Driving and charging multiplexing system for capsule endoscope

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application is applicable to the field of medical technology, and provides a driving and charging multiplexing system for a capsule endoscope, the system comprising a capsule endoscope and an in vitro control device; the capsule endoscope comprises a capsule magnet and a charging coil, the charging coil is sleeved on the outside of the capsule magnet; the in vitro control device comprises a mechanical arm, and a plurality of orthogonal in vitro electromagnetic coils are installed at the end of the mechanical arm; wherein: the in vitro control device is used to apply a first current signal and a second current signal to the in vitro electromagnetic coil respectively, so as to simultaneously drive the capsule endoscope to move and charge the capsule endoscope; wherein the first current signal is a low-frequency slow-changing signal, which is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal is a high-frequency alternating signal, which is used to charge the capsule endoscope. With the above system, the capsule endoscope can be charged at any time during the process of driving the capsule endoscope to move.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application belong to the field of medical technology, and in particular, relate to a driving and charging multiplexing system for a capsule endoscope. Background Art

[0002] Capsule endoscopy is an important technical means for complete digestive tract examination. It is painless and non-invasive, and has been increasingly used in clinical practice. Capsule endoscopy is usually only the size of a capsule, and consists of a dome-shaped optical shell, an optical lens, an image sensor, a lighting lamp, a radio frequency transmitter, an antenna, and a battery. After being swallowed by the patient, the image sensor and other modules in it can be used to photograph the patient's gastrointestinal tract. The captured images can be transmitted to the outside of the body through the transmitter and antenna for doctors to process.

[0003] During clinical application, the battery in the capsule endoscope needs to power each module. The battery in the existing capsule endoscope can usually only keep the capsule endoscope working for 7-8 hours. If the resolution and frame rate of the captured image need to be improved, the power consumption of the capsule endoscope will be even greater, further reducing the working time of the capsule endoscope and failing to meet the needs of a complete examination of the patient's gastrointestinal tract. Although the existing technology can extend the working time of the capsule endoscope in the human body by wirelessly charging the capsule endoscope, the charging process may affect the control of the driving process of the capsule endoscope. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a driving and charging multiplexing system for a capsule endoscope, which can charge the capsule endoscope at any time during the process of driving the capsule endoscope to move, so that the driving process and the charging process of the capsule endoscope do not interfere with each other, thereby improving the efficiency of gastrointestinal examination using the capsule endoscope.

[0005] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a driving and charging multiplexing system for a capsule endoscope, comprising a capsule endoscope and an in vitro control device; the capsule endoscope comprises a capsule magnet and a charging coil, and the charging coil is sleeved outside the capsule magnet; the in vitro control device comprises a mechanical arm, and a plurality of orthogonal in vitro electromagnetic coils are installed at the end of the mechanical arm; wherein:

[0006] The extracorporeal control device is used to apply a first current signal and a second current signal to the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil respectively to drive the capsule endoscope to move and charge the capsule endoscope; wherein the first current signal is a low-frequency, slowly varying signal, used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; and the second current signal is a high-frequency, alternating signal, used to charge the capsule endoscope.

[0007] Optionally, the frequency of the first current signal is less than 5 Hz, and the frequency of the second current signal is greater than 100 kHz and less than 10 MHz.

[0008] Optionally, the capsule magnet is cylindrical, the charging coil is solenoid-shaped, and the central axes of the capsule magnet and the charging coil are consistent with the central axis of the capsule endoscope.

[0009] Optionally, the extracorporeal control device is specifically used to obtain the position information of the capsule endoscope in the human body, control the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil to move to a target position according to the position information, and apply the first current signal and the second current signal to the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil at the target position, respectively, so as to simultaneously drive the capsule endoscope to move and charge the capsule endoscope.

[0010] Optionally, the posture information includes position parameters and direction parameters of the capsule endoscope, and the extracorporeal control device is also used to determine the target position and the current value of the first current signal based on the posture information; wherein, after the first current signal is applied to the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil at the target position, the driving magnetic field generated by the first current signal exerts a maximum force on the capsule endoscope in the direction of the central axis of the capsule magnet.

[0011] Optionally, the number of orthogonal extracorporeal electromagnetic coils is three, and the current value of the first current signal includes the magnitude of the current applied to each of the three extracorporeal electromagnetic coils.

[0012] Optionally, a data table of correspondence between posture information, target position and current value is stored in the extracorporeal control device, and the data table of correspondence between posture information, target position and current value is obtained through pre-simulation. The extracorporeal control device is specifically used to obtain the posture information of the capsule endoscope in the human body, and determine the target position corresponding to the posture information and the current value of the first current signal by querying the data table of correspondence between posture information, target position and current value.

[0013] Optionally, after the extracorporeal control device drives the capsule endoscope to move and causes the posture information of the capsule endoscope to change, the extracorporeal control device is also used to obtain the changed posture information of the capsule endoscope, control the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil to move to a new target position according to the changed posture information, and apply the first current signal and the second current signal to the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil at the new target position, respectively.

[0014] Optionally, the extracorporeal control device is further used to demagnetize the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil and turn off the power supply of the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil before applying the first current signal and the second current signal to the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil respectively.

[0015] Optionally, the process of the extracorporeal control device applying the first current signal and the second current signal to the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil respectively is performed simultaneously or not completely simultaneously.

[0016] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a driving and charging multiplexing method for a capsule endoscope, which is applied to an in vitro control device, wherein the in vitro control device includes a mechanical arm, and a plurality of orthogonal in vitro electromagnetic coils are installed at the end of the mechanical arm; the method includes:

[0017] Acquiring position information of a capsule endoscope in a human body and determining a target position according to the position information;

[0018] moving a plurality of orthogonal extracorporeal electromagnetic coils to the target location;

[0019] Applying a first current signal and a second current signal to a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils respectively, so as to simultaneously drive a capsule endoscope in a human body to move and charge the capsule endoscope;

[0020] Among them, the first current signal is a low-frequency slowly changing signal, which is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal is a high-frequency alternating signal, which is used to charge the capsule endoscope; the capsule endoscope includes a capsule magnet and a charging coil, and the charging coil is sleeved on the outside of the capsule magnet; the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil is fixedly installed at the end of the mechanical arm of the extracorporeal control device.

[0021] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an in vitro control device for a capsule endoscope, comprising:

[0022] A target position acquisition module, used to acquire the position information of the capsule endoscope in the human body and determine the target position according to the position information;

[0023] An electromagnetic coil moving module, used for moving a plurality of orthogonal in vitro electromagnetic coils to the target position;

[0024] A current signal applying module, used for applying a first current signal and a second current signal to a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils respectively, so as to simultaneously drive the capsule endoscope in the human body to move and charge the capsule endoscope;

[0025] Among them, the first current signal is a low-frequency slowly changing signal, which is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal is a high-frequency alternating signal, which is used to charge the capsule endoscope; the capsule endoscope includes a capsule magnet and a charging coil, and the charging coil is sleeved on the outside of the capsule magnet; the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil is fixedly installed at the end of the mechanical arm of the extracorporeal control device.

[0026] A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a medical device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the following method when executing the computer program:

[0027] Acquiring position information of a capsule endoscope in a human body and determining a target position according to the position information;

[0028] moving a plurality of orthogonal extracorporeal electromagnetic coils to the target location;

[0029] Applying a first current signal and a second current signal to a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils respectively, so as to simultaneously drive a capsule endoscope in a human body to move and charge the capsule endoscope;

[0030] Among them, the first current signal is a low-frequency slowly changing signal, which is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal is a high-frequency alternating signal, which is used to charge the capsule endoscope; the capsule endoscope includes a capsule magnet and a charging coil, and the charging coil is sleeved on the outside of the capsule magnet; the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil is fixedly installed at the end of the mechanical arm of the extracorporeal control device.

[0031] A fifth aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the following method is implemented:

[0032] Acquiring position information of a capsule endoscope in a human body and determining a target position according to the position information;

[0033] moving a plurality of orthogonal extracorporeal electromagnetic coils to the target location;

[0034] Applying a first current signal and a second current signal to a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils respectively, so as to simultaneously drive a capsule endoscope in a human body to move and charge the capsule endoscope;

[0035] Among them, the first current signal is a low-frequency slowly changing signal, which is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal is a high-frequency alternating signal, which is used to charge the capsule endoscope; the capsule endoscope includes a capsule magnet and a charging coil, and the charging coil is sleeved on the outside of the capsule magnet; the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil is fixedly installed at the end of the mechanical arm of the extracorporeal control device.

[0036] A sixth aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the following method:

[0037] Acquiring position information of a capsule endoscope in a human body and determining a target position according to the position information;

[0038] moving a plurality of orthogonal extracorporeal electromagnetic coils to the target location;

[0039] Applying a first current signal and a second current signal to a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils respectively, so as to simultaneously drive a capsule endoscope in a human body to move and charge the capsule endoscope;

[0040] Among them, the first current signal is a low-frequency slowly changing signal, which is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal is a high-frequency alternating signal, which is used to charge the capsule endoscope; the capsule endoscope includes a capsule magnet and a charging coil, and the charging coil is sleeved on the outside of the capsule magnet; the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil is fixedly installed at the end of the mechanical arm of the extracorporeal control device.

[0041] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present application have the following beneficial effects:

[0042] The embodiment of the present application improves the existing capsule endoscope by adding a capsule magnet and a charging coil to the capsule endoscope, and combining multiple orthogonal extracorporeal electromagnetic coils. By loading a low-frequency slowly changing current and a high-frequency alternating current, the capsule can be wirelessly charged while performing electromagnetic driving, thereby solving the problem of insufficient power supply to the capsule endoscope and ensuring that the driving process and the charging process of the capsule endoscope do not interfere with each other, thereby improving the efficiency of gastrointestinal examination using the capsule endoscope. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or prior art descriptions. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0044] Figure 1is a schematic diagram of a driving and charging multiplexing system for a capsule endoscope provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a capsule endoscope provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a positioning principle of a capsule endoscope provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a composite excitation of a slow-changing current and an alternating current provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a wireless charging process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the time-sharing working sequence of a driving and charging multiplexing system of a capsule endoscope provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a method for driving and charging a capsule endoscope provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of a medical device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures, technologies, etc. are proposed for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present application can also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to prevent unnecessary details from hindering the description of the present application.

[0053] The technical solution of the present application is described below through specific embodiments.

[0054] Reference Figure 1 , shows a schematic diagram of a driving and charging multiplexing system for a capsule endoscope provided in an embodiment of the present application, the system comprising a capsule endoscope 101 and an external control device (not fully shown in the figure). The capsule endoscope 101 comprises a capsule magnet 1011 and a charging coil 1012, and the charging coil 1012 can be sleeved on the outside of the capsule magnet 1011. The external control device comprises a mechanical arm 102, and a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils 1021 can be installed at the end of the mechanical arm 102. Exemplarily, Figure 1The number of the orthogonal external electromagnetic coils 1021 can be 3, that is, the external electromagnetic coils 1021 fixed at the end of the robot arm 102 can be composed of 3 orthogonal electromagnetic coils. By applying current to these external electromagnetic coils 1021, the capsule endoscope 101 can be driven and charged in the human body.

[0055] Specifically, when the capsule endoscope is swallowed by the patient into the gastrointestinal tract, the external control device can apply the first current signal and the second current signal to the external electromagnetic coil respectively to drive the capsule endoscope to move and charge the capsule endoscope. The first current signal can be a low-frequency slow-changing signal, that is, a signal with a low signal frequency and a slow current value change, and the low-frequency slow-changing signal can be used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal can be a high-frequency alternating signal, that is, an alternating signal with a high signal frequency, and the high-frequency alternating signal can be used to charge the capsule endoscope.

[0056] In a possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application, before the external control device applies the first current signal and the second current signal to the orthogonal external electromagnetic coils, the external electromagnetic coil can be moved to a target position. Figure 1 The mechanical arm 102 in the embodiment moves the external electromagnetic coil 1021 installed at its end to the target position. The target position may be a position determined according to the position of the capsule endoscope in the human body. At the target position, a reasonable first current signal applied to the external electromagnetic coil can generate a magnetic field to drive the capsule endoscope to move in the human gastrointestinal tract, and the second current signal can generate a strong magnetic field coupling to improve the charging efficiency.

[0057] In a possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application, the position of the capsule endoscope in the human body can be obtained by positioning the capsule endoscope through an external magnetic sensor array. Figure 1 The driving and charging multiplexing system of the capsule endoscope in the present invention may also include a magnetic sensor array 103, which may be installed under the examination bed and is composed of a plurality of magnetic sensors. When the patient is examined by the capsule endoscope, the patient may lie flat on the examination bed, and the magnetic sensor array under the examination bed may locate the capsule endoscope that has been swallowed into the gastrointestinal tract to obtain its posture information. Then, the external control device may determine the target position according to the posture information and use a robotic arm to move a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils to the target position, and apply a first current signal and a second current signal to the external electromagnetic coils, so as to realize the purpose of charging the capsule endoscope simultaneously during its driving process.

[0058] The following is a detailed description of the process of driving and charging a capsule endoscope using the driving and charging multiplexing system for a capsule endoscope provided in an embodiment of the present application. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, in the embodiments of the present application, "capsule", "capsule endoscope" and "wireless capsule endoscope" all refer to the same. Figure 1 Capsule endoscopy 101 in.

[0059] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 ,in Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a capsule endoscope provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As can be seen from the figure, the capsule endoscope 101 in the embodiment of the present application includes a capsule magnet 1011 and a charging coil 1012 in addition to a conventional optical cover 1013, an optical lens 1014, an image sensor 1015, an LED lighting assembly 1016, a controller 1017 (including a wireless transceiver), an antenna 1018 and a battery 1019. Figure 2 As shown, the capsule magnet 1011 may be cylindrical, the charging coil 1012 may be solenoid-shaped, and the central axis of the capsule magnet 1011 and the charging coil 1012 is consistent with the central axis of the capsule endoscope 101. The charging coil 1012 may be sleeved outside the capsule magnet 1011. In this way, Figure 1 The extracorporeal electromagnetic coil 1021 in the capsule endoscope 101 can generate a slowly varying driving magnetic field after applying a first current signal, i.e., a low-frequency slowly varying signal. The cylindrical capsule magnet 1011 can achieve the purpose of driving the capsule to move under the action of the slowly varying driving magnetic field. On the other hand, the extracorporeal control device can apply a second current signal, i.e., a high-frequency alternating signal, to the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil 1021, and the high-frequency alternating signal can generate an alternating electromagnetic field. When the charging coil 1012 in the capsule endoscope 101 receives the energy generated by the alternating electromagnetic field, the energy can be used to charge the circuit inside the capsule endoscope 101. Since the capsule magnet 1011 in the capsule endoscope 101 is consistent with the central axis of the charging coil 1012, the slowly varying driving magnetic field can achieve a large driving force while the charging coil 1012 can also obtain a relatively large induction charging power accordingly.

[0060] In a possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application, the external electromagnetic coil may be composed of three mutually orthogonal coils. Each coil can generate a magnetic field, i.e., a slowly varying driving magnetic field, at the location of the capsule endoscope under the excitation of the first current signal. The slowly varying driving magnetic field interacts with the capsule magnet to drive the capsule endoscope to move in the gastrointestinal tract. Generally, there is an optimal direction for the movement of the capsule endoscope in the gastrointestinal tract, so the direction of the slowly varying driving magnetic field should be as consistent as possible with it, which requires adjusting the current of the three orthogonal external electromagnetic coils so that the direction of the comprehensive magnetic field they generate (i.e., the comprehensive magnetic field generated by the three electromagnetic coils) is consistent with the direction of movement of the capsule endoscope. Compared with the charging scheme of using only one electromagnetic coil in the prior art, when using one electromagnetic coil, it is necessary to adjust the position and direction of the electromagnetic coil at the same time. Due to the limitations of the human body and space, it is often difficult to adjust the position and direction to the best. In the embodiment of the present application, by applying three orthogonal electromagnetic coils, it is only necessary to adjust the position of the electromagnetic coil, and the adjustment of its magnetic field direction can be achieved by adjusting the current in the coil. In this way, it is more helpful to obtain the optimal magnetic field direction.

[0061] In a possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application, the external control device may apply the first current signal and the second current signal to the external electromagnetic coil after moving the orthogonal external electromagnetic coil to the target position. Since the above-mentioned target position can be determined based on the position and posture of the capsule endoscope in the human body, the external control device should position the capsule endoscope before moving the external electromagnetic coil to obtain the position and posture information of the capsule endoscope, and the position and posture information may include the position parameters and direction parameters of the capsule endoscope.

[0062] In one example, the positioning of the capsule endoscope can be achieved using an external magnetic sensor array. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , it is a schematic diagram of the positioning principle of a capsule endoscope provided by an embodiment of the present application. Assume that the center position of the capsule magnet in the capsule endoscope is at (a, b, c), and its main axis direction is H0 = (m, n, p), so that the capsule magnet can generate a static magnetic field around it and on the magnetic sensor. The capsule magnet is at a certain point in space (for example, Figure 3 The position of the lth magnetic sensor in (x l ,y l 、z l ), l = 1, 2, ... N), the magnetic field generated can be mathematically described by the magnetic dipole model:

[0063]

[0064]

[0065] In the above formula, B l is the position (xl ,y l , z l ) at the magnetic field intensity; B lx , B ly and B lz are the three magnetic induction intensity components at the position, which can be measured by the magnetic sensor; N (N≥5) is the number of magnetic sensors in the magnetic sensor array; μ r is the relative magnetic permeability. Usually, in the human body and air, μ r ≈1; μ0 is the vacuum permeability, μ0=4π×10 -7 T·m / A;M T is a constant that characterizes the magnetic field strength of the capsule magnet; R l P l The model, P l is the vector of the position of the lth magnetic sensor relative to the center of the capsule magnet, P l =[x l -a,y l -b,z l -c] T H0(=[m,n,p] T ) is a vector representing the main axis direction of the capsule magnet. The vector is two-dimensional and has the following constraints:

[0066] m 2 +n 2 +p 2 =1……(2)

[0067] Expanding the above formula (1), we can get:

[0068]

[0069]

[0070]

[0071] in,

[0072] By position (x l ,y l , z l ) on the magnetic sensor, can measure B lx , B ly and B lz Using the above formula, mathematical analysis or nonlinear optimization can be used to solve the position parameters [a, b, c] of the capsule magnet. T and direction parameters [m, n, p] T The above position parameters and direction parameters constitute the position information of the capsule endoscope in the human body.

[0073] According to the above posture information, the external control device can determine the target position of the external electromagnetic coil and the current value of the first current signal, the target position can be the optimal driving position, that is, at the target position After applying the first current signal to the external electromagnetic coil, the driving magnetic field generated by the first current signal can reach a maximum force on the capsule endoscope in the direction of the central axis of the capsule magnet. Since the external electromagnetic coil can be composed of three orthogonal electromagnetic coils, the current value of the first current signal determined according to the posture information can include the current magnitudes of the three external electromagnetic coils, i.e., (I1, I2, I3).

[0074] In a possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application, obtaining the maximum force is to maximize the difference in magnetic induction intensity on the two surfaces of the capsule magnet, that is, to maximize the gradient magnetic field. Since the magnetic field vector in any direction can be adjusted by the current of three orthogonal coils, the three-dimensional position of the electromagnetic coil corresponding to the maximum gradient magnetic field around the magnet and the current magnitude on the three orthogonal coils can be calculated through simulation. During the simulation process, the three orthogonal electromagnetic coils can use magnetic dipoles as a model to calculate the magnetic induction intensity they generate, with the goal of maximizing the gradient magnetic field in the axial direction of the two surfaces of the capsule magnet, and optimize the search for the three-dimensional coordinate difference of the electromagnetic coil relative to the capsule magnet and the current values ​​of the three coils, and establish input data as the position and posture of the capsule magnet (a, b, c, m, n, p), and the output is the target position of the electromagnetic coil. And a relationship data table of the current magnitudes (I1, I2, I3) on the three orthogonal coils, that is, a data table of the correspondence between the posture information and the target position and the current value. The above relationship data table obtained by simulation can be stored in an in vitro control device. In this way, after the in vitro control device obtains the posture information of the capsule endoscope in the human body, the target position corresponding to the current posture information of the capsule endoscope and the current value of the first current signal can be determined by querying the relationship data table. The in vitro control device can use a mechanical arm to move the in vitro electromagnetic coil to the target position, and use a driving circuit to generate a current of a corresponding magnitude, thereby generating a maximum driving force to drive the capsule endoscope in the gastrointestinal tract.

[0075] In the embodiment of the present application, while the magnetic field generated by the external electromagnetic coil is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move, the external electromagnetic coil can also be used in combination with the charging coil in the capsule endoscope to realize wireless charging of the capsule endoscope. That is, the external electromagnetic coil in the embodiment of the present application can be reused. On the one hand, it can be used as a capsule drive coil to drive the capsule endoscope to move, and on the other hand, it can also be used as a magnetic energy transmitting coil for wireless charging of the capsule endoscope. Specifically, the embodiment of the present application can use electromagnetic coupling to perform wireless charging. A low-frequency, slowly changing first current signal is applied to the three orthogonal external electromagnetic coils to enable the capsule endoscope to move. At the same time, the capsule endoscope can be wirelessly charged by superimposing an alternating current of a specific frequency.

[0076] It should be noted that when superimposing the alternating current, care should be taken to avoid interference with the driving process, that is, low-frequency and DC signals should be avoided. Since the influence of high-frequency alternating signals on the driving can be ignored, but a larger charging electromagnetic coupling can be generated, the alternating current of a specific frequency applied to the external electromagnetic coil for wireless charging of the capsule endoscope can be a high-frequency alternating signal.

[0077] In a possible implementation of an embodiment of the present application, the frequency of the first current signal used to drive the capsule endoscope to move, that is, the low-frequency slow-changing signal, may be less than 5 Hz (Hertz), and the frequency of the second current signal used to charge the capsule endoscope, that is, the high-frequency alternating signal, may be greater than 100 kHz (kilohertz / kilohertz) and less than 10 MHz (megahertz / megahertz).

[0078] like Figure 4 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of a composite excitation of a slow-changing current and an alternating current provided in an embodiment of the present application. Among them, for the magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic coil in vitro, a slow-changing signal is used to drive the capsule magnet, while wireless charging requires a fast-changing alternating signal, which is often a high-frequency sinusoidal signal. Therefore, the electromagnetic drive and wireless charging of the capsule endoscope can be realized simultaneously by superimposing the two signals.

[0079] During the charging process, an alternating magnetic field is formed around the charging coil in the capsule endoscope. This alternating magnetic field can form an induced electromotive force on the charging coil, and charge the battery and capacitor in the capsule endoscope after passing through the charging circuit. Since the induced electromotive force of the charging coil is proportional to the amplitude of the alternating magnetic flux flowing through the charging coil, the direction of the alternating magnetic field generated by the external electromagnetic coil should be consistent with the central axis of the charging coil. In the embodiment of the present application, the central axis of the charging coil is consistent with the central axis of the capsule magnet, so that while ensuring the maximum capsule magnetic driving force, the charging coil can also obtain a large alternating magnetic flux, generating sufficient charging current to effectively charge the battery in the capsule endoscope.

[0080] In the embodiments of the present application, wireless charging needs to pay attention to the influence of the human body on electromagnetic coupling, as well as the influence of the frequency of the charging transmission signal on the transmission of wireless energy. Therefore, a reasonable frequency should be selected during the charging process to improve the efficiency of power transmission. Generally, the frequency of the charging signal can be determined by the resonance method, that is, a specific coupling capacitor is added to the circuit of the charging coil, and then the frequency is adjusted to make the charging coil and the external electromagnetic coil produce magnetic coupling resonance to obtain the maximum power transmission. In the process of charging the three mutually orthogonal external electromagnetic coils, the current value in each coil, that is, the current value of the second current signal, can use a sinusoidal signal with the same phase, and their amplitude can also be determined by the aforementioned method of calculating the current value of the first current signal, which will not be repeated here.

[0081] like Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , it is a schematic diagram of a wireless charging process provided by an embodiment of the present application. The second current signal generated by the driving power supply can be applied to the electromagnetic coil outside the body, and the alternating magnetic field generated thereby couples with the charging coil in the capsule endoscope to induce an alternating current in the charging coil, and the charging circuit in the capsule endoscope completes the complete charging process. Figure 5 As shown, the charging circuit in the capsule endoscope includes a rectifier circuit, a rechargeable battery and a charging capacitor. Among them, the rectifier circuit can convert the AC current of the charging coil into a DC current to charge the battery and capacitor in the capsule. The rechargeable battery and the charging capacitor serve as charging energy storage modules. After being stabilized by the voltage stabilizing module, they can supply power to various electrical components in the capsule. The rechargeable battery can be used for long-term power supply, and the charging capacitor is used for short-term current regulation.

[0082] In a possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application, the in vitro control device will cause the position information of the capsule endoscope to change during the process of driving the capsule endoscope to move. That is, after the in vitro control device drives the capsule endoscope to move, the position information of the capsule endoscope at the new position also changes. At this time, the in vitro control device can obtain the changed position information of the capsule endoscope, control the in vitro electromagnetic coil to move to the new target position according to the changed position information, and apply the first current signal and the second current signal to the in vitro electromagnetic coil at the new target position.

[0083] In a possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application, when a capsule endoscope is used for gastrointestinal examination, the magnetic sensor array detects and locates the magnetic field of the capsule magnet in the capsule endoscope. During the positioning, it is necessary to eliminate the surrounding magnetic field interference, so it is necessary to disconnect the power supply of the external electromagnetic coil and demagnetize its magnetic circuit system. Specifically, the external control device can demagnetize the external electromagnetic coil and turn off the power supply of the external electromagnetic coil before applying the first current signal and the second current signal to the external electromagnetic coil respectively.

[0084] like Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the time-sharing operation sequence of a driving and charging multiplexing system for a capsule endoscope provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 According to the working sequence shown, the driving and charging multiplexing system of the capsule endoscope can periodically cycle the following steps, namely: 1) power off the external electromagnetic coil and demagnetize its magnetic circuit; 2) position the capsule endoscope; 3) obtain magnetic drive feedback information by integrating the positioning result and capsule image information; 4) control the robotic arm to move the external electromagnetic coil to the optimal target position to realize capsule magnetic drive; 5) superimpose an alternating current on the external electromagnetic coil to wirelessly charge the capsule endoscope.

[0085] In a possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application, the process of the external control device applying the first current signal and the second current signal to the external electromagnetic coil respectively can be performed simultaneously; or, Figure 6 As shown, the two are not performed completely simultaneously. That is, the magnetic driving process and the wireless charging process may be slightly different in time.

[0086] The embodiment of the present application improves the existing capsule endoscope by adding a capsule magnet and a charging coil to the capsule endoscope, and combining multiple orthogonal extracorporeal electromagnetic coils. By loading a low-frequency slowly changing current and a high-frequency alternating current, the capsule can be wirelessly charged while performing electromagnetic driving, thereby solving the problem of insufficient power supply to the capsule endoscope and ensuring that the driving process and the charging process of the capsule endoscope do not interfere with each other, thereby improving the efficiency of gastrointestinal examination using the capsule endoscope.

[0087] For ease of understanding, the specific process of the driving and charging multiplexing system for a capsule endoscope provided in an embodiment of the present application is introduced below with reference to an example.

[0088] A) Swallow the capsule and have the subject lie in a suitable position on the examination table.

[0089] In this example, the capsule may be a Figure 2 A capsule endoscope of the structure shown. In addition to the conventional optical cover, optical lens, image sensor, LED lighting assembly, controller (including wireless transceiver), antenna and battery, the capsule endoscope also includes a capsule magnet and a charging coil. Among them, the capsule magnet can be a cylindrical permanent magnet, and the charging coil is a solenoid type. The solenoid-type charging coil can be sleeved on the outside of the cylindrical capsule magnet. In addition, the central axis of the capsule magnet and the charging coil is consistent with the central axis of the capsule endoscope. During the charging process, the charging coil realizes the related functions of the charging receiving coil.

[0090] B) Demagnetize the magnetic circuit of the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil and turn off its power supply to put it in a current-free state.

[0091] C) The capsule endoscope in the human body is positioned by means of a magnetic sensor array to obtain the position information of the capsule endoscope.

[0092] In this example, the magnetic sensor array may be installed below the inspection table, the magnetic sensor array may be composed of a plurality of magnetic sensors, and each magnetic sensor may be a three-axis magnetic sensor.

[0093] The position information of the capsule endoscope may include the position parameter and the direction parameter of the capsule endoscope. The specific process of determining the position information of the capsule endoscope based on the magnetic sensor array may be as described in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0094] D) Based on the position information of the capsule endoscope, the robotic arm is controlled to move the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil to the optimal target position above the human body.

[0095] In this example, the target position can be obtained by solving the position information of the capsule endoscope. The external control device can control the mechanical arm to move the external electromagnetic coil to the target position.

[0096] In a possible implementation of this example, a data table of corresponding relationships between posture information, target position and current value can be established in advance through simulation. After obtaining the posture information of the capsule endoscope, the optimal target position can be determined by querying the relationship data table.

[0097] E) Applying low-frequency, slowly varying currents to orthogonal external electromagnetic coils generates a related magnetic field.

[0098] In this example, the number of orthogonal extracorporeal electromagnetic coils can be three. After the extracorporeal electromagnetic coils are moved to the target position, a low-frequency slow-changing current can be applied to the three extracorporeal electromagnetic coils using a driving power supply, and the frequency of the current can be less than 5 Hz. The direction of the integrated gradient magnetic field vector of the related magnetic field generated by the slow-changing current should be as consistent as possible with the target direction of the capsule endoscope (capsule magnet) movement. In this way, the related magnetic field generated by the slow-changing current interacts with the permanent magnet in the capsule to drive the capsule endoscope forward or backward.

[0099] F) While driving the capsule to move, an alternating current of a specific frequency and sufficient strength is superimposed on the orthogonal external electromagnetic coil to generate an alternating magnetic field in the capsule.

[0100] In this example, the alternating current with a special frequency and sufficient strength can be a high-frequency alternating current, and the frequency of the high-frequency alternating current can be greater than 100kHz and less than 10MHz. The alternating magnetic field generated by the high-frequency alternating current is coupled with the charging receiving coil in the capsule, and the charging receiving coil generates an induced electromotive force and an induced current, which are converted into a direct current through a rectifier circuit, and can provide the electrical energy required for the capsule to work by charging the battery and capacitor in the capsule.

[0101] In this way, the capsule endoscope can be charged at any time during the process of driving the capsule endoscope to move.

[0102] Reference Figure 7 , shows a schematic diagram of a method for driving and charging a capsule endoscope provided in an embodiment of the present application, which may specifically include the following steps:

[0103] S701, obtaining position information of a capsule endoscope in a human body and determining a target position according to the position information.

[0104] S702, moving a plurality of orthogonal extracorporeal electromagnetic coils to the target position.

[0105] S703: Apply a first current signal and a second current signal to a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils respectively, so as to simultaneously drive the capsule endoscope in the human body to move and charge the capsule endoscope.

[0106] Among them, the first current signal is a low-frequency slowly changing signal, which is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal is a high-frequency alternating signal, which is used to charge the capsule endoscope; the capsule endoscope includes a capsule magnet and a charging coil, and the charging coil is sleeved on the outside of the capsule magnet; the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil is fixedly installed at the end of the mechanical arm of the extracorporeal control device.

[0107] The various steps in the above method embodiment are similar to the functions implemented by the extracorporeal control device in the aforementioned system embodiment. For relevant details, please refer to the introduction of the aforementioned system embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0108] Reference Figure 8 , shows a schematic diagram of a medical device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, the medical device 800 in the embodiment of the present application includes: a processor 810, a memory 820, and a computer program 821 stored in the memory 820 and executable on the processor 810. When the processor 810 executes the computer program 821, the various steps in the aforementioned embodiment of the driving and charging multiplexing method for a capsule endoscope, for example, steps S701-S703, are implemented; or, when the processor 810 executes the computer program 821, the functions of the above-mentioned in vitro control device are implemented.

[0109] Exemplarily, the computer program 821 may be divided into one or more modules / units, which are stored in the memory 820 and executed by the processor 810 to complete the present application. The one or more modules / units may be a series of computer program instruction segments capable of completing specific functions, which may be used to describe the execution process of the computer program 821 in the medical device 800. For example, the computer program 821 may be divided into a target position acquisition module, an electromagnetic coil movement module, and a current signal application module, and the specific functions of each module are as follows:

[0110] A target position acquisition module, used to acquire the position information of the capsule endoscope in the human body and determine the target position according to the position information;

[0111] An electromagnetic coil moving module, used for moving a plurality of orthogonal in vitro electromagnetic coils to the target position;

[0112] A current signal applying module, used for applying a first current signal and a second current signal to a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils respectively, so as to simultaneously drive the capsule endoscope in the human body to move and charge the capsule endoscope;

[0113] Among them, the first current signal is a low-frequency slowly changing signal, which is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal is a high-frequency alternating signal, which is used to charge the capsule endoscope; the capsule endoscope includes a capsule magnet and a charging coil, and the charging coil is sleeved on the outside of the capsule magnet; the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil is fixedly installed at the end of the mechanical arm of the extracorporeal control device.

[0114] The medical device 800 may be an electronic device capable of implementing various functions of the extracorporeal control device in the aforementioned system embodiment. The medical device 800 may include, but is not limited to, a processor 810 and a memory 820. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that Figure 8 It is only an example of the medical device 800 and does not constitute a limitation of the medical device 800. It may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or a combination of certain components, or different components. For example, the medical device 800 may also include input and output devices, network access devices, buses, etc.

[0115] The processor 810 may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0116] The memory 820 may be an internal storage unit of the medical device 800, such as a hard disk or memory of the medical device 800. The memory 820 may also be an external storage device of the medical device 800, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart media card (SMC), a secure digital (SD) card, a flash card, etc. equipped on the medical device 800. Further, the memory 820 may also include both an internal storage unit and an external storage device of the medical device 800. The memory 820 is used to store the computer program 821 and other programs and data required by the medical device 800. The memory 820 may also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0117] An embodiment of the present application also discloses a medical device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the driving and charging multiplexing method of the capsule endoscope as described in the aforementioned embodiments is implemented.

[0118] The embodiment of the present application further discloses a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the driving and charging multiplexing method of the capsule endoscope as described in the above-mentioned embodiments is implemented.

[0119] The embodiment of the present application further discloses a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the driving and charging multiplexing method of the capsule endoscope described in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0120] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application is described in detail with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, a person skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the above-mentioned embodiments can still be modified, or some of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A driving and charging multiplexing system for a capsule endoscope, characterized in that: It comprises a capsule endoscope and an extracorporeal control device; the capsule endoscope comprises a capsule magnet and a charging coil, and the charging coil is sleeved outside the capsule magnet; the extracorporeal control device comprises a mechanical arm, and a plurality of orthogonal extracorporeal electromagnetic coils are installed at the end of the mechanical arm, and the extracorporeal electromagnetic coils are located above the human body; wherein: The extracorporeal control device is used to obtain the position information of the capsule endoscope in the human body, control the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil to move to the target position above the human body according to the position information, and apply a first current signal and a second current signal to the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil at the target position, respectively, to drive the capsule endoscope to move and charge the capsule endoscope at the same time; wherein the first current signal is a low-frequency slow-changing signal, which is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal is a high-frequency alternating signal, which is used to charge the capsule endoscope; wherein a data table of the correspondence between the position information, the target position and the current value is stored in the extracorporeal control device, and the data table of the correspondence between the position information, the target position and the current value is obtained through pre-simulation.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The frequency of the first current signal is less than 5 Hz, and the frequency of the second current signal is greater than 100 kHz and less than 10 MHz.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The capsule magnet is cylindrical, the charging coil is solenoid-shaped, and the central axes of the capsule magnet and the charging coil are consistent with the central axis of the capsule endoscope.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The posture information includes position parameters and direction parameters of the capsule endoscope, and the extracorporeal control device is also used to determine the target position and the current value of the first current signal according to the posture information; wherein, after the first current signal is applied to the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil at the target position, the driving magnetic field generated based on the first current signal exerts a maximum force on the capsule endoscope in the direction of the central axis of the capsule magnet.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that The number of orthogonal extracorporeal electromagnetic coils is three, and the current value of the first current signal includes the magnitude of the current applied to each of the three extracorporeal electromagnetic coils.

6. The system according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The extracorporeal control device is specifically used to obtain the position information of the capsule endoscope in the human body, and determine the target position corresponding to the position information and the current value of the first current signal by querying a data table of correspondence between the position information, the target position and the current value.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that After the extracorporeal control device drives the capsule endoscope to move, causing the posture information of the capsule endoscope to change, the extracorporeal control device is also used to obtain the changed posture information of the capsule endoscope, control the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil to move to a new target position according to the changed posture information, and apply the first current signal and the second current signal to the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil at the new target position, respectively.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or 7, characterized in that: The external control device is also used to demagnetize the external electromagnetic coil and turn off the power supply of the external electromagnetic coil before applying the first current signal and the second current signal to the external electromagnetic coil respectively.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or 7, characterized in that: The process of the extracorporeal control device applying the first current signal and the second current signal to the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil respectively is performed simultaneously or not completely simultaneously.

10. A medical device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that: When the processor executes the computer program, the following method is implemented: Acquiring position information of a capsule endoscope in a human body and determining a target position according to the position information; moving a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils to the target position above the human body; Applying a first current signal and a second current signal to a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils respectively, so as to simultaneously drive a capsule endoscope in a human body to move and charge the capsule endoscope; Among them, the first current signal is a low-frequency slowly changing signal, which is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal is a high-frequency alternating signal, which is used to charge the capsule endoscope; the capsule endoscope includes a capsule magnet and a charging coil, and the charging coil is sleeved on the outside of the capsule magnet; the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil is fixedly installed at the end of the mechanical arm of the extracorporeal control device; wherein the extracorporeal control device stores a data table of the correspondence between posture information, target position and current value, and the data table of the correspondence between posture information, target position and current value is obtained through pre-simulation.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the following method is implemented: Acquiring position information of a capsule endoscope in a human body and determining a target position according to the position information; moving a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils to the target position above the human body; Applying a first current signal and a second current signal to a plurality of orthogonal external electromagnetic coils respectively, so as to simultaneously drive a capsule endoscope in a human body to move and charge the capsule endoscope; Among them, the first current signal is a low-frequency slowly changing signal, which is used to drive the capsule endoscope to move; the second current signal is a high-frequency alternating signal, which is used to charge the capsule endoscope; the capsule endoscope includes a capsule magnet and a charging coil, and the charging coil is sleeved on the outside of the capsule magnet; the extracorporeal electromagnetic coil is fixedly installed at the end of the mechanical arm of the extracorporeal control device; wherein the extracorporeal control device stores a data table of the correspondence between posture information, target position and current value, and the data table of the correspondence between posture information, target position and current value is obtained through pre-simulation.

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