Dual-beam dual-magnet capsule for endoscopy in stomach

Inventors

Guo, Huimin • Wu, Wenchao • LAU, Chun Kit

Assignees

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute ASTRI

Abstract

A swallowable capsule has a primary magnet along a long axis that aligns between movable electromagnets in a magnetic endoscopy machine. A flip magnet is orthogonal to the long axis. The capsule is rolled around the long axis to flip orientation of a side camera on a side of the capsule. An external base electromagnet below the patient's feet is energized to roll the capsule. The base magnet acts on the flip magnet but not on the orthogonal primary magnet when the long axis is orthogonal to a magnetic axis of the base electromagnet. Most components such as a controller, the side camera, a side laser, batteries, and an antenna, are mounted to a long Printed Circuit Board (PCB) along the long axis, while a front camera and laser are mounted to a front PCB that is mounted orthogonally to a front edge of the long PCB.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a swallowable dual-beam magnetic endoscopy capsule for stomach inspection. The capsule has a casing with a length greater than a width and a long axis along the casing length, where the casing is impervious to stomach acid or resistant to stomach acid. Inside the casing, a primary magnet has a first magnetic axis that is parallel to the long axis, and a second magnet has a second magnetic axis that is orthogonal to the long axis.

The capsule generates and detects orthogonal front and side beams for distance determination to points on the stomach interior. A front light sensor detects light reflected off a first point, and a front light source generates a front light beam reflected off the first point and back into the front light sensor. A side light sensor detects light reflected off a second point, and a side light source generates a side light beam reflected off the second point and back into the side light sensor, where the side light beam is orthogonal to the front light beam.

Laser-based versions and imaging are included to support building a stomach map and navigation. The system uses a front laser emitter and a side laser emitter to form the orthogonal laser beams, with the controller determining distances based on reflected light. The capsule imaging and distance measurements are merged to form a 3D stomach map and automated navigation for additional imaging of suspected abnormalities.

Claims Coverage

The partial document provides two independent claims. The inventive coverage centers on a dual-magnet capsule with orthogonal magnetic axes and an orthogonal front and side illumination/detection arrangement that generates distances to points on the stomach interior from reflected light.

Across the independent claims, the inventive coverage combines a parallel/orthogonal magnetic axis arrangement with a controller-operated orthogonal front and side illumination/detection arrangement for generating distances to points on the stomach interior, with the second independent claim additionally specifying laser emitters and an LED with an image sensor.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications