Capsule endoscope having a self-cleaning surface and method of using the same

A method to clean a capsule endoscope having a self-clean surface when it is placed in vivo, comprising:

• a) providing a capsule endoscope having a permanent magnetic dipole in situ in a target area having a liquid, wherein the capsule endoscope comprises an illumination device, and imaging device, wherein the illumination device comprises a plurality of LEDs surrounding the image device, both the illumination device and imaging device are placed under a front end of a polymer housing of the capsule endoscope;
• b) changing the position or orientation of the capsule endoscope with respect to the liquid by moving an external magnet;
• c) removing a mucus from the self-clean surface disposed on the front end of the capsule endoscope
• by changing the orientation of the capsule,
• contacting the self-clean surface with the liquid by moving the end of the capsule endoscope having the imaging device above and below the liquid/gas interface,
• while maintaining the capsule endoscope at the same position at a gas/liquid interface;
• and
• d) examining the interior of the target area by using the imaging device in the capsule endoscope
• wherein the self-clean surface is a surface of the capsule housing,
• does not interfere with a light propagation pathway of the illumination device, placed underneath of the self-clean surface, and
• does not interfere with the light propagation pathway of the imaging device placed underneath of the self-clean surface,
• and
• the self-clean surface is biological safe in the in vivo conditions and formed by essentially with a layer of coating less than 500 nm, providing a contact angle larger than 110 degrees and providing a rolling angle less than 10 degrees and the layer of coating is biological safe in in vivo conditions.