Capsule endoscope control system and operation method

Abstract

A method and system for controlling a capsule endoscope is disclosed, which includes measuring a magnetic field value in an environment where the capsule endoscope is located, obtaining a limit levitation magnetic field value for the capsule endoscope based on the measured magnetic field value, adjusting a traction force received by the capsule endoscope based on the limit levitation magnetic field value, and controlling the capsule endoscope to move in horizontal and / or vertical directions, wherein the first magnet is controlled to move by moving the second magnet, and the capsule endoscope is in a quasi-levitation state when moving in the horizontal and / or vertical directions. By controlling the capsule endoscope to be in a quasi-levitation state, the method and system for controlling the capsule endoscope to be in a quasi-levitation state reduces the friction force between the capsule endoscope and the wall of a target area during movement, thereby enabling more accurate scanning of the target area.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority to a Chinese invention application filed on April 8, 2020, bearing application number 2020102682937 and entitled "Method and system for controlling capsule endoscope", the entire specification, claims, drawings and abstract of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] [Technical field] The present invention relates to the technical field of capsule endoscopy, and in particular to a control method and system for a capsule endoscopy. [Background technology]

[0003] With the development of magnetically controlled capsule endoscope, the accuracy of the magnetically controlled capsule during stomach examination matches that of the traditional gastroscope, and it is a comfortable and safe gastrointestinal endoscopy examination method. The magnetically controlled capsule endoscope contains a magnet inside, and the capsule endoscope is controlled to move in the stomach by the interaction force between the external magnet and the internal magnet.

[0004] When using a magnetically controlled capsule endoscope, it is generally used to drag the capsule endoscope along the surface of the stomach. Although this is an intuitive control method, the friction between the capsule endoscope and the stomach wall is related to the local environment and the force-receiving state of the capsule endoscope, so there is uncertainty and this generally leads to failure in dragging. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for controlling a capsule endoscope, which detects the location of the capsule endoscope and further calculates the traction force required to bring the capsule endoscope into a quasi-floating state, thereby significantly reducing the friction force between the capsule endoscope and the wall of the target area, thereby facilitating movement.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control system for a capsule endoscope, the control system for the capsule endoscope including a capsule endoscope including an image collection module, a first magnet, a battery module, a wireless module, and a detection module; a control unit for receiving data transmitted by the capsule endoscope and calculating a limit levitation magnetic field value, and obtaining a control signal based on the limit levitation magnetic field value; and a moving unit and a second magnet, the moving unit controlling the second magnet to move in a horizontal and / or vertical direction based on the control signal, wherein the first magnet is controlled to move by moving the second magnet, and the capsule endoscope is in a quasi-levitation state when moving in the horizontal and / or vertical directions.

[0007] Preferably, the detection module includes a magnetic sensor and an acceleration sensor.

[0008] Preferably, the magnetic sensor is separate from the first magnet, and the acceleration sensor is a gravity sensor.

[0009] Preferably, the sensing directions of the magnetic sensor and the acceleration sensor are along the longitudinal axis of the capsule endoscope.

[0010] Preferably, the magnetization direction of the first magnet is along the longitudinal axis of the capsule endoscope.

[0011] Preferably, there is an angle of 0 to 20° between the magnetization direction of the second magnet and the perpendicular direction.

[0012] Preferably, the movement unit comprises a three-dimensional robot, a Cartesian robot or a robot arm.

[0013] Preferably, the second magnet comprises a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

[0014] Preferably, the capsule endoscope further includes an imaging unit for receiving a plurality of images taken by the capsule endoscope and constructing a three-dimensional spatial structure of a target area.

[0015] Preferably, the imaging unit obtains a panoramic image of a target area based on the multiple images, and the imaging unit obtains a three-dimensional spatial structure of the target area based on the panoramic image.

[0016] Preferably, the capsule endoscope further includes a positioning unit for recording position information and / or movement trajectory of the capsule endoscope, and the image unit obtains a three-dimensional spatial structure of the target area based on the position information and / or movement trajectory of the positioning unit.

[0017] Preferably, the manner of controlling the second magnet to move in the horizontal and / or vertical direction includes manual control controlled by a moving unit and automatic control controlled by a control unit.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a capsule endoscope including an internal first magnet and an external second magnet, the control method including: measuring a magnetic field value of an environment in which the capsule endoscope is located; obtaining a limit levitation magnetic field value of the capsule endoscope based on the magnetic field value; adjusting a traction force received by the capsule endoscope based on the limit levitation magnetic field value; and controlling the capsule endoscope to move in a horizontal and / or vertical direction, wherein the first magnet is controlled to move by moving the second magnet, and the capsule endoscope is in a quasi-levitation state when moving in the horizontal and / or vertical directions.

[0019] Preferably, the magnetic field value is measured by a magnetic sensor.

[0020] Preferably, the limit levitation magnetic field value is obtained based on the weight, the tilt angle and the buoyancy of the capsule endoscope.

[0021] Preferably, the step of adjusting the traction force received by the capsule endoscope based on the limit levitation magnetic field value includes obtaining a corrected magnetic field value based on the limit levitation magnetic field value, and adjusting the height of the second magnet based on the corrected magnetic field value, thereby adjusting the traction force received by the capsule endoscope.

[0022] Preferably, if the inclination angle of the capsule endoscope is greater than zero, it is determined that the capsule endoscope has encountered an obstacle.

[0023] Preferably, when the capsule endoscope encounters an obstacle, the capsule endoscope is controlled to move vertically by a gradient change in the magnetic field value of the second magnet in the vertical direction, and the capsule endoscope is controlled to move horizontally by horizontal movement of the second magnet so as to overcome the obstacle.

[0024] Preferably, the manner of controlling the capsule endoscope to move in horizontal and / or vertical directions includes manual control and automatic control.

[0025] In the control method and system for a capsule endoscope according to the present invention, the capsule endoscope is controlled to be in a quasi-levitating state, i.e., the mutual attraction force between the second magnet and the first magnet is equal to or slightly greater than the weight of the capsule endoscope at the upper wall of the target area, and equal to or slightly smaller than the weight of the capsule endoscope at the lower wall of the target area; when there is liquid in the target area, the buoyancy is subtracted, so that the pressure between the capsule endoscope and the wall of the target area tends to be zero, the friction force is greatly reduced, and the scanning of the target area becomes more accurate.

[0026] The control method and system for a capsule endoscope according to the present invention achieves the purpose of overcoming an obstacle by controlling the vertical movement of the capsule endoscope through a gradient change in the magnetic field value of the second magnet in the vertical direction when the capsule endoscope encounters an obstacle.

[0027] The capsule endoscope control method and system according to the present invention has two control modes: automatic scanning and manual scanning. When there is a region that the user wishes to focus on in the image acquired by automatic scanning, the capsule endoscope can be controlled to move to a specified position in the target area and scan it using the manual scanning mode, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of the examination. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram showing a capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2a] FIG. 2a is a schematic diagram showing various situations in a control method for a capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2b] FIG. 2b is a schematic diagram showing various situations in the control method for a capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2c] FIG. 2c is a schematic diagram showing various situations in the control method for a capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2d] FIG. 2d is a schematic diagram showing different situations in the control method for a capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2e] FIG. 2e is a schematic diagram showing various situations in the control method for a capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2f] FIG. 2f is a schematic diagram showing various situations in the control method for a capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a capsule endoscope control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing zigzag scanning of the stomach wall by the capsule endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which like elements are represented with like or similar reference numerals, and for clarity, parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0031] The method of controlling the capsule endoscope to move generally involves controlling the magnitude of the interaction force between the external magnet and the internal magnet of the capsule endoscope to control the movement of the capsule endoscope in the target area (e.g., stomach). The target area is an enclosed space, and may be, for example, a simulated stomach, a stomach model, an animal stomach taken from a body, or a human stomach. Such movement is specifically drag running on the surface of the target area, and this method is due to the friction force between the capsule endoscope and the target area wall (e.g., stomach wall) being related to the local environment and the force-receiving situation of the capsule endoscope, and therefore generally leads to the failure of drag running due to uncertainty.

[0032] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings and examples.

[0033] The control method and system for a capsule endoscope of the present invention controls the interaction force between an external second magnet and a first magnet in the capsule endoscope, thereby putting the capsule endoscope in a quasi-levitated state in a target area, significantly reducing the friction force between the capsule endoscope and the wall of the target area (e.g., the stomach wall), and improving the movement efficiency.

[0034] The quasi-floating state is a state in which the downward force applied to the capsule endoscope is nearly equal to the upward force, the capsule endoscope is almost floating in the air without support, and there is no vertical movement. In this state, when the capsule endoscope is moved horizontally, the frictional force against the wall of the target area (e.g., the stomach wall) is greatly reduced.

[0035] 1 shows a structural schematic diagram of a capsule endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the capsule endoscope 110 includes at least an image acquisition module 111, a first magnet 112, a battery module 113, a wireless module 114, and a detection module 115.

[0036] Therein, the image acquisition module 111, which may be one or two, is used for capturing target area images and outputting image data.

[0037] The first magnet 112 moves the capsule endoscope 110 by an interaction force with an external magnet. The polarization direction of the first magnet 112 is along the longitudinal direction of the capsule endoscope 110 (indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 1).

[0038] The wireless module 114 transmits image data and sensor data to an external device via wireless communication.

[0039] The sensing module 115 includes an acceleration sensor and a magnetic sensor, the acceleration sensor is used to measure the inclination angle of the capsule endoscope, and the magnetic sensor is used to measure the environmental magnetic field of the capsule endoscope. The sensing module 115 further includes a sensor for detecting whether there is liquid in the target area and measuring the liquid buoyancy. In other embodiments, the acceleration sensor may be a gyro or a gravity sensor to measure the inclination angle of the capsule endoscope.

[0040] Wherein, the magnetic sensor should be located at a position away from the first magnet to avoid saturation. The magnetic field reading when the capsule endoscope 110 is away from the magnetic field source is the reading of the first magnet 112, and the reading of the first magnet 112 minus the environmental magnetic field of the capsule endoscope measured by the magnetic sensor is the reading of the external magnet in the environment.

[0041] In this embodiment, the acceleration sensor and the magnetic sensor are preferably three-dimensional sensors, but may be one-dimensional sensors. If they are one-dimensional sensors, the sensing direction should be along the long axis of the capsule endoscope 110.

[0042] In this embodiment, by measuring the inclination angle of the capsule endoscope and the environmental magnetic field, the external magnetic force and direction required for the capsule endoscope to reach a quasi-levitated state can be further calculated, so that the capsule endoscope can be moved in a quasi-levitated state.

[0043] Wherein, the center of gravity of the capsule endoscope 110 is close to the long axis of the capsule endoscope 110, and the distance deviation is less than 2 mm, preferably less than 0.5 mm.

[0044] 2a to 2f are schematic diagrams showing various situations in the control method of the capsule endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, it is preferable to adopt a capsule endoscope with a double lens. A capsule endoscope with a single lens may also be used, but when the capsule endoscope is at the lower wall of the target area, it is necessary to turn it 180° to face the lens downward. The following embodiment takes a capsule endoscope with a double lens as an example, so there is no need to change the orientation of the capsule endoscope whether it is at the upper wall of the target area or the lower wall of the target area. The description of FIG. 2a to FIG. 2f introduces the situation where the capsule endoscope with a double lens is at the upper wall and the lower wall of the stomach.

[0045] In this embodiment, the magnetization direction of the first magnet in the capsule endoscope 110 is along the long axis of the capsule, and when an image is taken, the capsule endoscope 110 faces vertically upward. It is preferable that the magnetization direction of the second magnet coincides with the magnetization direction of the first magnet, but in this case, due to complete symmetry, the capsule endoscope 110 rotates by itself at the time of the limit levitation, and the image taking becomes unclear. Therefore, it is preferable that the magnetization direction of the second magnet is inclined at a small angle of 0 to 20 degrees with respect to the ground, and the inclination angle is 5 degrees. In the following embodiment, the magnetization direction of the second magnet coincides with the magnetization direction of the first magnet, which means that the second magnet is inclined at a small angle with respect to the ground.

[0046] 2a and 2b show the situation where the capsule endoscope is located at the upper and lower stomach walls, respectively, when there is air in the stomach.

[0047] 2a and 2b, the magnetization direction of the capsule endoscope 110 (the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure) coincides with the magnetization direction of the external second magnet 230, the second magnet 230 is located directly above the capsule endoscope 110, the capsule endoscope 110 is located below the upper stomach wall 130 (or above the lower stomach wall 130), and the distance to the second magnet 230 is d, which is the distance between the center of the capsule endoscope 110 and the center of the second magnet 230.

[0048] At this time, the force received by the capsule endoscope 110 is an upward pulling force F 磁力 and the gravity W of the capsule endoscope 110 itself カプセル When the capsule endoscope 110 is in a quasi-floating state, F 磁力 =W カプセル Therefore, the formula (4) can be obtained based on the following formulas (1) to (3). TIFF0007645985000001.tif2353

[0049] However, the limit levitation magnetic field value B obtained by the magnetic sensor in the capsule endoscope 110 is cr is as follows: TIFF0007645985000002.tif2273

[0050] In the above equations (1) to (4), M is the magnetic moment of the second magnet 230, m is the magnetic moment of the first magnet in the capsule endoscope 110, μ0 is the vacuum permeability, d is the distance between the two magnets, W is the weight of the capsule, and F is the attractive force between the second magnet (external magnet) 230 and the first magnet (magnet inside the capsule).

[0051] When the capsule endoscope 110 is located at the upper wall of the stomach, B>B cr So, for example, B 設定 =1.05B cr and When the capsule endoscope 110 is located at the lower wall of the stomach, B>B cr So, for example, B 設定 =0.95B cr It is.

[0052] B and B setting are the magnetic field values ​​of the second magnet 230, B setting is the corrected magnetic field value, and the friction force f 摩擦 =μN, B~Bcr,f 摩擦 ≒0, the height of the second magnet is always adjusted based on the B setting value so that the capsule endoscope is in a quasi-levitated state, and approximate levitated translation of the capsule endoscope can be realized in accordance with the horizontal movement of the second magnet 230.

[0053] 2c and 2d show the situation where the capsule endoscope is located at the upper and lower stomach walls, respectively, when there is an obstruction in the stomach.

[0054] 2c and 2d, because there is an obstacle 101 in the stomach area, the capsule endoscope 110 tilts when it encounters the obstacle 101 while traveling along the stomach wall. At this time, there is an angle difference, i.e., an included angle θ, between the magnetization direction of the capsule endoscope 110 (the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure) and the magnetization direction of the external second magnet 230. The second magnet 230 is located directly above the capsule endoscope 110, and the capsule endoscope 110 is located below the upper stomach wall 130 (or above the lower stomach wall 130). The distance between the capsule endoscope 110 and the second magnet 230 is d, which is the distance between the center of the capsule endoscope 110 and the center of the second magnet 230.

[0055] At this time, the force received by the capsule endoscope 110 is an upward pulling force F 磁力 and the gravity W of the capsule endoscope 110 itself カプセル However, since the capsule endoscope 110 encounters an obstacle and tilts, the acceleration sensor needs to calculate the tilt angle of the capsule endoscope 110. Therefore, when the capsule endoscope 110 is in a quasi-floating state, the formula (8) can be obtained based on the following formulas (5) to (7). TIFF0007645985000003.tif3166

[0056] However, the limit levitation magnetic field value B obtained by the magnetic sensor in the capsule endoscope 110 is cr is as follows: TIFF0007645985000004.tif1589

[0057] In the above formulas (5) to (8), M is the magnetic moment of the second magnet 230, m is the magnetic moment of the first magnet in the capsule endoscope 110, μ0 is the vacuum permeability, d is the distance between the two magnets, W is the weight of the capsule, F is the attractive force between the second magnet (external magnet) 230 and the first magnet (magnet inside the capsule), and g z is the axial acceleration component of the capsule, and g is the gravitational acceleration. In the embodiment of the present invention, the gravitational acceleration g is the total acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor, TIFF0007645985000005.tif1036, which is not significantly different from 9.8. In an alternative embodiment, the gravitational acceleration g can be considered a known parameter (9.8), and a gravity sensor can be used instead of an acceleration sensor to reduce costs and reduce the amount of calculations.

[0058] When the capsule is located in the upper stomach wall, B>B cr (θ), for example, B 設定 (θ)=1.05B cr (θ).

[0059] When the capsule is located in the lower stomach wall, B>B cr (θ), for example, B 設定 (θ)=0.95B cr (θ).

[0060] B is the magnetic field value of the second magnet 230. If the capsule is oriented vertically upwards, i.e. When θ=0°, cosθ=1, this is the state in which the capsule rises when there are no obstacles, so the calculation formula for Bcr(θ) is a general formula for both the presence and absence of obstacles, including the state in which the capsule is facing vertically upward.

[0061] The friction force at this time f 摩擦 =μN, B~Bcr,f 摩擦 ≒0, so B is always 設定 By adjusting the height of the second magnet based on the value of , approximate levitation translation of the capsule endoscope can be realized.

[0062] In this embodiment, by changing the distance between the second magnet and the capsule endoscope 110, the magnitude of the traction force that the capsule endoscope 110 receives in the longitudinal direction is changed, causing the capsule endoscope to move in the longitudinal direction, so that the capsule endoscope reaches a quasi-levitation state, and further achieves the purpose of overcoming the obstacle in accordance with the horizontal movement of the second magnet 230. Since the change gradient of the magnetic field in the vertical direction of the second magnet is used to overtake the obstacle, it can be successful regardless of the size of the obstacle.

[0063] 2e and 2f show the situation where the capsule endoscope 110 is located at the upper and lower stomach walls, respectively, when there is liquid 102 in the stomach region.

[0064] 2e and 2f, the magnetization direction of the capsule endoscope 110 (the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure) coincides with the magnetization direction of the external second magnet 230, the second magnet 230 is positioned directly above the capsule endoscope 110, the capsule endoscope 110 is positioned below the upper stomach wall 130 (or above the lower stomach wall 130), and the distance to the second magnet 230 is d, which is the distance between the center of the capsule endoscope 110 and the center of the second magnet 230.

[0065] At this time, the force received by the capsule endoscope 110 is an upward pulling force F 磁力 , buoyancy and the gravity W of the capsule endoscope 110 itself カプセル Therefore, when the capsule endoscope 110 is in a quasi-floating state, the formula (13) can be obtained based on the following formulas (9) to (12). TIFF0007645985000006.tif4078

[0066] However, the limit levitation magnetic field value B obtained by the magnetic sensor in the capsule endoscope 110 is cr is as follows: TIFF0007645985000007.tif1694

[0067] In the above formulas (9) to (13), M is the magnetic moment of the second magnet 230, m is the magnetic moment of the first magnet in the capsule endoscope 110, μ0 is the vacuum permeability, d is the distance between the two magnets, W is the weight of the capsule, F is the attractive force between the second magnet (external magnet) 230 and the first magnet (magnet inside the capsule), θ is the tilt angle of the capsule endoscope 110, and g z is the axial acceleration component of the capsule, g is the gravitational acceleration, ρ is the specific gravity of the liquid in the stomach, and v is the volume of the capsule. In the embodiment of the present invention, the gravitational acceleration g is the total acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor, TIFF0007645985000008.tif1036, which is not significantly different from 9.8. In an alternative embodiment, the gravitational acceleration g can be considered a known parameter (9.8), and a gravity sensor can be used instead of an acceleration sensor to reduce costs and reduce the amount of calculations.

[0068] When the capsule is located in the upper stomach wall, B>B cr (θ), for example, B 設定 (θ)=1.05B cr (θ).

[0069] When the capsule is located in the lower stomach wall, B>B cr (θ), for example, B 設定 (θ)=0.95B cr (θ).

[0070] The friction force at this time f 摩擦 =μN, B~Bcr,f 摩擦 ≒0, so B is always 設定 The height of the magnet is adjusted based on the value of , and the approximate levitation translation of the capsule endoscope can be realized in accordance with the horizontal movement of the second magnet 230.

[0071] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2a to FIG. 2f, the critical levitation magnetic field value B cr can be calculated by a formula, or in other embodiments, can be obtained by experimental test results. cr The step of obtaining the critical levitation magnetic field value B is performed by placing the capsule endoscope directly under the second magnet, adjusting the height of the second magnet by a relatively small distance, and obtaining the critical levitation magnetic field value B when the capsule is about to be sucked up or dropped by the second magnet. cr By recording the magnetic field value and changing the environment in which the capsule endoscope is located, for example by placing it in a liquid directly under the second magnet and adjusting the height of the second magnet by a relatively small distance, the critical levitation magnetic field value B cr Record the data by performing multiple tests to obtain the accurate limit magnetic field value B cr and obtaining the

[0072] 3 is a schematic diagram of a capsule endoscope control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the capsule endoscope control system 200 includes a capsule endoscope 110, an external control unit 210, a moving unit 220, a second magnet 230, an image unit 240, and a positioning unit 250.

[0073] The control unit 210 receives magnetic field data and acceleration data measured by the magnetic sensor and acceleration sensor in the capsule endoscope 110, and calculates the traction force required to bring the capsule endoscope 110 into a quasi-levitation state based on the magnetic field data and acceleration data, and generates a control signal.

[0074] The moving unit 220 receives the control signal, and moves the second magnet 230 horizontally or vertically according to the control signal, and controls the capsule endoscope 110 located in the target area to move horizontally or vertically. The moving unit 220 may specifically be a three-dimensional robot, a Cartesian robot, a robot arm, etc.

[0075] The second magnet 230 may be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. When the second magnet 230 is a permanent magnet, the traction force received by the capsule endoscope 110 is controlled by changing the vertical distance between the second magnet 230 and the first magnet, and when the second magnet 230 is an electromagnet, the traction force received by the capsule endoscope 110 is controlled by controlling the vertical distance between the second magnet 230 and the first magnet or the magnitude of the current of the second magnet 230, thereby putting the capsule endoscope 110 into a quasi-levitated state.

[0076] The imaging unit 240 is used to receive a plurality of images taken by the capsule endoscope 110, and synthesize a panoramic image of the target area based on these images. The capsule endoscope 110 moves along the target area wall in the target area under the control of the second magnet 230 and takes target area images, so that a panoramic image of the target area can be synthesized based on these target area images. At the same time, a three-dimensional spatial structure of the target area can also be constructed based on the panoramic image, which facilitates the inspection of the target area and improves the accuracy.

[0077] The positioning unit 250 is used to record the position information and movement trajectory of the capsule endoscope 110. When the capsule endoscope 110 moves along the wall of the target area, the positioning unit 250 can record the position information and movement trajectory of the capsule endoscope 110 in real time, or record the position information of the capsule endoscope 110 once every certain time, and the image unit 240 can construct a three-dimensional spatial structure of the target area based on the position information and / or movement trajectory, which facilitates the inspection of the target area and improves the accuracy.

[0078] In this embodiment, the capsule endoscope control system 200 can collect the target area image by moving the capsule endoscope 110 using two methods: manual control or automatic control.

[0079] In the manual control mode, the capsule endoscope 110 needs to be placed in the target area first. The specific steps include: 1, placing the capsule endoscope at a first point in the target area by the mobile unit; 2, attracting the capsule endoscope to the upper wall of the target area, starting the upper wall quasi-floating mode, and automatically adjusting the height of the second magnet; 3, controlling the capsule endoscope to run along the horizontal direction and take pictures by the mobile unit; 4, switching to the downward floating mode, and automatically adjusting the height of the outer magnet; 5, controlling the capsule endoscope to run along the horizontal direction and take pictures by the mobile unit; 6, changing the posture of the target area, and repeating the above steps.

[0080] In the manual control method, the control system 200 uses the limit levitation magnetic field value B obtained by testing. cr Based on this, the height of the second magnet is always automatically adjusted, i.e., the height of the capsule endoscope in the Z direction (vertical direction) is automatically adjusted by the system, thereby realizing approximate levitation translation, so that by the operator controlling the movement in the horizontal direction, an image of the corresponding position in the target area can be obtained.

[0081] In this embodiment, the manual control method can control the capsule endoscope 110 to navigate to a specified site and perform image acquisition, enhancing the accuracy of scanning the target area.

[0082] In the automatic control method, the specific steps include: 1. placing the capsule endoscope at a first point of the target area; 2. attracting the capsule endoscope to the upper wall of the target area, activating the upper wall quasi-levitation mode, and allowing the outer magnet to automatically adjust the height; 3. performing zigzag scanning on the upper wall of the target area; and 4. performing zigzag scanning on the lower wall of the target area. This automatic control method is completed according to the command of the control unit.

[0083] In the automatic control method, referring to FIG. 4, the specific steps of zigzag scanning include: 3.1, perform linear motion at a certain angle in the XY plane; since the surface of the target area is arc-shaped, the second magnet controls the capsule height in the Z direction through feedback of the capsule endoscope; 3.2, during the linear motion of the capsule endoscope, when the downward gradient in the Z direction exceeds a threshold, it is considered that the edge of the target area is reached, and the straight line is deflected by an angle of θ in the XY plane; continue the motion; if the scanning route needs to be tight, decrease the angle of θ; if the scanning route is too tight, increase the angle of θ; and 3.3, repeat 3.1 to 3.2 until the Z-axis gradients on the XY straight lines are all greater than the threshold.

[0084] In this embodiment, the automatic control method improves the examination efficiency, and the medical practitioner can approximately determine the lesion location based on the image of the target area provided by the image acquired by the automatic control method, thereby further inspecting the lesion location using the manual control method, thereby improving the examination efficiency and accuracy.

[0085] In the above automatic and / or manual method, a panoramic picture and a three-dimensional spatial shape of the target area can be obtained by synthesizing the upper wall pattern of the target area and the lower wall pattern of the target area.

[0086] Since the capsule endoscope is in a quasi-floating state, the frictional force between it and the target area is greatly reduced, and damage to the target area during movement is also greatly reduced.

[0087] In the control method and system for a capsule endoscope according to the present invention, the capsule endoscope is controlled to be in a quasi-levitated state, i.e., the mutual attraction force between the second magnet and the first magnet is equal to or slightly greater than the weight of the capsule endoscope at the upper wall of the target area, and equal to or slightly smaller than the weight of the capsule endoscope at the lower wall of the target area; when there is liquid in the target area, the buoyancy is subtracted, so that the pressure between the capsule endoscope and the stomach wall tends to be zero, the friction force is greatly reduced, and the scanning of the target area becomes more accurate.

[0088] The control method and system for a capsule endoscope according to the present invention, when the capsule endoscope encounters an obstacle, controls the vertical movement of the capsule endoscope by changing the gradient of the magnetic field value of the second magnet in the vertical direction, so that the capsule endoscope enters a quasi-levitated state and overcomes the obstacle in accordance with the horizontal movement of the second magnet.

[0089] The capsule endoscope control method and system according to the present invention has two control modes: automatic scanning and manual scanning. When there is a region that the user wishes to focus on in the image acquired by automatic scanning, the capsule endoscope can be controlled to move to a specified position in the target area and scan it using the manual scanning mode, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of the examination.

[0090] The embodiments according to the present invention have been described above, and these embodiments do not describe all the details, and the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible according to the above description. The present specification selects and describes these embodiments in detail in order to better understand the principles and practical applications of the present invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to make good use of the present invention and the modifications and uses based on the present invention. The present invention is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A control system for a capsule endoscope a capsule endoscope including an image acquisition module, a first magnet, a battery module, a wireless module, and a detection module; a control unit for receiving the data transmitted by the capsule endoscope, calculating a critical levitation magnetic field value, and obtaining a control signal according to the critical levitation magnetic field value; A mobile unit; a second magnet external to the capsule endoscope; The detection module is configured to measure an inclination angle of the capsule endoscope and an environmental magnetic field value of an environment in which the capsule endoscope is located; the moving unit controls the second magnet to move in a horizontal and / or vertical direction based on the control signal; The first magnet is controlled to move by moving the second magnet, and the capsule endoscope is in a quasi-levitated state when moving horizontally and / or vertically along the stomach wall, and the data transmitted by the capsule endoscope includes the weight of the capsule endoscope itself, the inclination angle of the capsule endoscope, the buoyancy of the capsule endoscope, and the environmental magnetic field value; the critical levitation magnetic field value is obtained based on the weight of the capsule endoscope itself, the inclination angle of the capsule endoscope, and the buoyancy of the capsule endoscope; A control system for a capsule endoscope, wherein the second magnet is moved horizontally and / or vertically based on the control signal so that the capsule endoscope is in a quasi-levitated state under the magnetic field of the environment.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the sensing module includes a magnetic sensor and an acceleration sensor.

3. The control system of claim 2 , wherein the magnetic sensor is remote from the first magnet and the acceleration sensor is a gravity sensor.

4. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein the sensing directions of the magnetic sensor and the acceleration sensor are along a longitudinal axis of the capsule endoscope.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetization direction of the first magnet is along a longitudinal axis of the capsule endoscope.

6. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein an included angle between the magnetization direction of the second magnet and a perpendicular direction is in the range of 0 to 20°.

7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile unit comprises a three-dimensional robot, a Cartesian robot, or a robotic arm.

8. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the second magnet comprises a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

9. The control system according to claim 1 , further comprising an imaging unit for receiving a plurality of images taken by the capsule endoscope and for constructing a three-dimensional spatial structure of a target area.

10. The control system of claim 9 , wherein the imaging unit obtains a panoramic image of a target area based on the plurality of images, and the imaging unit obtains a three-dimensional spatial structure of the target area based on the panoramic image.

11. The control system according to claim 9, further comprising a positioning unit for recording position information and / or movement trajectory of the capsule endoscope, wherein the image unit obtains a three-dimensional spatial structure of the target area based on the position information and / or movement trajectory of the positioning unit.

12. 2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the manner of controlling the second magnet to move in a horizontal and / or vertical direction includes manual control controlled by a moving unit and automatic control controlled by a control unit.

13. A method for operating a capsule endoscope, comprising controlling a capsule endoscope including a first magnet inside the capsule endoscope by a second magnet outside the capsule endoscope, comprising: Each step of the operation method is executed by a control system of the capsule endoscope, and the control system is configured to measure an inclination angle of the capsule endoscope and an environmental magnetic field value of an environment in which the capsule endoscope is located; Measuring the inclination angle of the capsule endoscope and the magnetic field value of the environment in which the capsule endoscope is located; receiving data transmitted by the capsule endoscope to obtain a limit levitation magnetic field value of the capsule endoscope, the data transmitted by the capsule endoscope including the weight of the capsule endoscope itself, the tilt angle of the capsule endoscope, the buoyancy of the capsule endoscope and the environmental magnetic field value, the limit levitation magnetic field value being obtained based on the weight of the capsule endoscope itself, the tilt angle of the capsule endoscope and the buoyancy of the capsule endoscope; adjusting a traction force received by the capsule endoscope based on the critical levitation magnetic field value; the traction force is used to control the capsule endoscope to move in a horizontal and / or vertical direction; The first magnet is controlled to move by the second magnet, and the capsule endoscope is in a quasi-levitated state when moving horizontally and / or vertically along the stomach wall; A method of operating a capsule endoscope, wherein the second magnet is moved horizontally and / or vertically such that the capsule endoscope is in a quasi-levitating state under the magnetic field of the environment.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the magnetic field value is measured by a magnetic sensor.

15. The step of adjusting the traction force received by the capsule endoscope based on the limit levitation magnetic field value includes: obtaining a corrected magnetic field value based on the critical levitation magnetic field value; The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting a height of the second magnet based on the modified magnetic field value, thereby adjusting a traction force experienced by the capsule endoscope.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining that the capsule endoscope has encountered an obstacle if the inclination angle of the capsule endoscope is greater than zero.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the manner of controlling the capsule endoscope to move in horizontal and / or vertical directions includes automatic control.

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