Patent ID: 8261751

Claim:
A guiding system comprising: a capsule-type apparatus that includes: a capsule-shaped casing adapted to be introduced into a subject, and a permanent magnet which is fixed to the capsule-shaped casing; and a position controlling apparatus that includes: a relative position controlling mechanism that changes a relative position between a predetermined axis and the subject, a first magnetic field generating mechanism that forms, in a space in which the subject is laid, a component of a trapping magnetic field that attracts the permanent magnet to the predetermined axis, a second magnetic field generating mechanism that forms, in the space in which the subject is laid, a component of a gradient magnetic field that attracts the permanent magnet in a direction same as or opposite to a direction in which the relative position is changed, and a controller that is adapted to control the first magnetic field generating mechanism to form the component of the trapping magnetic field and is further adapted to control the second magnetic field generating mechanism to form the component of the gradient magnetic field in addition to the component of the trapping magnetic field formed by the first magnetic field generating mechanism when the position of the predetermined axis with respect to the capsule-type apparatus is at least one of moved, accelerated, and decelerated, wherein the controller is adapted to calculate a drive signal for driving the relative position controlling mechanism, and is further adapted to calculate, based on the calculated driving signal for the relative position controlling mechanism, a gradient signal for causing the second magnetic field generating mechanism to generate the gradient magnetic field for cancelling at least one of inertia force, force caused by wave breaking of a liquid in which the capsule-type apparatus is adapted to float within the subject, and friction force between the capsule-type apparatus and the liquid, when the position of the predetermined axis with respect to the capsule-type apparatus is at least one of moved, accelerated, and decelerated, and wherein the second magnetic field generating mechanism generates the gradient magnetic field based on the gradient signal calculated by the controller thereby inhibiting the capsule-type apparatus from deviating from the predetermined axis.