Method for leveraging battery residue energy and a capsule endoscope using the method are disclosed. The capsule endoscope is capable of performing one or more functions at a first throughput or a first peak current when the battery has sufficient energy. According to this method, whether the battery energy is sufficient is determined. Upon determining the battery energy being insufficient, at least one function of the one or more functions is performed at a second throughput lower than the first throughput, or at least one function of the one or more functions is switched to another function requiring a second peak current lower than the first peak current.

Systems and methods may determine an amount of current being drawn by a light source and determine, based on the amount of current, a type of light source. Based on the type of light source, an amount of time associated with disabling the light source may be determined. A voltage may be supplied to the light source for the amount of time.

Introduced here is an ingestible device comprising a capsule, a camera, an antenna, and a propulsion component. The camera can capture images of various in vivo environments as the ingestible device traverses the gastrointestinal tract, and these images can be wirelessly transmitted to an electronic device located outside of the living body. The images may be transmitted to the electronic device for review by an operator responsible for controlling the ingestible device.

Advances in endoscope inspection systems to provide for evidence of the cleanliness of critical portions of the instrument's interior. Utilizing borescope sensing technology, the precise location of the borescope within the endoscope can be repeatedly established is in order to establish the healthy condition of the endoscope. Light intensity of cleaning paraphernalia may be adjusted to prevent endoscope damage.

A stimulation probe device including a first electrode, a stimulation module, a control module and a physical layer module. The stimulation module is configured to (i) wirelessly receive a payload signal from a console interface module or a nerve integrity monitoring device, and (ii) supply a voltage or an amount of current to the first electrode to stimulate a nerve or a muscle in a patient. The control module is configured to generate a parameter signal indicating the voltage or the amount of current supplied to the electrode. The physical layer module is configured to (i) upconvert the parameter signal to a first radio frequency signal, and (ii) wirelessly transmit the first radio frequency signal from the stimulation probe to the console interface module or the nerve integrity monitoring device.

A capsule device configured to navigate through a patient's GI track is disclosed. System and method to turn on the capsule device based on acceleration is described. First the capsule is monitored at a slow sampling mode. Then the capsule is monitored at a fast sampling mode. A user can input hand motion to change the acceleration to turn on the capsule device.

An endoscope system includes an endoscope, a video processor, a power source unit, and a parameter control device. The endoscope includes an image pickup unit and an illumination unit. The power source unit supplies electric power to the image pickup unit and the illumination unit. The video processor includes an image processing unit configured to generate an endoscope image. The parameter control device includes a data collection unit, a determination unit, and a parameter determination unit. When the data collection unit acquires one or more pieces of start information during execution of electric power consumption reducing processing, the determination unit determines to stop the electric power consumption reducing processing and execute high image quality achieving processing.

An endoscope system includes a capsule endoscope that includes an imaging section, a first processing section that causes the imaging section to operate in a first mode or a second mode, and a first communication section that transmits the captured images to an external device, and the external device that includes a second processing section that outputs a mode switch instruction based on the captured images, and a second communication section that transmits the mode switch instruction, wherein the first processing section causes the imaging section to operate in the second mode from a halfway position of the small intestine, and also operate in the second mode in the large intestine based on the mode switch instruction.

The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting whether an illumination source of an endoscope is in use (inside the body of a patient) versus not in use (outside the body of a patient). The disclosure relies on the fact that the working environment is lit solely by the endoscope and its components. Thus, communication between the illumination or light source controller and the imaging device, such as a surgical camera, is required. When the illumination or light source is turned off and the endoscope is outside the body, a sensor will detect ambient light alerting the illumination source controller that it is outside the body, which then keeps the illumination source off or at a low intensity level. Conversely, when the illumination source is turned off and the endoscope is inside the body, the sensor will not detect any light (or will detect only a very low level of light). Based on this logic, if the imaging device, such as a camera, knows that the light is off during a specific period of time the frame(s) from that time period can be analyzed and the level of light gathered in the frame(s) will show the scope location either inside or outside of the body.

A system and method for wirelessly transmitting a video image signal from an endoscopic camera to a receiver or control unit for storage and/or display on a video monitor. Use of a frame-specific, variable compression algorithm capable of progressively encoding a data stream provides for a better performing and higher quality wireless endoscopic camera system capable of generating images at varying resolutions. Use of a short-range, high-performance wireless technology, such as Ultrawideband (UWB), improves the performance capabilities of the system, while minimizing power consumption and extending battery life. Implementations of error correcting codes, as well as the use of multiple transmitting and receiving antennas, further improve the fidelity of the wireless communication.