Yeon Kwan Moon

New Method of Moving Control for Wireless Endoscopic Capsule Using Electrical Stimuli

In order to control the moving speed of an endoscopic capsule in the human intestine, electrical stimulation method is proposed in this paper. The miniaturized endoscopic capsule with the function of various electrical stimulations has been designed and implemented. An in-vivo animal experiment has been performed to show the ability of controlling the movement speed of the endoscopic capsule according to the level of electrical stimulation. In-vivo experiments were performed by inserting the implemented capsule into a pigs intestinal tract. From the experimental results, the activation of peristaltic movement and the relationship between the moving speed of capsule and the stimulation amplitude could be found. It is shown that the moving speed of capsule in the intestine can be controlled by adjustment of the stimulation level applied in the capsule electrodes. The results of the in-vivo experiment verify that the degree of contraction in the intestinal tract is closely related with the level of stimulating electrical voltage, suggesting that the moving speed of capsule in the human gastrointestinal tract can be controlled by externally adjusting the amplitude of stimulating pulse signal.

Fabrication of the Wireless Systems for Controlling Movements of the Electrical Stimulus Capsule in the Small Intestines

Diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract are becoming more prevalent. New techniques and devices, such as the wireless capsule endoscope and the telemetry capsule, that are able to measure the various signals of the digestive organs (temperature, pH, and pressure), have been developed for the observation of the digestive organs. In these capsule devices, there are no methods of moving and grasping them. In order to make a swift diagnosis and to give proper medication, it is necessary to control the moving speed of the capsule. This paper presents a wireless system for the control of movements of an electrical stimulus capsule. This includes an electrical stimulus capsule which can be swallowed and an external transmitting control system. A receiver, a receiving antenna (small multi-loop), a transmitter, and a transmitting antenna (monopole) were designed and fabricated taking into consideration the MPE, power consumption, system size, signal-to-noise ratio and the modulation method. The wireless system, which was designed and implemented for the control of movements of the electrical stimulus capsule, was verified by in-vitro experiments which were performed on the small intestines of a pig. As a result, we found that when the small intestines are contracted by electrical stimuli, the capsule can move to the opposite direction, which means that the capsule can go up or down in the small intestines.

CPLD Based Bi-Directional Wireless Capsule Endoscopes

In the case of miniaturized telemetry capsules, such as a capsule endoscope that can acquire and transmit images from the intestines, the size and the power consumption of the module are restricted. In the capsule endoscopes, it is desirable that the control function can capacitate the sampling of digestive fluid and tissue, drug delivery, and locomotion. In this paper, the control function was embodied by bi-directional communication. A CPLD (complex programmable logic device) controller was designed and implemented for the bi-directional communication in capsule endoscope. The diameter of capsule was 12 mm and the length was 30 mm. The performance of implemented capsule was verified by in-vivo animal experiments.

A New Curve Control Function for the Detection of the Brain Ventricle Area

This paper proposed a region-based curve control function to detect the brain ventricle area by utilizing a geodesic active contour model. This is based on the average brightness of the brain ventricle area which is brighter in MRI images. Compared numerically by using various types of measurements, the proposed method can detect the brain ventricle area better than the existing methods.

Design and Fabrication of the Wireless Systems for Pressure Monitoring Systems in the Gastro-Intestinal Track

Diseases in the gastro-intestinal track are becoming more prevalent. In order to diagnose a patient, the various signals of the digestive organ, such as temperature, pH, and pressure, can offer helpful information. The variation of a pressure signal of the gastro-intestinal track can offer information about digestive troubles or provide clues about diseases. This paper presents a wireless system for the pressure monitoring system, which includes a swallow-type pressure capsule and the external receiving system. A transmitter, a transmitting antenna (Helix), a receiver, and a receiving antenna (Loop) were designed and fabricated in consideration of the MPE, power consumption, system size, signal to noise ratio and modulation method. The wireless system designed and implemented for the pressure monitoring system was verified by in-vivo experiments. As a result, we found each organ has its own characteristic pressure fluctuation.