Method and Apparatus for Gastric Examination Using a Capsule Camera

A method for imaging a patient's gastrointestinal using a capsule camera and a patient positioning system, wherein the patient positioning system comprises a positioner bed for the patient to lie on, the method comprising:

• administering the capsule camera to a patient through patient's mouth, wherein the capsule camera takes pictures while travelling through patient's gastrointestinal tract without propulsion;
• when the capsule camera is in patient's stomach, for each of at least two target patient examination positions in a sequence of patient examination positions:
• adjusting the positioner bed to a target positioner-bed position associated with a target patient examination position with the patient on the positioner bed, wherein said adjusting the positioner bed comprises adjusting at least a portion of the positioner bed to tilt at a tilt angle, adjusting the positioner bed to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the positioner bed at a rotation angle, or both adjusting the positioner bed to rotate about a longitudinal axis and at least a portion of the positioner bed to tilt, and wherein the sequence of patient examination positions comprises at least two different tilt angles;
• and
• holding the positioner bed still at the target patient examination position for a pre-defined period of dwelling time or adjusting the positioner bed continuously and slowly through the sequence of patient examination positions to allow the capsule camera to capture one or more stable images;
• and
• collecting image data captured by the capsule camera;
• and
• wherein the capsule camera has a center of mass offset from a center of volume of the capsule camera such that the capsule camera is nominally oriented with a center of mass of the capsule camera below the center of volume of the capsule camera, and wherein said at least two target patient examination positions correspond to at least two different relative orientation angles between the capsule camera and the patient's gastrointestinal tract so that the capsule camera images at least two partially different areas of patient's stomach.