A wireless power transmission system for an active capsule endoscope for colon inspection

Abstract

Multipurpose active capsule endoscopes (ACE) have drawn considerable attention in recent years, but these devices continue to suffer from energy limitations. In order to deliver stable and sufficient energy safely, a wireless power transmission system based on inductive coupling is presented. The system consists of a double-layer solenoid pair primary coil outside and a multiple secondary coils inside the body. At least 500 mW usable power can be transmitted under the worst geometrical conditions and the safety restraints in a volume of Φ13 × 13 mm. The wireless power transmission system is integrated to an ACE and applied in animal experiments. The designed wireless power transmission is proved to be feasible and potentially safe in a future application.

Keywords::

• Component
• Wireless power transmission
• Human tissue safety
• Active capsule endoscope (ACE)

Acknowledgements

This paper is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (No. 60875061, No. 31170968), and the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863) (No. 2007AA04Z234).

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.