include a control unit to receive a control command from an external device through wireless communication through the antenna so that the power driver turns off the power of the capsule endoscope.

The power driver may turn on the power by rectifying the generated induced current.

The capsule endoscope may further include a control unit configured to keep the power driving unit in the on state when the power of the capsule endoscope is turned on.

The antenna may be shaped to surround the magnet with a coil.

The antenna may be a wireless communication antenna used to transmit an image captured by the capsule endoscope to the outside.

The power driver may include a MEMS switch, a MOSFET switch, a J-FET switch, a transistor (TR) switch, or a magnetic switch.

According to another embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above technical problem, a power supply on-off method of the capsule endoscope including a magnet, an antenna and a power driving unit, comprising: shaking the capsule endoscope to move the magnet; Generating an induced current in the antenna by the movement of the magnet; And turning on the power of the capsule endoscope by the generated induction current by the power driving unit. The power supply on-off method of the capsule endoscope is provided.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above technical problem, as a power on-off method of the capsule endoscope including an antenna and a power driving unit, the antenna by shaking the capsule endoscope adjacent to an external magnet Generating an induced current at the; And turning on the power of the capsule endoscope by the generated induction current by the power driving unit. The power supply on-off method of the capsule endoscope is provided.

The power supply on-off method of the capsule endoscope further includes the step of causing the power driver to turn off the power of the capsule endoscope by a control command received from an external device through wireless communication through the antenna. Can be.

As described above, according to the present invention, using the wireless communication antenna provided in the capsule endoscope as a power source, before the capsule endoscope is introduced into the body by shaking the capsule endoscope to the current induced in the wireless communication antenna by an internal or external magnet By turning on the power of the capsule endoscope, and after the power is connected, by turning off the power of the capsule endoscope by wireless communication, the power of the capsule endoscope can be easily on-off.

1 is a block diagram showing a power on-off device of the capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 and 3 is a view showing the shaking the capsule endoscope to turn on the power of the capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a block diagram and circuit diagram showing a power on-off device of the capsule endoscope according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a power on-off device of the capsule endoscope according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a view illustrating shaking the capsule endoscope to turn on the power of the capsule endoscope according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a specific example of a power on-off method of the capsule endoscope according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. In the following description, only parts necessary for understanding the operation according to the embodiment of the present invention are shown and described, and illustrations and descriptions of other parts are omitted so as not to obscure the subject matter of the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

In addition, the terms or words used in the specification and claims described below are not to be construed as being limited to the ordinary or dictionary meaning, meaning that corresponds to the technical spirit of the present invention so as to best express the present invention To be interpreted as

Throughout the specification, when a part is "connected" to another part, it is not limited to "directly connected", but is "electrically connected" with another element in between. Also includes. In addition, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, this means that it may further include other components, except to exclude other components unless otherwise stated.

For simplicity of explanation, although one or more methods are shown and described herein as a series of steps, for example in the form of a flowchart or flow chart, the present invention is not limited by the order of the steps, for the present invention. It will be appreciated that it may be done in a different order or simultaneously with other steps than shown and described herein. Moreover, not all illustrated steps may have to implement a methodology in accordance with the present invention.

In describing various embodiments of the present disclosure, corresponding elements will be described with the same names and the same reference numerals. In the drawings referred to for describing the embodiment of the present invention, the size of the component, the thickness of the line, etc. may be exaggerated for convenience of understanding.

1 is a block diagram showing a power on-off device of the capsule endoscope 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the capsule endoscope 10 according to the present invention includes an antenna 12, a magnet 20, and a power driver 14, and further includes a controller 18 and a power source 16. Can be configured. In addition, the capsule endoscope may further include an illumination unit such as an LED and a photographing unit such as a camera for capturing the body cavity, and these functional blocks require power supply. Gathered briefly as functional block 22.

The antenna 12 may be an antenna of various shapes. In general, the capsule endoscope 10 is provided with a wireless communication antenna to transmit the images taken in the body to the outside, in the present invention does not have a separate antenna, the antenna 12 as a power supply to the aforementioned wireless communication antenna Can be utilized as That is, the antenna for wireless communication can be used to function as a coil for generating an induced current by a magnet.

On the other hand, the wireless communication antenna 12 may receive a control command signal by wireless communication from the outside. The control command to be received may include a control command such as adjusting the brightness of the LED or adjusting a shooting speed, frame rate or compression rate during image capturing. The wireless communication antenna 12 may use various kinds and shapes of antennas. In the present embodiment, as shown in the figure, it is preferable to have the wireless communication antenna 12 in a cylindrical shape wound around the antenna line. When the magnet 20 is placed inside the cylindrical antenna to move, the induced current is well Because it can occur.

The magnet 20 may use a general permanent magnet. The capsule endoscope 10 is provided to be movable without being fixed. When shaking the capsule endoscope 10, the magnet 20 may be provided to move, it is preferably located inside the cylindrical antenna as shown in the figure.

The capsule endoscope 10 has a permanent magnet embedded therein in the case of inducing a magnetic field from the outside, and in this case, the capsule endoscope 10 may be configured without the magnet 20. That is, the present embodiment is preferably applied to the capsule endoscope 10 of the discharge method by the peristalsis of the natural organs without the drive control of the external magnetic field.

The power driver 14 receives the induced current from the antenna 12 and performs a function of turning on the power. In other words, the power switch 28 between the power supply unit 16 and the function block 22 is turned on to supply power to the function block 22. The power switch 28 may use a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) switch, a MOSFET switch, a J-FET switch, a magnetic switch, or the like. However, the power switch 28 may use various types or types of switches.

The power supply unit 16 supplies power to all the functional blocks 22 that require power, which are provided inside the capsule endoscope 10. The power supply unit 16 may be a conventional small battery that may be embedded in the capsule endoscope 10, and in some cases, a battery that may be charged by external wireless charging may be used, but is not limited thereto.

The control unit 18 receives power from the power source unit 16 when the power source driving unit 14 turns on the power of the capsule endoscope 10 by the induced current generated from the antenna 12, and the power source driving unit 14. ) Can keep the power on.

Since the capsule endoscope 10 is generally used for one-time use and disposed of with the body's excrement, it is not necessary to switch to the off state once it is turned on and inserted into the body. Therefore, only the above-described functions may be implemented. However, if it is necessary to confirm whether the product is a genuine product or in other special circumstances, the controller 18 may further have an off function. At this time, after the capsule endoscope 10 is turned on, the control unit 18 receives a control command from an external device through wireless communication through the antenna 12 so that the power supply unit 14 receives the capsule endoscope ( 10) can be turned off.

2 and 3 are diagrams showing the shaking of the capsule endoscope 10 to turn on the power of the capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the magnet 20 is provided inside the cylindrical antenna 12, and the capsule endoscope 10 is shaken in the direction of the arrow. When the capsule endoscope 10 is shaken, the magnet 20 moves, and the induced current is generated in the cylindrical antenna 12 surrounding the magnet by the movement of the magnet 20.

Before using the capsule endoscope 10, for example, by shaking the capsule endoscope 10 quickly before the patient swallows, it is possible to solve the problem of power consumption from the manufacturing stage of the capsule endoscope 10 to the storage stage. .

Since the capsule endoscope 10 is small, the size of the magnet should be sufficiently small. Even if a small magnet is shaken quickly (if it is moved), the power switch 28 of the power driving unit 14 can be sufficiently turned on.

In addition, in order to confirm whether the capsule endoscope 10 is in an on state, the capsule endoscope 10 may further include an LED (not shown), and the LED may emit light.

Referring to FIG. 3, the shape of the antenna is changed from cylindrical to spiral compared with the embodiment of FIG. 2. Even in the case of the spiral antenna 12, the induced current can be generated. In order to efficiently generate the induced current, the direction of movement of the magnet or the direction and size of the spiral antenna 12 may be properly adjusted.

Figure 4 is a block diagram and circuit diagram showing a power on-off device of the capsule endoscope according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, as an embodiment in which the power driver 14 is configured as a circuit, the power driver 14 includes a rectifier circuit and a kind of switch. When the alternating current induced by the antenna 12 is input to the diode 24, the capacitor 26 maintains a constant voltage, and the power switch 28 is turned on to power the function block 22 and the controller 18. Will be supplied.

When power is supplied to the controller 18, the controller may maintain the node G in a high state in order to keep the power on. Then, the shaking of the capsule endoscope 10 is stopped so that the power switch 28 remains on even if the AC current of the node D is no longer introduced.

In addition, after the capsule endoscope 10 is turned on, the controller 18 switches the node G of the power driver 14 to low when receiving a control command from an external device through wireless communication through an antenna. The capsule endoscope 10 may be turned off.

As described above, the power on-off device of the capsule endoscope 10 may be implemented by a simple circuit configuration, and may be implemented in various ways without being limited to the above-described embodiment.

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a power on-off device of the capsule endoscope according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 is shaking the capsule endoscope to turn on the power of the capsule endoscope according to the embodiment of FIG. It is a figure which shows.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the embodiment in which the magnet 20 is not included in the capsule endoscope 10 as compared to the embodiment of FIG. 1, the functions of the remaining blocks are the same. This embodiment is preferably used in the case of the capsule endoscope 10 is induced in the magnetic field from the outside, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

In this embodiment, the external magnet 30 is used to generate an induced current in the antenna 12 as shown in FIG. 6.

Prior to using the capsule endoscope 10, for example, the capsule endoscope 10 may be rapidly shaken adjacent to the outer magnet 30 to generate an induced current in the antenna 12 just before the patient swallows. When the antenna 12 moves quickly adjacent to the external magnet 30, an induced current is generated in the antenna 12. The magnitude of the induced current may vary depending on the shaking direction. The closer the length of the external magnet 30 and the winding direction of the antenna 12 is to the vertical, the greater the amount of induced current.

In addition, in order to confirm whether the capsule endoscope 10 is in an on state, the capsule endoscope 10 may further include an LED (not shown), and the LED may emit light.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a specific example of a power on-off method of the capsule endoscope according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In step S51, before the capsule endoscope 10 is introduced into the body, the capsule endoscope 10 can be shaken for several seconds quickly.

In the case of the embodiment of Figure 2 it is preferable to shake the capsule endoscope 10 in the longitudinal direction of the capsule endoscope. In the case of the embodiment of FIG. 6, the capsule endoscope 10 may be shaken adjacent to the outer magnet 30, but it is preferable to shake the longitudinal direction of the outer magnet 30 and the winding direction of the antenna 12 to be close to the vertical direction. Do.

In step S53, the induced current may be generated in the antenna 12 by shaking the capsule endoscope 10 by the distance variation of the magnets 20 and 30 and the antenna 12.

In operation S55, the generated driving current is rectified by the power driver 14 to turn on the power switch 28 to supply power to the function block 22. At this time, the control unit 18, which is supplied with power, keeps the power switch 28 always on even if the induction current is no longer introduced due to the shaking of the capsule endoscope 10.

The capsule endoscope 10 may be turned on by the method as described above, and the capsule endoscope 10 may be turned off if necessary.

In operation S57, the external device may transmit a power-off control command through wireless communication through the wireless communication antenna 12.

In operation S59, the controller 18 may receive a power off control command to cause the power driver to turn off the power switch 28.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the capsule endoscope 10 according to the present invention includes magnets 20 and 30 inside or outside, and uses an internal wireless communication antenna 12 as a power source, It characterized in that it comprises a power drive unit 14 for rectifying the induced current to turn on the power (ON). According to the present invention, before the capsule endoscope 10 is introduced into the body, the capsule endoscope 10 is shaken by an electric current induced by the internal or external magnets 20 and 30 to the wireless communication antenna 12. After the power is turned on and the power is turned on, by turning off the power of the capsule endoscope 10 by wireless communication, the power of the capsule endoscope can be easily turned on and off.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but this is merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art may various modifications and equivalent other embodiments from this. Will understand. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

10: capsule endoscope
12: antenna
14: power drive unit
16: power supply
18: control unit
20, 30: magnet
22: function block
24: diode
26: capacitor
28: power switch

Claims (11)

Capsule endoscope including magnet, antenna and power drive,
The magnet moves when the capsule endoscope shakes,
Induction current is generated in the antenna by the movement of the magnet,
The power supply driving unit capsule endoscope, characterized in that for turning on (ON) the power of the capsule endoscope by the induced current generated.
delete The method of claim 1,
And a control unit configured to receive a control command from an external device through wireless communication through the antenna, so that the power driving unit turns off the power of the capsule endoscope.
The method of claim 1,
The power supply driving unit is characterized in that the rectified current to turn on the power supply, capsule endoscope.
The method of claim 1,
When the power of the capsule endoscope is turned on, the capsule endoscope further comprises a control unit for maintaining the power supply in the on state.
The method of claim 1,
The antenna is a capsule endoscope, characterized in that the shape of surrounding the magnet with a coil.
The method of claim 1,
The antenna is a capsule endoscope, characterized in that the antenna for wireless communication used to transmit the image taken by the capsule endoscope to the outside.
The method of claim 1,
The power supply drive capsule endoscope, characterized in that it comprises a MEMS switch, MOSFET switch, J-FET switch, TR (transistor) switch or magnetic switch.
A power on-off method of a capsule endoscope including a magnet, an antenna, and a power driver,
Shaking the capsule endoscope to move the magnet;
Generating an induced current in the antenna by the movement of the magnet; And
The power driving unit turning on the power of the capsule endoscope by the induced current generated;
Containing, capsule power supply end of the power on-off method.
delete The method of claim 9,
The power supply of the capsule endoscope further comprises the step of turning off the power of the capsule endoscope by a control command received from an external device by wireless communication through the antenna. Off way.

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