An image pickup apparatus includes an image forming optical system which includes an aperture stop that sets an axial light beam, and a diffracting optical surface disposed at a position different from a position where the aperture stop is disposed, and an imager which is disposed on an image side of the image forming optical system, and has a light-receiving surface which is not flat and is curved to be concave toward the image forming optical system, wherein the diffracting optical surface satisfies the following conditional expression (1).

0.1<|DSD/TL|≦1.0  (1) where, TL denotes an actual distance on an optical axis of the image forming optical system, from a surface of incidence of the image forming optical system up to the light-receiving surface, DSD denotes an actual distance on the optical axis of the image forming optical system, from a position of the aperture stop up to the diffracting optical surface, and when a focal length of the image forming optical system is variable, conditional expression (1) is a conditional expression in a state at a wide angle end.

A receiving apparatus includes: an antenna configured to receive, by a radio wave, an image signal acquired by a capsule-type endoscope; a memory configured to store a determination table or a determination function, each being used for determining an interference level of the radio wave; and a processor comprising hardware, the processor is configured to: acquire a received signal strength of the image signal received by the antenna; generate determination information used for determining the interference level of the radio wave based on one or more synchronization signals included in the image signal; determine the interference level of the radio wave based on the received signal strength and the determination information by using the determination table or the determination function; and control to output information indicating that electromagnetic interference occurs, when the determined interference level of the radio wave is greater than a preset interference level.

An imaging capsule, including a radiation source; a collimator that blocks the emission of radiation from the radiation source except through two or more output columns; a detector paired to each output column configured to detect particles resulting from X-ray fluorescence and/or Compton backscattering in response to the particles emitted by the output columns; wherein the collimator is configured to rotate around an X axis to scan a partial or full inner circumference of a user's colon with radiation emitted from each output column; and wherein at least two of the two or more output columns are tilted by a distinct angle relative to a Y axis that is perpendicular to the X axis, to scan distinct positions along the user's colon and form images of a slice of the colon in parallel planes.

A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed comprising: (a) using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target in vitro or ex vivo cell population; (b) mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and (c) analysing said spectrometric data in order to identify and/or characterise said target cell population or one or more cells and/or compounds present in said target cell population.

A system and method for capturing in-vivo images of an endoluminal network and generating a pathway for directing an endoluminal robot to drive a catheter to a desired location.

A method of viewing the contents of a specimen bag includes, placing tissue within a cavity of the specimen bag through an open end of the specimen bag, engaging a stretchable portion of the specimen bag with a scope to stretch the stretchable portion of the specimen bag, and operating the scope to view the contents of the specimen bag.

An electronic device may include a shaft insertable into a target area, and an electronic component configured to generate a signal. The electronic component may be on or within the shaft. The electronic device may also include at least one antenna on or within the shaft. The electronic device may also include a receiver operatively coupled to the antenna. The receiver may monitor an electrical characteristic of the antenna to identify an effect of an electromagnetic field on the electrical characteristic of the antenna. The electronic device may also include a processor communicatively coupled to the receiver. At least one of the receiver and the processor may predict an effect of the electromagnetic field on the signal generated by the electronic component, based at least in part on the effect of the electromagnetic field on the electrical characteristic of the antenna.

An on/off switching circuit includes an on/off switch switchable between an on state and an off state, an light emitting diode (LED) driver to power one or more LEDs to illuminate an area of interest, a switch control unit to transition the on/off switch between the on and off states, the switch control unit including a light sensing circuit comprising at least one LED of the LEDs as a light sensor, and a bi-directional gate circuit. When the on/off switch is in the off state the bi-directional gate is in a first conducting state in which the bi-directional gate circuit connects the light sensor to the light sensing circuit, and when the on/off switch is in the on state the bi-directional gate is in a second conducting state in which the bi-directional gate connects the LED driver to the one or more LEDs including the light sensor.

An imaging device includes: an imaging sensor; a color filter including first band filters and a second band filter configured to transmit narrowband light having a maximum value of a transmission spectrum outside a range of the wavelength band of the light that passes through each first band filter; a first light source unit; a second light source unit configured to radiate light having an upward projecting distribution of a wavelength spectrum in relation to intensity and having a narrowband light spectrum narrower than the broadband; and a control unit configured to cause the first light source unit and the second light source unit to radiate the beams of light simultaneously, wherein a peak wavelength of the light radiated by the second light source unit is an infrared region or a near-infrared region.

A method and apparatus for capturing an image sequence using a capsule camera are disclosed. According to the present invention, a first energy-based frame time for the special images is determined based on first light energy perceived by the image sensor and a second energy-based frame time for the regular images is determined based on second light energy perceived by the image sensor. The capsule camera captures the image sequence comprising one or more sets of mixed-type images by configuring the capsule camera to cause a mixed-frame distance between the first energy-based frame time for one special image in a target set of mixed-type images and the second energy-based frame time for one regular image in the target set of mixed-type images smaller than an average frame period.