Another pill-cam teardown

[@martinnash007]

I have had several of these through my gut. The nurse presents it to you in a box similar to a ring box. When you open the box the device is dormant and is in a "U" shaped clip. As soon as you take it from the clip it starts flashing. You then swallow it with a cup of special liquid that that prevents foaming as the camera begins its journey. It takes most of the day to make the trip and you usually wave it good bye when it drops to the bottom of the pan. They attach a small device to your waist that monitors the progress of the pill-cam during its trip. The device has a small lcd screen so that you can see where it is inside you from time to time. All the pictures are stills and the doctor downloads them and makes them into a little movie. The only painful part of the process is trying to remove the sticky sensor pad from your groin area.

[@_Junkers]

Did you have to take a special 'patency' pill to find out if whether one of these would get stuck in your gut?

[@martinnash007]

Yes. Mine took a little longer than expected to travel and after 48 hours they did a CT scan to see where it was. But it was OK and they put it down to slow gut transit.

[@stonecold7945]

Did you get to keep the pill cam?

[@hardscorerockkssss]

martin nash lucky bastard it took for me 72 hours

[@spiro9210]

Hello, I'm getting this done. Did you see it in your poop?

[@mikeselectricstuff]

I'm a big fan of Tim - anyone who hasn't seen his 'secret life of the home/office' series should seek it out immediately most is on KZbin and elsewhere.

[@Andrew_Sparrow]

Thanks for another interesting video. You remind me somewhat of one of my "heroes" growing up Tim Hunkin. You have a similar hunger for understanding how things work and being able to share that in a practical way.

[@Tekwyzard]

Tim Hunkin is still going strong! I rediscovered him a few months ago, and he's still as mad as a box of frogs. Was great to watch some documentaries he'd done that I'd missed when I was younger, and see even more contraptions, but this time have a better understanding of their workings.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

I did have a go at de-laminating the flex-rigid assembly but it was stuck too well! Maybe I'll give it some time in the pizza oven to soften it up!

[@dermitza]

This sounds probable. The only thing you might be missing is that the activation is not happening through the camera, rather, through the LEDs. They could be switching their GPIOS as inputs when the LEDs are off and sensing light coming in. You can find lots of info online.

[@Spacefish007]

Very interesting, thanks for the nice teardown and analysis. Would be great to have a capture of the RF-Data. So someone can build a 20€/$ RTL-SDR Receiver :)

[@mikeselectricstuff]

Panasonic HDC-SD20, Sony Vegas. Chip stills with Cheap USB microscope, a few with Canon EOS+Macro lens. Bare PCB shot at end done on a scanner.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

I wouldn't totally rule it out but seems a lot of effort/cost to include a receive capability just for that function - I suppose when in close proximity it wouldn't need to be particularly sensitive so a simple detector could probably do it.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

may have been the case a few years ago, but LeCroy are losing the plot these days - they used to be kings of the high end but nowadays Agilent piss on them for useability and value.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

Highly unlikely - too complex. IF (and this is still a guess) the purpose is to prevent re-use, the activation process must be at the factory, to keep it secret. For ease of use, once activated it can then be turned on & off using the reed switch until the battery dies, and can only be restarted by replacing the battery and doing the activation again.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

Not sure why you'd do it that way - the way I assume it works is you simply take the pill out of the case, at which point it starts flashing & transmitting, check that the receiver is receiving it, then swallow. Maybe someone who's had this done can comment.

[@GraemeMurphy]

The "flex" as you call it is a flexible printed circuit board that my company developed and put on the market in the late 1960's. Great shame that they never had the good sense to patent it !

[@ExStaticBass]

Personally, I'm fairly sure that these require a carrier signal from the video receiver module to go completely active. Once activated it waits for the pairing signal from the receiver and then goes into full operation.

[@douro20]

Given-Imaging made the world's first capsule camera. It was based on defense technology- namely the micro-camera Rafael Defense developed for homing in on missiles.

[@SmilingRob]

Yes I found a pdf that mentions the Zarlink ZL70081 on Google. It says it's transmit only, and has a diagram of a two PCB version that looks very similar to the one broken down. Also it includes an external photo that has the same logo. The pdf on biobrain1 has pretty pictures. There's a book "Integrated Microsystems: Electronics, Photonics, and Biotechnology" that has a chapter "Design of a Low-Power dual-mode MUX-based transmitter for biomedical applications" that describes the tx.

[@3DEditor]

Are these available for sale? is there a micro hd card that records everything these capture? Or are the images just transferred wirelessly to an outer source? I'm looking for a micro hd camcorder as small as this that is waterproof and can record the video.

[@HobkinBoi]

Its not a video camera, it just takes stills. It transmits to a receiver that you wear. But I'm pretty sure they do make cameras that are meant to do what you need it to do.

[@beatxtutorials9]

Hello, have you considered the front camera to be the trigger to enable factory reset? I mean would be pretty simple to just use some simple image that could revive the thing :) The IC could just pick 16 points in the image and there you have your code

[@randacnam7321]

That is the clock crystal for the control chip. The 433Mcy/sec signal is generated by a frequency multiplier in the chip (27Mcy/sec*16=432Mcy/sec).

[@gushhnet]

I think some of these have to be "activated" by the doctor first with the receiver unit that also has it's test mode to make sure you are not swallowing a dead piece of kit, even though they test to receive images before you even swallow it, perhaps this is used when the units are received from the manufacturer and they can thus return any duds?

[@GeoN0JRJ]

any way to reuse those as a hidden camera?

[@mikeselectricstuff]

No - makes no difference to activation behaviour

[@illustriouschin]

Perhaps the crystal timer throws a kill switch inside of the chip that prevents it from running again. I think I've read about that somewhere, they can etch it right into the silicon along with everything else.

[@WrankledEngine]

What about activating it with an RF Electro Magnetic pulse? Sorta like reading a Pet ID chip. Do the doctors just monitor ALL the pictures this sends? Or do they activate it once they have some idea it is "on location"? Do they data log its entire journey? How do they track or ID its location? Timestamp in the preamble?

[@randacnam7321]

It sounds like these operate on 433Mcy/sec as that is a fairly standard frequency for wireless communications.

[@howlingwolven]

Would it be possible to use the scope capture to write bits to a file and from there decode filetype and the captured image?

[@happycline]

LED (light emitting diode) probably one of the first things you learn about in electronics, if he had to explain every single component every single time his vids would be hours longer then they already are.

[@joohop]

you know thats gonna lay on 1 side till the answer arrives ! mike did you ever work on C.B,s ?

[@mccunecp]

did you try any thing that recives video transmissions over that freq. like some of the wireless cam stuff to see if it would pick it up. it would be cool if you could see something with it. would defently make a good spy cam if you could find a reciver for it or build one.

[@andyb7813]

Hi mike, being a biomedical engineer I really enjoyed this video, thanks

[@readyrepairs]

I would assume that there is a timer from when it is powered on to when it actually starts taking pictures -- as these are probably not meant to take pictures of the upper gi etc -- likely for the lower gi.

[@lifesavrdwd]

Mostly didn't know exactly what you were talking about, but I learned a little and enjoyed the rest. Thanks!

[@SirFlanigan]

I have one of these working it's way through me right now. The pill was not flashing inside the box (it comes in tiny a box with a clear top.) I got strapped with the belt and receiver first, then was told to remove the pill from the box. As soon as I picked it up, it began flashing.

[@mandycooke8445]

SirFlanigan I swallowed mine at 7:00 am yesterday. I still haven’t seen it in the toilet yet. How long did it take for you to pass it?

[@DoNotDisturbMe10]

Would you be able to get an image off one of these devices ?

[@nickbardom]

Hi, have you ever find a solid way to activate it? I have one here and I want to play with it. Which pulses should I send to the reed switch?

[@bikingmnviking3801]

Excellent quality footage, may I ask what camera and set up you are using? I can see the split BNC input pointing up and down on the scope to the left of the one you were using would act as a strain relief but I've never seen that before... is there any time you use two probes on one input like you are implying there? Or is that just to keep the probe's wire from getting bent and abused since your scopes are higher than average benchtop? After reading your comment on the followup activation patent .. a couple of thoughts come to mind -- a) intentionally trying to cover as much ground of possibility to make it hard to copy as well as easy to sue EVEN IF it is not in this device which is devious in so many ways ...leaves other countries looking down paths that aren't even there and maybe part of why any one could have so much trouble figuring one out. I guess I forget my other thoughts but it sure was interesting to read everyone's ideas on the topic. I see you have a flight data teardown. Sad to hear today EgyptAir was likely terrorism. I've always wondered about those so I gotta see that next. Avionics was what my father did in WWII and taught electronics.

[@anthonyj777]

Another excellent video, please keep them coming.

[@Cas77b]

It goes through the entire digestive tract, and reuse may result in an infection. So, it is most likely one use disposable for liability reasons.

[@Bob220V]

You can use a video receiver for RF wireless security cameras

[@joshuamapula1568]

what is the factory cost to build it?

[@coler154]

Probably not much, its the medical grade testing/ approval that costs a ton

[@salsun7437]

8:50 - what is that bluish/purplish putty being used, called?

[@juharika9359]

Titus Corday en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-Tack

[@Tadesan]

Sticky-tack Lol

[@mikeselectricstuff]

Think very cheap webcam - there are some sample vids on youtube. My scope is Agilent MSO6043A - new Agilent MSOX range provides this sort of functionality much cheaper nowadays. The key feature is high update rate and intensity display - e.g. Agilent infinivision and Tek DPO - I think Rigol have one coming out soon.

[@eufaulabrewski]

im interested in getting my hands on one of those pillcams how did you come across them?

[@pcuser80]

Excellent teardown! Thanks Is it possible to decode the image?

[@pcbsolutionsdotcom]

What is the primary purpose of using these? Is it for surgery?

[@Tadesan]

2:20 Is that a cryo pump?? Chirp

[@1112223333111]

27.000mhz have you tried to recieve the camera?

[@mccunecp]

from the looks of this thing there is no memory so I dont think they have it set up were you cant use it just you need the recever I would guess.

[@maultrommel]

looks like FSK - there are some scientific pdfs also covering pillcam stuff ...

[@sayanchx]

awesome video as usual. I would love to see a teardown & analysis of a wireless insulin pump+glucose meter system !

[@darktherapy]

Maybe there is a picture inside this pills shipping box, like a bar code that is sees to activate itself.

[@JAGM77MX]

I need to buy the Given FGS-0286 can you help?

[@computersales]

So this is how the NSA knew what I ate for lunch.

[@Tadesan]

What if it’s not?

[@zytechnology]

Hi ! Would you send me one of thoose in an envelope ? Please let me know how much you need for it. Thanks ! ..

[@randacnam7321]

The antenna is far too small to be 27Mcy/sec. I would guess that this transmits at about 433Mcy/sec.

[@TheCrazyInventor]

Nice closeups, Mike. Good editing. :)

[@ultort]

I wonder how they manufacture such tiny springs

[@bikingmnviking3801]

+ultort It's the babies of Keebler Elves before they are old enough to make cookies.

[@dumass00072]

Here's a video titled "PillCam COLON Procedure" /watch?v=uJ5URbxyVxU It's not a video of colonoscopy pictures. It's basically showing the procedure concerning the implementation of the pillcam. The video was published on Nov 21, 2012 so you might not have seen it. By the way, I loved your video. Although, because your vocabulary is far more expansive than my own most the information went over my head. However, I plan on changing that :) thanks to you.

[@pkzip31416]

el segundo tiene un reed swich o sea que mientra está en la caja esta apagado y al sacarlo de la caja se aleja de un imán y se activa.

[@douro20]

This isn't even in the "royal league" of oscilloscopes; look at what LeCroy has to offer.

[@maxp8892]

dimensions would be great.

[@taz069]

hope you are washing those very well before touching them....

[@gdog48001]

You might as well just buy other camera stuff off ebay. These are way more pricey. You can build a little camera setup with a wireless transmitter for around 50 bucks if you do it your self

[@gavincurtis]

@electronicstash the last word in your sentence is where most people get these pill cams. :)

[@000000t]

but maybe it cant receive RF data to save cost

[@HDXFH]

Bloody Technology Eh, Unbelievable!

[@1112223333111]

I seen 27.000 on a part that looks like a crystal.

[@Desmaad]

I kinda like the withe one better. The construction is more elegant.

[@mustangrt8866]

are these things reusable?

[@imchris5000]

probably not

[@truckinjeff]

imchris5000 Would you swallow a pill cam thats been on a couple poop voyages?

[@mustangrt8866]

you can throw away the pill and use another container for the electronics

[@imchris5000]

Mustang Rt medical stuff like this is never reused

[@HobkinBoi]

Most likely not, but if you really wanted the camera.... just wash your hands extremely well. And I suppose you might be able to use one as a spy cam. Idk how well that would work though

[@fallingwater]

Extremely interesting! I love it when people pick at mysteries in devices to find out how to make them work, especially if it's to unlock them. If I were running a medical business I might just hire you to reverse-engineer the activation sequence so I could reuse all the pills. :D

[@cippanddail]

nothing much complicated but it costs so much that I can't have this procedure done

[@coler154]

i think the LEDs are IR LEDs not white ones, that is why you cannot see them.

[@gdibble]

SB 3 has white LEDs, which I observed flashing before the battery ran out (15.5h after reed switch activation)

[@Jeroenz0r]

433 MHz, it's a frequency you don't need a license for! :-) en.wikipedia(.)org/wiki/LPD433

[@sonick808]

we don't tax at 60%.

[@lifepaz2335]

this amazing tegnologie so tiny

[@antonmaier2263]

impressive

[@Viraladda24hr]

amazing technology

[@BH4x0r]

lol you sound like RODALCO2007

[@p4ide03]

Good pill cam, your stomach photos to upload?Ha Ha ~ ~ ~

[@breadsticks98]

F**k me. 30 seconds in and the ads start. Never had so many adds before apart from your videos, love them dont you mike