Abstract: A capsule endoscope includes a capsule body to be introduced into a subject; and a center-of-gravity setting unit for setting a center of gravity so as to maintain a posture of the capsule body relative to a direction of gravity constant. The capsule endoscope also includes an imaging unit arranged in the capsule body such that an imaging field having an optical axis in an oblique direction pointing upward from a horizontal direction is formed with a posture of the capsule body maintained constant relative to the direction of gravity, for imaging a body cavity image.

Abstract: A power supply starter (51) provided with a magnetic body (51e) is mounted on an inner lid portion (42) while a sterilizing sheet (43) is opened for enabling application of a magnetic field from outside of the inner lid portion (42) (inside of the inner lid portion (42)) by the magnetic body (51e), and therefore, the start to drive respective functions of the capsule endoscope (2) is prevented until the magnetic field is applied from outside, and thereby, the start to drive the respective functions of the capsule endoscope can be performed with arbitrary timing and the consumption of power accumulated within the capsule endoscope can be suppressed.

Abstract: A capsule endoscope includes a capsule casing and interior components housed therein whose total specific gravity is set such that the capsule casing floats in liquid introduced into a subject. The capsule endoscope also includes a gravity center position setting unit that sets a position of center of gravity of the capsule casing at a decentered position so that the capsule casing is stabilized in the liquid introduced into the subject without rotating except for rotation about an axis in a direction of the center of gravity; and an imager that takes an in-vivo image in a body cavity with an imaging field being set so that a surface of the liquid is out of view when the capsule casing floats in the liquid introduced into the subject in a stabilized posture.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to eliminate unstable behavior of a drawn cable connected to a portable medical apparatus, which is of a storage target, to prevent cable jam or looseness and cable disconnection. A bundling member (13) is an example of a constraint member which constrains paths of cables (5) drawn from an opening (44) of a pouch (41) in which a receiver (6) is stored. The bundling member (13) has a joint structure in which a surface fastener is used between a flap (46) and a backside of the pouch (41), and the bundling member (13) bundles the cables (5) drawn from the opening (44). The bundling member (13) is constrained by clamping the bundling member (13) at a portion of a joint structure (48). Therefore, unstable behavior of the cable (5) can be eliminated to prevent jam or looseness of the cable (5), and steep bending can be eliminated at a base portion where the cable (5) is drawn from the receiver (6) to protect the cable (5).

Abstract: A capsule medical apparatus includes a reaction plane on which one or more kinds of reacting substance reacting with an internal substance in the body to be examined are fixed, wherein the reacting substance is chemical reacting substance or biochemical reacting substance, and an analyzer detects and analyzes the substance reacted with the reaction plane or a trace of the reaction outside of the body to be examined.

Abstract: A capsule endoscope has a solid image sensor introduced into a subject for picking up an image in the subject. The capsule endoscope includes a light-emitting unit for emitting illumination light for illuminating a view field of the solid image sensor; a lens frame for holding a lens to focus an image in the subject on a light-receiving surface of the solid image sensor, the lens frame having an upper end portion located at a position lower than an upper surface of the light-emitting unit; and a shield unit for shielding, from the illumination light, at least a partial area of the upper end portion of the lens frame which receives the illumination light.

Abstract: An assembling method of a capsule medical apparatus is provided. The capsule medical apparatus includes a sealed capsule container having an image pick-up unit which picks up an image of a portion illuminated by an illuminating unit, and an objective optical system which is arranged in front of the image pick-up unit. The assembling method includes a positioning step of positioning so that a relative position of a reference position of a fixing frame in the objective optical system matches a reference position of an image area of the image pick-up unit, and a fixing step of, after the positioning step, contacting a reference down-surface of the fixing frame with the top surface of the image pick-up unit and fixing the image pick-up unit and the fixing frame.

Abstract: An intra-subject observation system includes a first liquid inserted into a desired organ of a subject; and a second liquid inserted into the organ without being mixed with the first liquid due to a specific gravity lighter than that of the first liquid. The system also includes a capsule medical apparatus inserted into the organ with an intermediate specific gravity between the specific gravity of the first liquid and that of the second liquid to acquire intra-subject information, which is output out of the subject by radio.

Abstract: The present invention provides a capsule-type medical apparatus and a method of manufacturing a capsule-type medical apparatus which can prevent a contact between a burr formed on an optical dome which is a part of a capsule-like casing and a living body in a subject. The capsule-type medical apparatus has a capsule-like casing which can be introduced inside the subject. The casing is configured with optically transparent optical domes and a cylindrical trunk member having an outer diameter dimension larger than an outer diameter dimension of the optical domes. The cylindrical trunk member is fitted onto an outer circumferential surface of the optical domes so as to cover each of the optical domes up to a portion near the burr formed thereon. The cylindrical trunk member has a step higher than the burr so as to prevent a contact between the burr and a living body in the subject.

Abstract: A gastrointestinal tract examining apparatus includes a capsular endoscope which examines the gastrointestinal tract, a flexible tube member, a flexible string member which is inserted in the tube member, and a connecting portion which is arranged to the capsular endoscope. In the gastrointestinal tract examining apparatus, the tube member is separated from the capsular endoscope by detachably connecting the string member to the connecting portion.

Abstract: Provided is a capsule medical apparatus including a capsule body, a control member, and an observing member. The capsule body is to be introduced into a lumen of a subject. The control member controls a movement of the capsule body in the lumen by a flow of a fluid introduced in the lumen. The observing member is fixed inside the capsule body and observes a direction of the flow of the fluid and a direction different from the flow of the fluid according to the movement of the capsule body.

Abstract: An assembling method of a capsule medical apparatus is provided. The capsule medical apparatus includes a sealed capsule container having an image pick-up unit which picks up an image of a portion illuminated by an illuminating unit, and an objective optical system which is arranged in front of the image pick-up unit. The assembling method includes a positioning step of positioning so that a relative position of a reference position of a fixing frame in the objective optical system matches a reference position of an image area of the image pick-up unit, and a fixing step of, after the positioning step, contacting a reference down-surface of the fixing frame with the top surface of the image pick-up unit and fixing the image pick-up unit and the fixing frame.

Abstract: A posture and a position of a capsule endoscope 31 in a fluid 7 are made unstable and susceptible to an influence of a flow of the fluid 7 by constructing the capsule endoscope in such a way that the capsule endoscope 31 is equipped in a capsule casing having an approximately cylindrical trunk, a center of gravity of the capsule endoscope 31 is approximately in a volume center, and a specific gravity of the capsule endoscope 31 is approximately equal to that of the fluid 7 injected into a body cavity, thereby causing the capsule endoscope 31 to move to an intraluminal center using a difference of flow rate of the fluid 7 generated in large intestine and the like where a luminal diameter is large to stably capture desired intraluminal images by an imaging optical system.

Abstract: A capsule medication administration system includes: a first capsule for internal body marking; a second capsule for medication; a marking device which makes a marking within a living body; a drug retention section which retains a drug; a release device which releases the drug; a detection device which detects the marking; a decision device which decides whether or not a marking which has been detected by the detection device is a specified marking; and a release control device which operates the release devices if it has been decided by the decision device that it is the specified marking; wherein the first capsule comprises the marking device. The second capsule comprises the drug retention section and the release device.

Abstract: A capsule medication administration system includes: a first capsule for internal body marking; a second capsule for medication; a marking device which makes a marking within a living body; a drug retention section which retains a drug; a release device which releases the drug; a detection device which detects the marking; a decision device which decides whether or not a marking which has been detected by the detection device is a specified marking; and a release control device which operates the release devices if it has been decided by the decision device that it is the specified marking; wherein the first capsule comprises the marking device. The second capsule comprises the drug retention section and the release device.

Abstract: A capsule medication administration system includes: a first capsule for internal body marking; a second capsule for medication; a marking device which makes a marking within a living body; a drug retention section which retains a drug; a release device which releases the drug; a detection device which detects the marking; a decision device which decides whether or not a marking which has been detected by the detection device is a specified marking; and a release control device which operates the release device, if it has been decided by the decision device that it is the specified marking; wherein the first capsule comprises the marking device. The second capsule comprises the drug retention section and the release device.

Abstract: An image forming lens includes a lens element having a flange part that is integral with the lens element. When assembled with an image pickup element to form an image pickup module, an outside perimeter portion of the lens element having a flange part, at a region nearest an image pickup element, is inclined so that outer diameters thereof increase when successively measured at positions nearer to the image pickup element. A frame of the image forming lens according to the invention has an inclined portion on the object side with an outer diameter that becomes smaller when successively measured nearer the object side. Satisfying one or more conditions insures accuracy in assembly and that there will be sufficient room near the object side outside the inclined portion to mount a light source, such as an LED, without having to increase the maximum outer diameter of the image pickup module.

Abstract: A power-supply starter apparatus for a capsule-type medical device that includes a container case internally retaining a capsule-type medical device having at least a intra-subject information acquiring unit and a power switch for switching power supply to each unit including the intra-subject information acquiring unit, and a starter that has a magnetic body and controls switching of the power supply by applying a magnetic field originating from the magnetic body to the power switch of the capsule-type medical device inside the container case, wherein the container case has an insertion/removal unit in which a space is formed where the magnetic body can be brought closer to the power switch and the starter is inserted/removed, and the insertion/removal unit and starter have a restriction unit for restricting rotation around an axis in an insertion/removal direction of the starter into/from the insertion/removal unit so that switching of the power supply is controlled only by an insertion/removal operation of

Abstract: When an inner cover portion 42 is accommodated in a blister pack 41, a retention space area 40a for accommodating a capsule endoscope 2 is formed between the bottom face 42e of the inner cover portion 42 and the inside bottom face 41e2 of the blister pack 41. The capsule endoscope 2, retained by a retaining portion 41e3 formed in the blister pack 41 and by a hole portion 42e1 formed in the inner cover portion 42, is set into a storage case 40. The entire capsule endoscope accommodated in the storage case is uniformly and satisfactorily sterilized by blocking the opening of the blister pack 41 with a sterilizing sheet 43.