Capsule Medical Device Variable Sensitivity Fluorescence Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Capsule endoscopes face challenges in capturing images of diseased tissue due to high volumes of useless images and degradation of image quality, particularly when trying to detect weak fluorescence from diseased tissue, leading to long analysis times and low-resolution or shaky images.
Innovation Solution
A capsule medical device with an excitation light source, a variable sensitivity image-capturing element, and control means to adjust sensitivity, binning, exposure time, or diaphragm aperture based on radiation intensity, ensuring reliable detection of weak radiation and improved image quality by capturing images with high sensitivity initially and reducing sensitivity when radiation intensity exceeds a threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the sensitivity of the image-capturing element is increased to detect weak fluorescence from diseased tissue, then the detection capability is improved, but the image quality degrades due to low resolution or shaky images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the sensitivity of the image-capturing element variable rather than fixed. The control means dynamically adjusts the sensitivity based on the captured radiation intensity, switching between high sensitivity mode for detecting weak fluorescence and reduced sensitivity mode for maintaining image quality when radiation exceeds a threshold. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between detection capability and image quality.
2Reliability
If images are captured continuously at predetermined time intervals for approximately 8 hours from introduction to evacuation, then complete coverage of the body cavity is achieved, but a large number of useless images are stored requiring long analysis time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by selectively extracting and storing only useful images that contain regions with radiation intensity exceeding a predetermined threshold. The control means evaluates each captured image and extracts only those containing potential diseased tissue, discarding useless images with no light intensity. This reduces the huge number of stored images to a manageable subset, significantly decreasing analysis time while maintaining complete coverage of the body cavity.
3Reliability
If all captured images are stored and analyzed, then no diseased region is missed, but the labor of checking huge numbers of images increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by using the radiation intensity information from captured images to control the selection and storage of images. The control means continuously monitors radiation intensity and uses this feedback to determine which images should be stored for analysis. Images with radiation intensity exceeding the threshold are selected for storage, while others are discarded. This feedback mechanism ensures no diseased region is missed while dramatically improving diagnosis efficiency by reducing the number of images requiring manual review.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for the reliable detection of diseased regions with improved image quality, reducing the need to analyze numerous images and enhancing the ability to observe diseased areas efficiently and in detail, while associating captured images with time to estimate their location within the body.
Implementation Method 1
a fluorescent material having affinity for diseased tissue, such as cancer, is introduced in advance into the body of a subject under examination, and excitation light that excites the fluorescent material is radiated to detect fluorescence from the fluorescent material accumulated in diseased tissue
Implementation Method 2
an image-capturing element that captures radiation generated at the inner wall of the body cavity by the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source to acquire a two-dimensional radiation image
Data Source
AI summary
Radiation is captured without fail, and a sharp image of a region where radiation is generated is acquired. A capsule medical device (3) includes an excitation light source (7) that generates excitation light for irradiating an inner wall (4) of a body cavity, a CCD (9), having variable sensitivity, that captures fluorescence generated at the inner wall (4) of the body cavity by the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source (7) to acquire a two-dimensional fluorescence image, and a control unit (35) that performs control so as to reduce the sensitivity of the CCD (9) when the fluorescence intensity in at least part of the fluorescence image acquired by the CCD (9) exceeds a predetermined threshold.