Abstract: The specific gravity of a capsule-type endoscope according to the invention is set to be lower than that of liquid in an organ, so that the capsule-type endoscope is floated on a liquid surface of the liquid. A center of gravity of the capsule-type endoscope is set to a position deviated from a center of a casing, so that the casing is maintained in a specific floating position while being floated on the liquid surface. A boundary between the casing and the liquid surface is formed within a projection plane, which is obtained by projecting the casing in the specific floating position perpendicularly to the liquid surface, at a position excluding an outer periphery of the projection plane Ka.

Abstract: A guidance device includes: a permanent magnet; an accommodating portion; a shielding member configured to shield the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet; a supporting mechanism configured to support the permanent magnet between a first position and a second position; a driving unit configured to operate the supporting mechanism upon receiving an electric power supply; and a shielding member moving mechanism configured to move the shielding member between a shielding position and a non-shielding position in conjunction with an operation of the supporting mechanism causing the permanent magnet to move in a vertical direction. When the electric power supply to the driving unit stops, the shielding member moving mechanism moves the shielding member to the shielding position in conjunction with an operation of the supporting mechanism causing the permanent magnet to move to the first position.

Abstract: A capsule medical apparatus includes a tissue obtaining unit that obtains a tissue from a body site of a subject; a detecting unit that detects a state of the tissue obtaining unit that varies depending on whether the tissue obtaining unit succeeds in obtaining a tissue; an output unit that outputs information representing whether the tissue obtaining unit succeeds in obtaining a tissue; and a control unit that determines whether the tissue obtaining unit succeeds in obtaining a tissue based on the state of the tissue obtaining unit, which is detected by the detecting unit, and causes the output unit to output the information representing whether the tissue obtaining unit succeeds in obtaining a tissue.

Abstract: A capsule medical apparatus to be introduced into a subject includes a tissue collecting unit that collects in-vivo tissue; a storage unit that stores therein the in-vivo tissue that is collected by the tissue collecting unit; a liquid storing unit that stores therein liquid for suppressing autolysis of in-vivo tissue; a liquid supplying unit that supplies the liquid in the liquid storing unit to the storage unit; and a control unit that allows, in response to an instruction to start collecting the in-vivo tissue, the tissue collecting unit to collect desired in-vivo tissue and to store the collected in-vivo tissue in the storage unit and that then allows the liquid supplying unit to supply the liquid to the storage unit and makes the storage unit be in a liquid-tight state.

Abstract: A capsule medical apparatus capable of injecting a medical agent into a living tissue includes a casing, a pressing member that presses the surface of the living tissue, a driving unit that causes the pressing member to protrude from the casing in a predetermined direction and to press the surface of the living tissue while rotating the pressing member around a rotation axis parallel to the protruding direction, and a needle-like puncturing member that is arranged on the pressing member and punctures the living tissue in an oblique direction with respect to the surface of the living tissue to thereby inject the medical agent into the living tissue along with the rotation of the pressing member driven by the driving unit.

Abstract: A capsule medical system includes a capsule medical apparatus, a selecting unit, and a control unit. The capsule medical apparatus is introduced inside a subject and includes an imaging unit for taking an in-vivo image of the subject, a treating unit for treating a living tissue in the subject, and a driving unit for contributing to movement of the capsule medical apparatus. The selecting unit selects a treatment target of the treating unit from the in-vivo image. The control unit determines a relative distance between the treatment target and the treating unit, and moves the capsule medical apparatus in an imaging direction of the imaging unit by a distance corresponding to the relative distance using the driving unit.

Abstract: A capsule medical apparatus includes a living tissue drawing portion in which a space for drawing the living tissue into a body of the capsule medical apparatus is formed; a movable unit that includes an engaging unit, which can be engaged with the living tissue of the subject, and that moves on a surface of the body of the capsule medical apparatus and in the living tissue drawing portion; an injection needle that has an ejection port for a drug and that protrudes such that the ejection port is positioned in the living tissue drawing portion; and an injection needle driver that drives the injection needle such that the injection needle protrudes.

Abstract: A magnetic actuator includes a housing; a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet placed in the housing and being relatively rotatable in a plane including a magnetization direction; a magnetic-field generating unit outside of the housing, the magnetic-field generating unit generating a magnetic field that relatively rotates the first permanent magnet and/or the second permanent magnet in a direction such that the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet generate a repulsive force against each other; and a first guiding portion provided in the housing to regulate a direction in which the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet relatively move by the generated repulsive force.

Abstract: A medical apparatus system includes a medical apparatus that acquires information on a subject; a posture item display unit that displays multiple posture items of the subject in which the medical apparatus acquires the information on the subject; an input unit that inputs a posture item of the subject in which the information on the subject is acquired among the posture items that are displayed by the posture item display unit; and a display controller that, in response to the input of the input unit, changes a display mode of the posture item of the subject that is displayed by the posture item display unit, such that the display mode indicates that the posture item is input by the input unit.

Abstract: A capsule medical apparatus capable of injecting a medical agent into a living tissue includes a casing, a pressing member that presses the surface of the living tissue, a driving unit that causes the pressing member to protrude from the casing in a predetermined direction and to press the surface of the living tissue while rotating the pressing member around a rotation axis parallel to the protruding direction, and a needle-like puncturing member that is arranged on the pressing member and punctures the living tissue in an oblique direction with respect to the surface of the living tissue to thereby inject the medical agent into the living tissue along with the rotation of the pressing member driven by the driving unit.

Abstract: A capsule medical apparatus to be introduced into a subject includes a tissue collecting unit that collects in-vivo tissue; a storage unit that stores therein the in-vivo tissue that is collected by the tissue collecting unit; a liquid storing unit that stores therein liquid for suppressing autolysis of in-vivo tissue; a liquid supplying unit that supplies the liquid in the liquid storing unit to the storage unit; and a control unit that allows, in response to an instruction to start collecting the in-vivo tissue, the tissue collecting unit to collect desired in-vivo tissue and to store the collected in-vivo tissue in the storage unit and that then allows the liquid supplying unit to supply the liquid to the storage unit and makes the storage unit be in a liquid-tight state.

Abstract: A capsule medical apparatus includes a living tissue drawing portion in which a space for drawing the living tissue into a body of the capsule medical apparatus is formed; a movable unit that includes an engaging unit, which can be engaged with the living tissue of the subject, and that moves on a surface of the body of the capsule medical apparatus and in the living tissue drawing portion; an injection needle that has an ejection port for a drug and that protrudes such that the ejection port is positioned in the living tissue drawing portion; and an injection needle driver that drives the injection needle such that the injection needle protrudes.

Abstract: The specific gravity of a capsule-type endoscope according to the invention is set to be lower than that of liquid in an organ, so that the capsule-type endoscope is floated on a liquid surface of the liquid. A center of gravity of the capsule-type endoscope is set to a position deviated from a center of a casing, so that the casing is maintained in a specific floating position while being floated on the liquid surface. A boundary between the casing and the liquid surface is formed within a projection plane, which is obtained by projecting the casing in the specific floating position perpendicularly to the liquid surface, at a position excluding an outer periphery of the projection plane Ka.

Abstract: A magnetic actuator includes a housing; a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet placed in the housing and being relatively rotatable in a plane including a magnetization direction; a magnetic-field generating unit outside of the housing, the magnetic-field generating unit generating a magnetic field that relatively rotates the first permanent magnet and/or the second permanent magnet in a direction such that the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet generate a repulsive force against each other; and a first guiding portion provided in the housing to regulate a direction in which the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet relatively move by the generated repulsive force.

Abstract: A capsule medical apparatus includes a tissue obtaining unit that obtains a tissue from a body site of a subject; a detecting unit that detects a state of the tissue obtaining unit that varies depending on whether the tissue obtaining unit succeeds in obtaining a tissue; an output unit that outputs information representing whether the tissue obtaining unit succeeds in obtaining a tissue; and a control unit that determines whether the tissue obtaining unit succeeds in obtaining a tissue based on the state of the tissue obtaining unit, which is detected by the detecting unit, and causes the output unit to output the information representing whether the tissue obtaining unit succeeds in obtaining a tissue.

Abstract: A capsule medical system includes a capsule medical apparatus, a selecting unit, and a control unit. The capsule medical apparatus is introduced inside a subject and includes an imaging unit for taking an in-vivo image of the subject, a treating unit for treating a living tissue in the subject, and a driving unit for contributing to movement of the capsule medical apparatus. The selecting unit selects a treatment target of the treating unit from the in-vivo image. The control unit determines a relative distance between the treatment target and the treating unit, and moves the capsule medical apparatus in an imaging direction of the imaging unit by a distance corresponding to the relative distance using the driving unit.

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.