Endoscope system, capsule endoscope device, and method for operating endoscope system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10743752-B2
Application number	US-201715836681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

An endoscope system includes a first capsule endoscope device and a second capsule endoscope device. The first capsule endoscope device is introduced into a living body before the second capsule endoscope device is introduced. The first capsule endoscope device includes a first image sensor and a first processor that controls an imaging operation by the first image sensor. The second capsule endoscope device includes a second image sensor and a second processor that performs a change process for control on an imaging operation by the second image sensor based on first information on the first capsule endoscope device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An endoscope system comprising:
a first capsule endoscope device; and
a second capsule endoscope device,
the first capsule endoscope device being configured to be introduced into a living body before the second capsule endoscope device is introduced into the living body, and the first capsule endoscope device including:
a first image sensor; and
a first processor that controls an imaging operation of the first image sensor,

the second capsule endoscope device including:
a second image sensor; and
a second processor that performs control of an imaging operation of the second image sensor based on first information on the first capsule endoscope device,

the control performed by the second processor including an increase in a power consumption of the second capsule endoscope device, and
the first information including at least one of (i) information on a remaining battery charge of the first capsule endoscope device, (ii) an image captured by the first capsule endoscope device, (iii) information on a time during which the first capsule endoscope device is within the living body, and (iv) position information indicating a position of the first capsule endoscope device in the living body.

2. The endoscope system as defined in claim 1 , the control performed by the second processor including starting the imaging operation of the second image sensor or switching a frame rate of the imaging operation of the second image sensor, in response to a trigger signal based on the first information.

3. The endoscope system as defined in claim 2 , further comprising a processing device that outputs the trigger signal upon receiving the first information, the second processor performing the control of the imaging operation when the second processor receives the trigger signal from the processing device.

4. The endoscope system as defined in claim 3 , the first processor performing a first communication process of transmitting the information on the remaining battery charge of the first capsule endoscope device, the processing device outputting the trigger signal when a predetermined period of time elapses after the remaining battery charge drops to or below a predetermined amount.

5. The endoscope system as defined in claim 4 , the predetermined period of time corresponding to time difference between introduction of the first capsule endoscope device into the living body and introduction of the second capsule endoscope device into the living body.

6. The endoscope system as defined in claim 3 , the first processor performing a first communication process of transmitting the information on the remaining battery charge of the first capsule endoscope device and an image captured by the first capsule endoscope device,
the processing device acquiring the position information indicating the position of the first capsule endoscope device in the living body at a timing where the remaining battery charge drops to or below the predetermined amount, based on the captured image, and
the processing device outputting the trigger signal when a match between a position of the second capsule endoscope device in the living body and the position indicated by the position information is determined to have occurred, based on images captured by the second capsule endoscope device.

7. The endoscope system as defined in claim 6 , the processing device outputting the trigger signal when the match is determined to have occurred within a predetermined range of time, based on a predetermined time period after the remaining battery charge has dropped to or below the predetermined amount.

8. The endoscope system as defined in claim 3 , the processing device being an extracorporeal device, and
the second processor performing a second communication process of receiving the trigger signal.

9. The endoscope system as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a processing device that performs a process of presenting introduction determination information for determining whether or not to introduce the second capsule endoscope device into the living body or determining an introduction timing, based on the first information.

10. A capsule endoscope device comprising:
an image sensor; and
a processor that controls an imaging operation of the image sensor,
the capsule endoscope device being settable to be in a first operation mode and settable to be in a second operation mode,
the processor performing, when the capsule endoscope device is set to be in the second operation mode, control of the image operation of the image sensor, based on first information on another capsule endoscope device that has been introduced into a living body before the capsule endoscope device set to be in the second operation mode is introduced into the living body, and that has been set to be in the first operation mode,
the control performed by the processor including an increase in a power consumption of the capsule endoscope device, and
the first information including at least one of (i) information on a remaining battery charge of the another capsule endoscope device, (ii) an image captured by the another capsule endoscope device, (iii) information on a time during which the another capsule endoscope device is within the living body, and (iv) position information indicating a position of the another capsule endoscope device in the living body.

11. An endoscope system comprising:
a first capsule endoscope device;
a second capsule endoscope device; and
a processing device that performs a process of presenting introduction determination information for determining whether or not to introduce the second capsule endoscope device into a living body or determining an introduction timing, based on first information on the first capsule endoscope device that has been introduced into the living body before the second capsule endoscope device is introduced into the living body,
the first information including at least one of (i) information on a remaining battery charge of the first capsule endoscope device and (ii) information on a time elapsed after the first capsule endoscope device has been introduced into the living body.

12. The endoscope system as defined in claim 11 , the introduction determination information indicating whether or not the first capsule endoscope device has successfully completed imaging of a target range in the living body.

13. The endoscope system as defined in claim 11 , the introduction determination information including an image captured by the first capsule endoscope device.

14. A method for operating an endoscope system, the method comprising:
introducing a first capsule endoscope device into a living body, the first capsule endoscope device including a first image sensor and a first processor that controls an imaging operation of the first image sensor; and
introducing a second capsule endoscope device into the living body, the second capsule endoscope device including a second image sensor and a second processor that performs control of an imaging operation of the second image sensor based on first information on the first capsule endoscope device,
the control performed by the second processor including an increase in a power consumption of the second capsule endoscope device, and
the first information including at least one of (i) information on a remaining battery charge of the first capsule endoscope device, (ii) an image captured by the first capsule endoscope device, (iii) information on a time during which the first capsule endoscope device is within the living body, and (iv) position information indicating a position of the first capsu

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• On Seigo

Classifications

• A61B1/00036

  Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode · CPC title

• A61B1/00006

  of control signals · CPC title

• A61B1/00016

  using wireless means · CPC title

• A61B1/00032

  internally powered · CPC title

• A61B1/041 Primary

  Capsule endoscopes for imaging · CPC title