Patent ID: 8016747
Filing Date: 2011-09-13
Classification: A61B,G02B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A capsule endoscope comprising: a capsule housing; a plurality of imaging devices for respectively imaging a common subject; an imaging driving section that drives the plurality of imaging devices; a plurality of focusing optical systems that respectively correspond one-to-one with the plurality of imaging devices, each focusing optical system focusing an image of the subject at an imaging region of the corresponding imaging device; a control section that controls an imaging operation of the plurality of imaging devices by the imaging driving section; a rotating member provided so as to be rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis within the housing, the plurality of imaging devices being offset from the rotation axis and disposed at mutually different positions such that the plurality of imaging devices rotate about the rotation axis in accordance with rotation of the rotating member; and a rotation driving section that drives the rotation of the rotating member about the rotation axis, wherein each of the plurality of focusing optical systems is inclined such that an optical axis direction thereof is oriented forward in a direction of imaging by the plurality of imaging devices and toward a perpendicular direction that passes through a central point between the imaging regions of the plurality of imaging devices, and wherein the control section further controls a rotation operation of the rotating member by the rotation driving section.