A full-view capsule endoscope for human digestive tract examination

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of medical equipment, and specifically relates to a full-view capsule endoscope for human digestive tract examination, comprising a protective shell, an image unit is arranged inside the middle section of the protective shell, the image unit comprises a camera unit, a lighting unit, a control unit and a power supply unit, the camera unit is fixedly connected to the inside of the protective shell, the lighting unit is fixedly connected to the shooting surface of the camera unit, the control unit is fixedly connected to one end inside the protective shell, the control unit is electrically connected to the camera unit and the lighting unit, and the power supply unit is electrically connected to the control unit. The invention perfectly solves the problems existing in the head-end camera through a unique camera installation method, realizes full coverage of the digestive tract image, improves the completeness and accuracy of the doctor's diagnosis, and at the same time, the built-in storage of the image can also reduce the energy consumption of the power supply unit and increase the working time of the capsule endoscope.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of medical equipment, and in particular relates to a full-viewing capsule endoscope for examining the human digestive tract. Background Art

[0002] Digestive tract diseases have always been a major type of disease that plagues humans. With the improvement of medical standards, capsule endoscopy has become an important medical device for examining lesions inside the human digestive tract.

[0003] The working principle of capsule endoscopy is as follows: the capsule endoscope has a built-in camera module, a wireless data transmission and data storage device, enters the subject's body through oral administration, passes through the human digestive tract using digestive tract peristalsis, and collects images of the inside of the digestive tract (such as the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon). The collected images are transmitted to the outside of the body through the wireless data transmission module or stored in a built-in memory, and the images are received by an image receiving device located outside the body or the capsule is recovered after being excreted from the human body to read the images in the memory. The doctor makes a diagnosis by observing the received images.

[0004] Traditional electronic endoscopy usually requires inserting a flexible endoscope into the human digestive tract, and the area that the lens can reach is the limit of the examination. Electronic gastroenteroscopy brings certain pain and discomfort to patients, and is prone to trauma and cross-infection. If patients choose painless gastroenteroscopy, they will bear the risk of anesthesia. The capsule endoscopy system does not require anesthesia, and patients only need to swallow the capsule into the body to undergo the examination. This non-invasive design makes it easier for patients to undergo the examination, reducing the risks and complications during the examination.

[0005] The current mainstream capsule endoscopy products are classified by the number of cameras, including: no camera, single camera and dual camera. Camera-free capsule endoscopy is usually used to measure non-image information such as digestive tract temperature, pressure, pH value, etc.

[0006] Capsule endoscopes with cameras are usually used to take photos of the digestive tract and use the photos to make judgments. Whether it is a single-camera or dual-camera capsule endoscope, the lens is at one or both ends of the capsule. The photos it takes are like what we see when we "go through a tunnel". When encountering larger wrinkles, the bottom of the wrinkles cannot be observed. Even if the camera's field of view can reach a maximum of 172°, and two sets of cameras are installed at the front and back ends of the capsule, the pictures still cannot achieve 360° full coverage of the digestive tract. As a result, misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis of the disease;

[0007] At the same time, after the patient swallows the capsule, the patient is required to carry an external data transmission device to receive the image data transmitted in real time by the capsule endoscope, so that the capsule endoscope is always in the transmission interaction of image data. This is a huge burden on the power supply unit of the capsule endoscope, which greatly reduces the working time of the capsule endoscope. At the same time, continuous data transmission will also increase the overall temperature of the capsule endoscope, increasing the stimulation of the capsule endoscope to the gastrointestinal tract. Summary of the invention

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a full-view capsule endoscope for human digestive tract examination, which can perfectly solve the problems existing in the head-end camera through a unique camera installation method, achieve full coverage of the digestive tract image, and improve the completeness and accuracy of the doctor's diagnosis. At the same time, the built-in storage of the image can also reduce the energy consumption of the power supply unit and increase the working time of the capsule endoscope.

[0009] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0010] A full-view capsule endoscope for examining the human digestive tract comprises a protective shell, an imaging unit is arranged in the middle section inside the protective shell, the imaging unit comprises a camera unit, a lighting unit, a control unit and a power supply unit, the camera unit is fixedly connected to the inside of the protective shell, the lighting unit is fixedly connected to the shooting surface of the camera unit, the control unit is fixedly connected to one end inside the protective shell, the control unit is electrically connected to the camera unit and the lighting unit, and the power supply unit is electrically connected to the control unit.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the protective shell is made of biocompatible medical polymer materials, which are widely used in implantable medical consumables, are non-toxic and harmless, will not decompose or crack, are resistant to acid and pressure, have no adverse effects on the human body, and are very safe.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the middle section of the protective shell is transparent.

[0013] In a preferred solution, both ends of the protective shell are configured as arc surfaces.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the camera unit is provided with a plurality of cameras in a ring shape, and the field of view angle of each camera is greater than or equal to 133 degrees.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of lighting units are provided and arranged in a ring shape around the camera head of the camera unit.

[0016] In a preferred solution, the lighting unit is composed of a plurality of light emitting diodes.

[0017] In a preferred solution, the control unit includes a microprocessor, a wireless data transmission module and a data storage module.

[0018] The technical effects achieved by the present invention are:

[0019] The present invention adopts the design of a control unit, which controls the wireless data transmission module to enter sleep mode when it is not paired with the collection device, and the data transmission work will not be performed until the capsule is discharged from the patient's body and awakened by the data receiving device, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the power supply unit when the capsule is in the patient's body and improving the battery life; the storage module stores all the images collected by the camera unit, and the built-in storage module directly stores the image data, which can further reduce the energy consumption of the power supply unit and improve the battery life of the capsule; once the control unit identifies an abnormal situation, the control unit will immediately adjust the shooting parameters of the camera unit, such as increasing the shooting frequency and adjusting the lighting intensity of the lighting unit, so as to ensure that more detailed and clearer image data can be obtained;

[0020] The camera unit of the present invention is designed such that at least three cameras are arranged in a ring shape, and the field of view angle of each camera is greater than or equal to 133 degrees, and the intersection of the field of view angles of the multiple cameras is matched with the inside of the protective shell, so that the field of view angle blind area of ​​the camera combination is always inside the protective shell. When the multiple cameras take pictures at the same time, the cameras can collect all images of the outer edge of the stomach through the protective shell, and then obtain a 360° full image of the stomach in the patient's body, avoiding the existence of a shooting blind area.

[0021] The present invention adopts the design of a lighting unit, which reduces the energy consumption of the power supply unit through light-emitting diodes, thereby improving the overall battery life of the equipment; at the same time, the light-emitting diodes do not generate too much heat during operation, thereby avoiding irritation to the stomach and intestines; at the same time, multiple lighting units arranged in a ring are used to provide sufficient light for the camera end of the camera unit, thereby improving the quality of the captured image and further improving the completeness and accuracy of the doctor's diagnosis. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is an overall schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is an overall internal schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the field of view of the embodiment of the present invention as a whole being located inside the digestive tract.

[0025] In the accompanying drawings, the components represented by the reference numerals are listed as follows:

[0026] 1. Protective housing; 2. Image unit; 201. Camera unit; 202. Illumination unit; 203. Control unit; 204. Power supply unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0028] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention, but the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art may make similar generalizations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0029] Secondly, the term "one embodiment" or "embodiment" as used herein refers to a specific feature, structure or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of the present invention. The phrase "in a preferred embodiment" that appears in different places in this specification does not refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or selective embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

[0030] Secondly, the present invention is described in detail with reference to the schematic diagram. When describing the embodiments of the present invention in detail, for the sake of convenience, the cross-sectional diagrams showing the device structure will not be partially enlarged according to the general scale, and the schematic diagrams are only examples, which should not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, in actual production, the three-dimensional dimensions of length, width and depth should be included.

[0031] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present invention provides a full-view capsule endoscope for human digestive tract examination, including a protective shell 1, the outside of the protective shell 1, and an imaging unit 2 is provided in the middle section of the inside of the protective shell 1. The imaging unit 2 includes a camera unit 201, a lighting unit 202, a control unit 203 and a power supply unit 204. The camera unit 201 is fixedly connected to the inside of the protective shell 1, the lighting unit 202 is fixedly connected to the shooting surface of the camera unit 201, the control unit 203 is fixedly connected to one end of the inside of the protective shell 1, the control unit 203 is electrically connected to the camera unit 201 and the lighting unit 202, the power supply unit 204 is electrically connected to the control unit 203, and the power supply unit 204 is composed of a plurality of button batteries.

[0032] Specifically, when the patient is examined, the capsule endoscope is swallowed into the body through the mouth, and then the capsule gradually moves from the stomach to the small intestine with gastrointestinal peristalsis, and then reaches the colon and is discharged from the body; while the capsule enters the patient's body, the control unit 203 inside the protective shell 1 controls the power supply unit 204 to power the camera unit 201 and the lighting unit 202, and the stomach and intestines inside the human body are continuously photographed by the camera unit 201, and the photographed image data is directly transmitted to the storage module for storage; at the same time, the patient can also choose to carry a collection device, and transmit the image data to the external collection device through the wireless data transmission module for real-time image transmission, so that the doctor can obtain the patient's internal situation in real time for analysis; the lighting unit 202 provides lighting inside the patient's body, thereby providing lighting fill light for the shooting of the camera unit 201, thereby improving the camera quality of the camera unit 201.

[0033] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the protective shell 1 is made of biocompatible medical polymer materials, which are non-toxic and harmless, will not decompose or break, and have excellent acid resistance and pressure resistance. It can remain stable in a complex gastrointestinal environment, has no adverse effects on the human body, and is very safe. At the same time, it can also ensure the safety and operational stability of the equipment inside the protective shell 1 in the patient's body.

[0034] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the middle section of the protective shell 1 adopts a transparent design, so that the protective shell 1 can not only protect the internal equipment, but also enable the camera unit 201 to capture clear external images through the protective shell 1, thereby improving the accuracy and completeness of the doctor's diagnosis through the clear images.

[0035] Furthermore, the outer edge of the protective shell 1 is polished. The polishing treatment can reduce the friction between the protective shell 1 and the oral esophagus, alleviate the discomfort of swallowing, and reduce the irritation and damage to the stomach and intestines when the capsule moves inside the patient's stomach and intestines. It can also prevent substances (digestive tract contents) from adhering to the surface of the protective shell 1 for a long time, thereby affecting the clarity of the image acquired by the camera unit 201.

[0036] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, both ends of the protective shell 1 are set as arc surfaces, so that when the protective shell 1 moves in the patient's body, the arc surface is squeezed by the stomach and intestines, thereby increasing the contact area between the stomach and intestines and the protective shell 1, increasing the gastrointestinal peristalsis force on the protective shell 1, and allowing the protective shell 1 to move better in the stomach and intestines. At the same time, the arc surface structure can also reduce the irritation and damage to the patient's stomach and intestines during the friction between the protective shell 1 and the stomach and intestines.

[0037] See also Figure 3As shown, the camera unit 201 is provided with at least three cameras in a ring shape, and the field of view angle of each camera is greater than or equal to 133 degrees, and the intersection of the field of view angles of the multiple cameras is matched with the inside of the protective shell 1, so that the field of view angle blind area of ​​the camera is always inside the protective shell 1. When the multiple cameras take pictures at the same time, the camera can collect all images of the stomach and intestines through the protective shell 1, thereby obtaining a 360° full image of the stomach and intestines in the patient's body, avoiding the existence of a shooting blind area;

[0038] It should be noted that the thinnest part of the human digestive tract is the small intestine, which has a diameter of 4 cm, and the diameter of the protective shell 1 is 1 cm. When at least 3 camera lenses are arranged in a circle, the field of view of each lens is greater than or equal to 133 degrees, and the intersection of the maximum fields of view of adjacent lenses is inside the protective shell 1. At this time, the image data collected by the lens at the outer edge of the protective shell 1 can completely cover the digestive tract. The diameter of other parts of the digestive tract is greater than 4 cm, which makes it easier to achieve full coverage and all-round shooting of the digestive tract.

[0039] The all-round shooting capability enables doctors to have a more comprehensive understanding of the patient's gastrointestinal condition, improving the accuracy and completeness of the doctor's diagnosis.

[0040] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, a plurality of lighting units 202 are provided and arranged in a ring shape around the camera head of the imaging unit 201. The plurality of lighting units 202 arranged in a ring shape provide sufficient light for the imaging end of the imaging unit 201, thereby improving the quality of the captured image and further improving the completeness and accuracy of the doctor's diagnosis.

[0041] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the lighting unit 202 is composed of a plurality of light emitting diodes. The low power consumption of the light emitting diodes can reduce the energy consumption of the power supply unit 204 and improve the overall battery life of the device.

[0042] The flexible response of the light-emitting diode can automatically adjust the lighting intensity according to different parts of the stomach and intestines. The adaptive lighting ensures uniform brightness of the image and avoids image shadows and overexposure, thereby further improving the image quality and the doctor's diagnostic accuracy.

[0043] At the same time, the light-emitting diode will not generate too much heat during operation, which will increase the overall temperature of the equipment and avoid irritating the stomach and intestines.

[0044] See also Figures 1 to 3As shown, the control unit 203 includes a microprocessor, a wireless data transmission module and a storage module. The microprocessor is responsible for coordinating the work of each component. The microprocessor controls the camera frequency of the camera unit 201 to obtain image data, and the lighting intensity of the lighting unit 202, further ensuring that the camera unit 201 captures high-quality image data;

[0045] The control unit 203 also has an intelligent recognition function, which can automatically identify abnormal conditions on the gastrointestinal lining captured, such as inflammation, ulcers, polyps and other lesions. Once an abnormal condition is identified, the control unit 203 will immediately adjust the shooting parameters of the camera unit 201, such as increasing the shooting frequency and adjusting the lighting intensity of the lighting unit 202, to ensure that more detailed and clearer image data can be obtained. The control unit 203 will also store the identified abnormal conditions and their location information in the storage module or transmit them to the collection device carried by the patient.

[0046] The wireless data transmission module adopts high-speed and stable wireless transmission technology;

[0047] It should be noted that after the patient takes the capsule out of the packaging box, the control unit 203 first controls the wireless data transmission module to send a pairing request. If no device is successfully paired with the wireless data transmission module within a certain period of time, the control unit 203 controls the wireless data transmission module to enter sleep mode, and the module will not work until the capsule is expelled from the body and awakened by the data receiving device. This can reduce the energy consumption of the power supply unit 204 when the capsule is in the patient's body and improve the battery life.

[0048] If the patient's collection device is successfully paired with the wireless data transmission module within the specified time, the wireless data transmission module will continue to work and send the image data in the storage module to the collection device carried by the patient. This state will increase the energy consumption of the power supply unit 204 and shorten the battery life of the capsule.

[0049] The storage module adopts a micro large-capacity storage unit, which can store all images collected by the camera unit 201. At the same time, since the built-in storage module directly stores the image data, the energy consumption of the power supply unit 204 can be further reduced.

[0050] After the patient excretes the capsule, the external data receiving device is paired with the wireless data transmission module to receive the image data in the storage module.

[0051] When the capsule endoscope is discharged and is in a low-battery state and cannot transmit data through the wireless data transmission module,

[0052] It is possible to obtain the patient's entire digestive tract image data stored in the storage module through a dedicated interface device.

[0053] The working principle of the present invention is as follows: when a patient is examined, the capsule endoscope is swallowed into the body through the mouth, and then the capsule gradually moves from the stomach to the small intestine with gastrointestinal peristalsis, and then reaches the colon and is discharged from the body; while the capsule enters the patient's body, the control unit 203 inside the protective shell 1 controls the power supply unit 204 to supply power to the camera unit 201 and the lighting unit 202, and the stomach and intestines inside the human body are continuously photographed by the camera unit 201, and the photographed image data is directly transmitted to the storage module for storage; the lighting unit 202 provides lighting in the patient's body, thereby providing lighting fill light for the shooting of the camera unit 201, thereby improving the shooting quality of the camera unit 201.

[0054] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered as the protection scope of the present invention. The structures, devices and operating methods not specifically described and explained in the present invention shall be implemented according to the conventional means in the art unless otherwise specified and limited.

Claims

1. A full-view capsule endoscope for human digestive tract examination, characterized in that: The invention comprises a protective shell (1), wherein an image unit (2) is arranged inside the middle section of the protective shell (1), wherein the image unit (2) comprises a camera unit (201), a lighting unit (202), a control unit (203) and a power supply unit (204), wherein the camera unit (201) is fixedly connected to the inside of the protective shell (1), the lighting unit (202) is fixedly connected to the shooting surface of the camera unit (201), the control unit (203) is fixedly connected to one end inside the protective shell (1), the control unit (203) is electrically connected to the camera unit (201) and the lighting unit (202), and the power supply unit (204) is electrically connected to the control unit (203); The camera unit (201) is provided with a plurality of cameras in a ring shape, and the field of view angle of each camera is greater than or equal to 133 degrees; The camera unit (201) is provided with at least three cameras in a ring shape, and the field of view angle of each camera is greater than or equal to 133 degrees, and the intersection of the field of view angles of the multiple cameras is matched with the interior of the protective shell (1), so that the blind area of ​​the field of view angle of the camera is always inside the protective shell (1). When the multiple cameras take pictures at the same time, the camera can capture the entire image of the stomach and intestines through the protective shell (1), thereby obtaining a 360° full image of the stomach and intestines in the patient's body, avoiding the existence of a shooting blind area; If no device is successfully paired with the wireless data transmission module within a certain period of time, the control unit (203) controls the wireless data transmission module to enter sleep mode, and the module will not start working until the capsule is expelled from the body and awakened by the data receiving device, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the power supply unit (204) when the capsule is in the patient's body and improving the battery life; If the patient's collection device is successfully paired with the wireless data transmission module within the specified time, the wireless data transmission module will continue to work to send the image data in the storage module to the collection device carried by the patient. This state will increase the energy consumption of the power supply unit (204) and shorten the battery life of the capsule.

2. A full-view capsule endoscope for human digestive tract examination according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective shell (1) is made of a biocompatible medical polymer material, which is widely used in implantable medical consumables. It is non-toxic and harmless, will not decompose or crack, is acid-resistant and pressure-resistant, has no adverse effects on the human body, and is very safe.

3. The full-view capsule endoscope for human digestive tract examination according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle part of the protective shell (1) is designed to be transparent.

4. The full-view capsule endoscope for human digestive tract examination according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both ends of the protective shell (1) are arranged as arc surfaces.

5. The full-view capsule endoscope for human digestive tract examination according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of the lighting units (202) are provided and are arranged in a ring shape around the camera head of the camera unit (201).

6. The full-view capsule endoscope for human digestive tract examination according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lighting unit (202) is composed of a plurality of light emitting diodes.

7. The full-view capsule endoscope for human digestive tract examination according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit (203) comprises a microprocessor, a wireless data transmission module and a data storage module.

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