Fully-swallowable endoscopic system

摘要

A fully-swallowable endoscopic system includes a rod-shaped endoscope body which can be swallowed entirely by a patient and placed in a body cavity; and a separate external device having no mechanical connection with the rod-shaped endoscope body. The rod-shaped endoscope body includes at least one hard portion each having at least one light emitter and at least one observing system; at least one flexible portion; and at least two bending portions, the at least two bending portions being respectively positioned on the opposite ends of at least one of the at least one flexible portion and being more flexible than the at least one flexible portion. The rod-shaped endoscope body is provided therein with a transmitter for transmitting a radio wave which carries an image formed by the observing system, and a power supplying device. The external device includes a receiver for receiving the radio wave which carries the image.