Multi-lens capsule endoscope and endoscope system

Abstract

The utility model relates to a multi-lens capsule endoscope and an endoscope system. The multi-lens capsule endoscope comprises a shell, the shell comprises a shell body and a transparent end cover, and the transparent end cover is connected to one axial end of the shell body in a sealed mode; the camera module comprises a lens base and a plurality of cameras, the lens base is arranged in the transparent end cover, the cameras are arranged on the lens base at intervals in the circumferential direction, and lenses of all the cameras are arranged towards the transparent end cover. After the multi-lens capsule endoscope is swallowed into the body of a patient, the multiple cameras shoot organ images in the body of the patient at the same time, a wider field angle can be obtained through combined configuration of the multiple cameras, the field range of single shooting is wider, the number of shot pictures can be reduced on the basis of obtaining complete organ images, and the shooting efficiency of the multi-lens capsule endoscope is improved. Image redundancy is avoided, time consumed by medical staff for reading is reduced, diagnosis and treatment efficiency is improved, multiple cameras perform shooting at the same time, the problem of missed shooting can be effectively prevented, missed diagnosis is avoided, and diagnosis and treatment effects are guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a multi-lens capsule endoscope and an endoscope system. Background Art

[0002] In the field of medical equipment, capsule endoscope is an oral endoscope, which is generally used to examine the pathological changes of the patient's digestive tract, stomach and other organs. The capsule endoscope system mainly includes a capsule and a data recorder. Among them, due to the limited data storage capacity of the capsule endoscope, when the capsule endoscope is swallowed by the examinee and takes a series of images of the digestive tract in the body, the image data needs to be transmitted in real time through a wireless network to the data recorder outside the patient's body for temporary storage for subsequent analysis.

[0003] In the related art, a capsule endoscope generally includes only one camera, or a camera is arranged at each end of the capsule endoscope, and the camera is used to obtain images inside the digestive cavity. However, due to the small size of the capsule endoscope, the size and installation position of the camera are also limited accordingly, which leads to a smaller field of view that the camera can obtain. Therefore, in order to obtain a better treatment effect, either the camera needs to take a large number of pictures to obtain a comprehensive image of the digestive cavity, resulting in a redundant number of pictures, requiring the doctor to spend more time reading the pictures, affecting the diagnosis and treatment efficiency; or it is easy to miss pictures, which ultimately leads to missed diagnosis and affects the diagnosis and treatment effect. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a multi-lens capsule endoscope and endoscope system to address the problems of existing technologies that affect diagnosis and treatment efficiency and effects.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present application, a multi-lens capsule endoscope is provided, comprising:

[0006] An outer shell, the outer shell comprising a shell body and a transparent end cover, the transparent end cover being sealed and connected to one axial end of the shell body; and

[0007] A camera module, the camera module includes a lens base and a plurality of cameras, the lens base is arranged in the transparent end cover, the plurality of cameras are arranged on the lens base at intervals along the circumferential direction, and the lenses of all the cameras are arranged toward the transparent end cover.

[0008] The multi-lens capsule endoscope of the present invention is provided with a transparent end cover at the end of the shell body of the shell, and then the camera module is installed in the shell. Since the camera module is designed to arrange a plurality of cameras at intervals along the circumferential direction on the lens base, and all the cameras are arranged toward the transparent end cover, when the multi-lens capsule endoscope is swallowed into the patient's body, a plurality of cameras can simultaneously capture images of organs in the patient's body (such as images of the inner wall of the digestive tract, etc.). The combination of multiple cameras can obtain a wider field of view, so that the field of view of a single shot is wider, which helps to reduce the number of pictures taken on the basis of obtaining a complete organ image, avoid image redundancy, reduce the time spent on reading films by medical staff, and thus improve the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, multiple cameras can also effectively prevent the problem of missed shots, thereby avoiding missed diagnosis and ensuring the effect of diagnosis and treatment.

[0009] The technical solution of this application is further described below:

[0010] In one of the embodiments, the lens base is provided with a plurality of first mounting surfaces spaced apart along a circumferential direction, the first mounting surfaces are arranged at an angle, and the cameras are arranged on the first mounting surfaces in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0011] In one embodiment, the camera module further includes a first light source, the lens base further includes a second mounting surface, the second mounting surface is arranged between two adjacent first mounting surfaces, and the first light source is disposed on the second mounting surface.

[0012] In one embodiment, each of the first light source components and the second mounting surfaces are provided in multiple and one-to-one correspondence, a group of the second mounting surfaces and the first light source components is provided between any two adjacent first mounting surfaces, and all of the first mounting surfaces and the second mounting surfaces are distributed on the same conical surface.

[0013] In one embodiment, the camera module also includes a second light source, and the lens base is further provided with a third mounting surface, the third mounting surface is arranged at the top of the conical surface and is connected to the same side of all the first mounting surfaces and the second mounting surfaces, the third mounting surface is perpendicular to the axis of the lens base, and the second light source is arranged on the third mounting surface.

[0014] In one of the embodiments, the camera module further includes an annular light source, and the annular light source is arranged at the junction of the shell body and the transparent end cover.

[0015] In one of the embodiments, at least one supporting arm is protruded toward the center of the inner ring wall of the annular light source, and the supporting arm is supported on the bottom surface of the lens base.

[0016] In one embodiment, the multi-lens capsule endoscope also includes a battery, and the camera module also includes a control board. The battery and the control board are both arranged inside the shell body and electrically connected to each other, and the control board is electrically connected to the camera.

[0017] In one embodiment, two opposite ends of the shell body in the axial direction are provided with a transparent end cover, and each transparent end cover is equipped with a camera module;

[0018] Or / and, along the axial direction of the transparent end cap, the transparent end cap comprises at least two curved surfaces with different curvature radii.

[0019] In a second aspect of the present application, there is also provided an endoscope system, comprising:

[0020] The multi-lens capsule endoscope as described above, wherein the multi-lens capsule endoscope is used to be placed inside a patient's body; and

[0021] A data recorder is used to be placed outside the patient's body and is wirelessly connected to the multi-lens capsule endoscope. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The drawings constituting a part of the present application are used to provide a further understanding of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application.

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective structural diagram of a multi-lens capsule endoscope according to an embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a front view of the structure of a multi-lens capsule endoscope.

[0026] Figure 3 It is a top view of the structure of Figure 2.

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Cross-sectional structure diagram at AA in the middle.

[0028] Figure 5 This is the exploded structure diagram of the multi-lens capsule endoscope.

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 5Assembly structure diagram of the middle lens base, camera, first light source and second light source.

[0030] Description of reference numerals:

[0031] 100. Multi-lens capsule endoscope; 10. Outer shell; 11. Shell body; 12. Transparent end cover; 20. Camera module; 21. Lens base; 211. First mounting surface; 212. Second mounting surface; 213. Third mounting surface; 22. Camera; 23. First light source; 24. Second light source; 25. Ring light source; 251. Support arm; 30. Battery; 40. Control board. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present application, so the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0033] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0034] In addition, if the terms "first" or "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, if the term "plurality" appears, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0035] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like appear, these terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0036] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if there is a description that a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, etc., or similar descriptions appear, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0037] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. If any, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0038] The present application provides an endoscope system, which is an auxiliary diagnosis and treatment device for assisting doctors in diagnosing and treating patients. For example, the endoscope system mainly includes a multi-lens capsule endoscope 100 and a data recorder. When in use, the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100 is used to be built into the patient's body. For example, the patient swallows the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100 into the body through the mouth. The multi-lens capsule endoscope 100 moves in the patient's body under the combined effect of its own gravity, organ peristalsis, and tissue fluid flow. After the detection is completed, it can be discharged from the body with feces.

[0039] The data recorder is used to be placed outside the patient's body, and the data recorder is wirelessly connected to the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100. The data recorder stores the image data captured during the entire detection operation of the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100, so that the doctor can retrieve it for analysis and judgment of the condition.

[0040] See Figures 1 to Figure 5, is a multi-lens capsule endoscope 100 shown in an embodiment of the present application, which includes a shell 10 and a camera module 20.

[0041] The housing 10 is the main body of the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100, and is used to load and fix the camera module 20. For example, in the present application, the housing 10 includes a shell body 11 and a transparent end cover 12, and the transparent end cover 12 is sealed and connected to one axial end of the shell body 11. The camera module 20 includes a lens base 21 and a plurality of cameras 22, the lens base 21 is arranged in the transparent end cover 12, and the plurality of cameras 22 are arranged on the lens base 21 at intervals along the circumferential direction, and the lenses of all the cameras 22 are arranged toward the transparent end cover 12.

[0042] Preferably, in order to obtain a structure with an appearance similar to that of a capsule, a transparent end cover 12 is provided at both opposite ends of the shell body 11 in the axial direction, and a camera module 20 is installed in each transparent end cover 12 .

[0043] The shell body 11 is specifically a cylindrical structure, and the transparent end cover 12 has a hemispherical structure. The shell body 11 and the transparent end cover 12 are assembled and fixed by any one of bonding, welding, snap connection, etc., so that a sealed cavity is formed inside the outer shell 10 to protect the safety of the camera module 20 installed in the sealed cavity and prevent tissue fluid in the patient's body from infiltrating into the cavity and causing damage to the camera module 20.

[0044] Furthermore, since the two ends of the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100 are equipped with a camera module 20 with multiple cameras 22, the multiple cameras 22 at both ends can take pictures at the same time, thereby further increasing the field of view acquisition range. Based on the image stitching technology (existing mature technology can be used), the complete image of the organ can be acquired more quickly to reduce the number of pictures taken.

[0045] In summary, the implementation of the technical solution of this embodiment will have the following beneficial effects: the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100 of this solution installs a transparent end cover 12 at the end of the shell body 11 of the shell 10, and then installs the camera module 20 into the shell 10. Since the camera module 20 is designed to arrange multiple cameras 22 at intervals along the circumferential direction on the lens base 21, and all the cameras 22 are arranged toward the transparent end cover, when the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100 is swallowed into the patient's body, multiple cameras 22 can simultaneously capture organ images in the patient's body (such as images of the inner wall of the digestive tract, etc.). The combination of multiple cameras 22 can obtain a wider field of view, so that the field of view of a single shot is wider, which helps to reduce the number of pictures taken on the basis of obtaining a complete organ image, avoid image redundancy, reduce the time spent on reading films by medical staff, and thus improve the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, multiple cameras 22 work simultaneously, which can also effectively prevent the problem of missed shots, thereby avoiding missed diagnosis and ensuring the effect of diagnosis and treatment.

[0046] On the basis of the above embodiment, the transparent end cover 12 further includes at least two curved surfaces with different curvature radii along the axial direction of the transparent end cover 12. Such an arrangement enables the transparent end cover 12 to obtain a curved surface shape with a larger taper, which is not only convenient for patients to swallow, but also can reduce the resistance of the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100 when it moves in the patient's body, and enhance the passability of the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100 in the organ.

[0047] Optionally, the transparent end cover 12 is made of transparent materials such as glass, acrylic, etc. to avoid blocking the field of view of the camera 22, thereby facilitating the capture of images of the inner wall of the organ.

[0048] Please continue reading Figure 5 and Figure 6 In addition, in one embodiment, the lens base 21 is provided with a plurality of first mounting surfaces 211 arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction, the first mounting surfaces 211 are arranged at an angle, and the cameras 22 are arranged one by one on the first mounting surfaces 211. Preferably, the plurality of first mounting surfaces 211 are designed with equal areas and the same shape, so that the plurality of cameras 22 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the lens base 21. Since the first mounting surfaces 211 are arranged at an angle, the cameras 22 mounted on the first mounting surfaces 211 are also inclined, so that the field of view of the plurality of cameras 22 can be more divergent, so as to obtain a wider range of field angles.

[0049] The camera 22 may be mounted on the first mounting surface 211 by any of bonding, screwing, clamping, etc., and the method may be selected according to actual needs and is not specifically limited here.

[0050] Furthermore, the camera module 20 further includes a first light source 23, the lens base 21 further includes a second mounting surface 212, the second mounting surface 212 is arranged between two adjacent first mounting surfaces 211, and the first light source 23 is arranged on the second mounting surface 212. For example, the first light source 23 is an LED lamp bead, which can provide illumination light for the front field of view of the camera 22 after being lit, so that the camera 22 can obtain clear and bright images under dim conditions in the patient's body.

[0051] Furthermore, the first light source element 23 and the second mounting surface 212 are each provided with a plurality of them and are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. A group of the second mounting surface 212 and the first light source element 23 is provided between any two adjacent first mounting surfaces 211, and all the first mounting surfaces 211 and the second mounting surfaces 212 are distributed on the same conical surface. In other words, a first light source element 23 is distributed on the left and right sides of each camera 22, and the two first light sources 23 can provide more sufficient lighting conditions with more uniform light distribution for the middle camera 22, so as to ensure that the brightness of the image captured by the camera 22 is consistent and the image capture quality is good. And because the first mounting surface 211 and the second mounting surface 212 are distributed on the same conical surface, it is ensured that the inclination angles of the first light source element 23 and the camera 22 are basically consistent, and the illumination light output by the first light source element 23 is consistent with the direction of the field of view of the camera 22, so as to obtain better photo quality.

[0052] Please continue reading Figure 5 and Figure 6 In addition, based on any of the above embodiments, the camera module 20 further includes a second light source 24, and the lens base 21 is further provided with a third mounting surface 213, which is arranged at the top of the conical surface and connected to the same side of all the first mounting surfaces 211 and the second mounting surfaces 212, and the third mounting surface 213 is perpendicular to the axis of the lens base 21, and the second light source 24 is arranged on the third mounting surface 213. For example, the second light source 24 is any one of LED lamp beads, LED lamp tubes, etc. The second light source 24 added to the top of the lens base 21 can further enhance the lighting light, especially can provide supplementary lighting for the field of view directly in front of the entire transparent end cover 12, so that the camera 22 can capture brighter and clearer images, so that doctors can carry out more accurate diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

[0053] Please continue reading Figure 4 and Figure 5 Furthermore, in another embodiment, the camera module 20 further includes an annular light source 25, which is disposed at the junction of the shell body 11 and the transparent end cover 12. For example, the annular light source 25 is an annular LED light strip, which is clamped and fixed between the end face of the shell body 11 and the open end face of the transparent end cover 12 during installation, and the installation method is simple; and along the axial direction of the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100, the annular light source 25 is disposed around the periphery of all the cameras 22 or has partial projection overlap. After the annular light source 25 is lit, it can provide a surrounding light source for the camera 22 to make up for the lack of illumination of the first light source 23 and the second light source 24.

[0054] On the basis of the above embodiment, at least one support arm 251 is protruded from the inner ring wall of the annular light source 25 toward the center, and the support arm 251 is supported on the bottom surface of the lens base 21. Thus, the lens base 21 can be stably mounted on the support arm 251, that is, the lens base 21 is mounted and fixed by the annular light source 25, and the mounting method is simple. Preferably, three support arms 251 are provided, and are evenly spaced and distributed along the circumferential direction of the annular light source 25, and the three support arms 251 simultaneously support the lens base 21, thereby further improving the support stability.

[0055] In order to ensure the firmness of the installation, the support arm 251 and the lens base 21 can be fixed by bonding with an adhesive layer, or can be assembled and fixed by screwing, clamping, etc., which can be selected according to actual needs.

[0056] Please continue reading Figure 4 and Figure 5 In addition, based on any of the above embodiments, the multi-lens capsule endoscope 100 also includes a battery 30, and the camera 22 module also includes a control board 40. The battery 30 and the control board 40 are both arranged inside the shell body 11 and are electrically connected to each other, and the control board 40 is electrically connected to the camera 22.

[0057] The battery 30 supplies power to the control board 40, so that the control board 40 can transmit power to the camera 22 to enable the camera 22 to work normally. In addition, the control board 40 is also electrically connected to the first light source 23, the second light source 24 and the ring light source 25 to realize power supply, light switch control and brightness control for the first light source 23, the second light source 24 and the ring light source 25.

[0058] Specifically, the control board 40 includes a PCB hard board, on which functional components such as a main control chip, a radio frequency circuit, a radio frequency switch, a power chip, and an image processing chip are installed.

[0059] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0060] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A multi-lens capsule endoscope, characterized in that: include: An outer shell, the outer shell comprising a shell body and a transparent end cover, the transparent end cover being sealed and connected to one axial end of the shell body; and A camera module, the camera module includes a lens base and a plurality of cameras, the lens base is arranged in the transparent end cover, the plurality of cameras are arranged on the lens base at intervals along the circumferential direction, and the lenses of all the cameras are arranged toward the transparent end cover.

2. The multi-lens capsule endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lens base is provided with a plurality of first mounting surfaces spaced apart along a circumferential direction, the first mounting surfaces are arranged obliquely, and the cameras are arranged on the first mounting surfaces in a one-to-one correspondence.

3. The multi-lens capsule endoscope according to claim 2, characterized in that: The camera module also includes a first light source component, and the lens base is also provided with a second mounting surface, the second mounting surface is arranged between two adjacent first mounting surfaces, and the first light source component is arranged on the second mounting surface.

4. The multi-lens capsule endoscope according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first light source components and the second mounting surfaces are provided in multiple and one-to-one correspondence, a group of the second mounting surfaces and the first light source components are provided between any two adjacent first mounting surfaces, and all the first mounting surfaces and the second mounting surfaces are distributed on the same conical surface.

5. The multi-lens capsule endoscope according to claim 4, characterized in that: The camera module also includes a second light source, and the lens base is also provided with a third mounting surface, which is arranged at the top of the conical surface and connected to the same side of all the first mounting surfaces and the second mounting surfaces, and the third mounting surface is perpendicular to the axis of the lens base, and the second light source is arranged on the third mounting surface.

6. The multi-lens capsule endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that: The camera module also includes an annular light source, which is arranged at the junction of the shell body and the transparent end cover.

7. The multi-lens capsule endoscope according to claim 6, characterized in that: At least one supporting arm is protruded toward the center of the inner ring wall of the annular light source, and the supporting arm is supported on the bottom surface of the lens base.

8. The multi-lens capsule endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multi-lens capsule endoscope also includes a battery, and the camera module also includes a control board. The battery and the control board are both arranged inside the shell body and electrically connected to each other, and the control board is electrically connected to the camera.

9. The multi-lens capsule endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The two opposite ends of the shell body in the axial direction are each provided with a transparent end cover, and each transparent end cover is equipped with a camera module; Or / and, along the axial direction of the transparent end cap, the transparent end cap comprises at least two curved surfaces with different curvature radii.

10. An endoscope system, characterized in that: include: The multi-lens capsule endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the multi-lens capsule endoscope is used to be built into a patient's body; as well as, A data recorder is used to be placed outside the patient's body and is wirelessly connected to the multi-lens capsule endoscope.

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