Abstract:
A magnetic maneuvering system for capsule endoscope includes the capsule endoscope, an annular fitting sleeved around the outer surface of the capsule endoscope. A plurality of magnetic driven parts are provided and distributed on the annular fitting member. The control device includes a magnetic driving part for magnetically actuating the magnetic driven parts, thus enabling the capsule endoscope to rotate and move in an organism as a result of the actuation of the magnetic driven parts. By magnetically controlling the magnetic driven parts, the capsule endoscope is allowed to rotate or move under the control of the control device to achieve better image retrieval results and improve over the poor image retrieval results obtained by the prior art since the location and direction of a traditional capsule endoscope, relying solely on the contractions of the digestive tract, cannot be controlled.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to systems for controlling a capsule endoscope, and, more particularly, to a magnetic maneuvering system for controlling the location and the direction of a capsule endoscope. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the diagnosis and treatment of the interiors of organisms, an endoscope is an effective and commonly used tool. An endoscope is traditionally equipped with a camera lens at the front end of its fiber-optic catheter. The camera lens and the fiber-optic catheter are inserted into the organism through a patient&#39;s mouth or anus, and images of the internal of the organism are captured by the camera lens and are sent back through the fiber-optic catheter to an external machine. 
     However, since the digestive system of the human body is quite long and has many bent segments, the photographic results of the camera are thus affected. Therefore, sending the fiber-optic catheter into the digestive system of the human body by swallowing is not a very comfortable experience. 
     In recent years, capsule endoscopy has been developed in the field of medical equipment. Due to its small size, the capsule endoscope can be swallowed more easily by the patient, and, without the fiber-optic catheter, the length of the digestive system is not a concern. Moreover, the movement of the capsule endoscope inside the digestive system relies on the contractions of the digestive tract, so it has a better photographic result compared to the traditional intubational endoscope. 
     However, since the capsule endoscope is to be swallowed into the digestive system, its size cannot be too large, but a small capsule endoscopy tend to welter in the organs such as the stomach or the large intestine, so images of the digestive system cannot be effectively obtained. Furthermore, since the existing capsule endoscope is solely moved through the digestive system by the contractions of the digestive tract, thus the direction and location of the capsule endoscope cannot be controlled from outside the organism. 
     Recently, instrument such as a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instrument has been employed to guide, move or rotate the shooting angle of the capsule endoscope inside the organism by producing a huge magnetic field outside the organism, thereby obtaining a better photographic result. However, such external instrument cannot be easily acquired, and the cost of acquisition is high. Moreover, the handling of it is not simple and intuitive for the operators. 
     Therefore, there is a need to overcome the abovementioned shortcomings of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An objective of the present invention is to provide a magnetic maneuvering system for a capsule endoscope, which is capable of controlling the location and the shooting angle of the capsule endoscope by controlling magnetic driven parts of the capsule endoscope with a magnetic driving part of a control device through magnetism. 
     A magnetic maneuvering system for a capsule endoscope provided by the present invention includes: the capsule endoscope, an annular fitting member and a control device. The capsule endoscope is for use in retrieving images of an interior of an organism. The annular fitting member is sleeved around the outer surface of the capsule endoscope and has a plurality of magnetic driven parts provided thereon. The control device includes a magnetic driving part for controlling the capsule endoscope inside the organism from outside, wherein the control device actuates the plurality of magnetic driven parts by the magnetic driving part via magnetism, for enabling the capsule endoscope to rotate and move in the organism corresponding to the actuation of the magnetic driven parts. 
     From the above, it can be seen that the magnetic driving part of the control device of the present invention magnetically controls the magnetic driven parts of the capsule endoscope, so the capsule endoscope rotates or moves in the organism under the control of the control device, thereby fully retrieving the images of the interior of the organism and addressing the prior-art problem that the direction and location of the capsule endoscope inside the organism cannot be controlled. The present invention further provides a cheaper solution compared to the conventional NMR technique. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, with reference made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram depicting a magnetic maneuvering system for a capsule endoscope according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram depicting an arrangement of magnets for the magnetic driven parts of the annular fitting part shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a circuit block diagram depicting the magnetic maneuvering system for a capsule endoscope according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating a preferring embodiment according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is described by the following specific embodiments. Those with ordinary skills in the arts can readily understand the other advantages and functions of the present invention after reading the disclosure of this specification. The present invention can also be implemented with different embodiments. Various details described in this specification can be modified based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram depicting a magnetic maneuvering system for a capsule endoscope  1  according to the present invention is shown. As shown, the magnetic maneuvering system for a capsule endoscope  1  includes a capsule endoscope  10 , an annular fitting member  11 , and a control device  12 . The capsule endoscope  10  has an outer surface  101 . The annular fitting member  11  is sleeved around the outer surface  101  of the capsule endoscope  10 ; the annular fitting member  11  has a first end  11   a  and a second end  11   b  opposite to the first end  11   a , and a plurality of magnetic driven parts  111  comprising first magnetic driven parts  110  and second magnetic driven parts  112  are provided on the surface of the annular fitting member  11 . The control device  12  includes a rod  120 , a magnetic driving part  121 , and a cover  122 . The rod  120  has a top portion  120   a . The magnetic driving part  121  and the cover  122  are provided at the top portion  120   a  of the rod  120  and the cover  122  encases the magnetic driving part  121 . 
     The magnetic maneuvering system for a capsule endoscope  1  according to the present invention allows the magnetic driving part  121  of the control device  12  to drive the magnetic driven parts  111  through magnetism, so that the capsule endoscope  10  can be rotated or moved along with the magnetic driven parts  111  under the control of the magnetic driving part  121 . The magnetic driving part  121  can be a permanent magnet or electromagnetic coil. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a schematic diagram depicting an arrangement of magnets for the magnetic driven parts of the annular fitting part is shown. The plurality of magnetic driven parts  111  are provided and distributed on the surface of the annular fitting member  11 . Each magnetic driven part  111  includes an N pole  111   a ,  111   a ′ and an S pole  111   b ,  111   b ′; the N pole  111   a  of each of the first magnetic driven parts  110  is positioned in the first end  11   a , and the S pole  111   b  of each of the first magnetic driven parts  110  is positioned in the second end  11   b ; the N pole  111   a ′ of each of the second magnetic driven parts  112  is positioned in the second end  11   b , and the S pole  111   b ′ of each of the second magnetic driven parts  112  is positioned in the first end  11   a .  FIG. 2  is a top view of the capsule endoscope  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , so the various magnetic driven parts  111  shown in  FIG. 2  are the tops of the magnetic driven parts  111 . The magnetic driven parts  111  are arranged such that the poles of any two adjacent magnetic driven parts  111  are opposite to each other in the first end  11   a  or in the second end  11   b . In other words, the first magnetic driven parts  110  and the second magnetic driven parts  112  interlace with each other. For example, if a first magnetic driven part  110  is arranged on the annular fitting member  11  with the S pole  111   b  facing upwards, then the facing upward poles of two adjacent second magnetic driven parts  112  positioned at either side of said first magnetic driven part  110  are N poles  111   a ′, opposite to the S pole  111   b.    
     In addition, in order for the annular fitting member  11  to rotate under the control of the control device  12 , the plurality of magnetic driven parts  111  are provided and distributed on the annular fitting part  11 . Although six magnetic driven parts  111  are shown to be distributed on the annular fitting member  11 , this number is merely for illustration purpose, and the present invention is not limited to this, as long as there is a plurality of magnetic driven parts  111 . Preferably, the number of magnetic driven parts  111  is even. 
     The ways in which the N poles  111   a ,  111   a ′ and the S poles  111   b ,  111   b ′ of the magnetic driven parts  111  are arranged, are similarly for illustration purpose only. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a circuit block diagram depicting the magnetic maneuvering system for a capsule endoscope according to the present invention is shown. The capsule endoscope  10  includes a light emitting unit  102 , an image detecting unit  103 , and a power and signal transmitting unit  104 . The light emitting unit  102  is provided within the capsule endoscope  10  for providing a light source required by the capsule endoscope  10 . The image detecting unit  103  is similarly provided within the capsule endoscope  10  for retrieving images of the interior of an organism. The power and signal transmitting unit  104  is electrically connected to light emitting unit  102  and image detecting unit  103  for supplying power to the light emitting unit  102 , and transmitting the images retrieved by the image detecting unit  103  to the outside. 
     The control device  12  includes a driving unit  123  provided within the rod  120  of the control device  12 . The driving unit  123  is electrically connected to the magnetic driving part  121  for driving the magnetic driving part  121 . In an example of the present invention, a stepper motor and a power supply driving the stepper motor can be used as the driving unit  123  for rotating the magnetic driving part  121 . Specifically, the stepper motor and the power supply are the conventional technology. 
     Although the power and signal transmitting unit  104  is shown as a transmission line in  FIG. 3  for transmitting power to the capsule endoscope  10  and transmitting images to the outside, the transmission line is only one example of the present invention. In actual implementations, a wireless micro RF chip and a battery (not shown) can be used as the power and signal transmitting unit  104  in lieu of the transmission line for providing power and transmitting the captured images. However, using a transmission line as the power and signal transmitting unit  104  reduces the size of the capsule endoscope  10  as well as the cost of the capsule endoscope  10 , so the transmission line is used as an example for illustrating the present invention, but the claims of the present invention are not limited thereto (that is, other implementations such as the wireless micro RF chip and the battery can also be employed). 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a schematic diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment according to the present invention is shown. In an actual implementation of the present invention, the capsule endoscope  10  is swallowed by an organism, so it enters into the interior  13  of the organism. Then, the power and signal transmitting unit  104  provides power to the capsule endoscope  10 . Upon receiving the power, the light emitting unit  102  of the capsule endoscope  10  emits light to provide the light source necessary while the image detecting unit  103  is retrieving images. After images are retrieved by the image detecting unit  103 , the images are transmitted to an external equipment for processing and/or displaying via the power and signal transmitting unit  104 . 
     If a change in the location of the capsule endoscope  10  is desired, the control device  12  is moved close to where the capsule endoscope  10  is located, and as a result of this, the magnetic driven parts  111  of the annular fitting part  11  are attracted to the magnetic driving part  121  of the control device  12 . By moving the control device  12 , the capsule endoscope  10  will move correspondingly in the interior  13  of the organism due to the magnetism of the magnetic driving part  121 . In addition, if a change in the shooting angle of the capsule endoscope  10  is desired, then the magnetic driven parts  111  of the annular fitting part  11  are first attracted to the magnetic driving part  121  of the control device  12 . Thereafter, the magnetic driving part  121  is rotated by the driving unit  123  of the control device  12 . This causes the magnetic driving part  121  of the magnetic driven parts  111  to rotate correspondingly due to the magnetism of the magnetic driving part  121 . This allows the capsule endoscope  10  to spin along with the rotation of magnetic driven parts  111  in the interior  13  of the organism, thus changing the shooting angle of the capsule endoscope  10 . 
     Alternatively, there is another method of changing the shooting angle of the capsule endoscope  10 . First, the magnetic driven parts  111  of the annular fitting member  11  are attracted to the magnetic driving part  121  of the control device  12  similar to that described before, and then the magnetic driving part  121  are driven by the driving unit  123  to rotate three dimensionally, so that the capsule endoscope  10  also rotates three dimensionally with the magnetic driven parts  111  magnetically driven by the magnetic driving part  121  in the interior  13  of the organism, thereby changing the shooting angle of the capsule endoscope  10 . 
     In an embodiment, a light emitting diode (LED) can be used as the light emitting unit  102  for providing the light source, and a CMOS camera is used as the image detecting unit  103  for capturing images of the interior  13  of the organism. 
     The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and they should not be construed as to limit the present invention in any way. The above embodiments can be modified by those with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the following appended claims.