Micro camera module for medical and minimally invasive surgery

Ams AG, the world's leading provider of high-performance sensor solutions, has announced a new product, part of the award-winning NanEye family, based on the industry's original miniature image sensor module NanEye 2D, which is successfully used in endoscopes. Pre-announced today, NanEyeM and NanEyeXS will enable the production of high-performance disposable endoscopes for minimally invasive surgery.

The new 1mm2 NanEyeM delivers high-resolution images of 100k pixels on the LVDS digital interface, with a maximum rate of 49 frames per second at 62MHz. NanEyeM is a micro-camera module (MCM) consisting of up to 2 meters of cable and a customized multi-piece lens that greatly increases the effective resolution of the sensor and reduces distortion. Compared to the previous NanEye 2D sensor with a single-piece lens, the angular MTF (module transmission function) of the new NanEyeM is improved (> 50%), distortion reduction (< 15%), color difference decreased (< 1Px).

The new NanEyeXS from AMS has a footprint of 0.46mm2, making it one of the smallest image sensors in the world. It provides digital output with 40k pixel resolution at a maximum rate of 55 frames per second at 28MHz. This sensor is very small and has significant advantages when developing ultra-small instruments for minimally invasive surgery, which can design surgical devices with very small diameters or make more room for working channels in larger devices. Like NanEyeM, NanEyeXS is a tiny camera module.

NanEyeM also offers surface-mount chip forms. The introduction of the new NanEye image sensor will provide a new approach to the supply and use of many types of endoscopes, including:

● Arthroscopy
● Bronchoscopy
● Ureteroscopy
● Cystoscopy
● Laryngoscopy
● Hysteroscopy
● Neuroscopy

In high volumes, the unit cost of endoscopes based on the new NanEye sensor is very low enough to support the emerging disposable market. Single-use has many benefits, including eliminating the risk of cross-contamination due to ineffective sterilization, avoiding high maintenance costs, and minimizing the risk of disruption to the operating room schedule if the reusable endoscope is not available.

Chip and patch endoscopes based on NanEyeM or NanEyeXS can provide more high-definition images than traditional fiber-based endoscopes widely used in operating rooms. NanEye image sensors produce sharper images, better contrast and smoother video output, allowing doctors to more precisely control the surgical equipment inside the patient.

Dina Aguiar, NanEye Product Marketing Manager at AMS, said: "Medical endoscopes are a rapidly growing market and the demand for disposable devices is expected to increase. Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a cost-effective imaging solution with a level of performance and image quality comparable to that of reusable endoscopes. NanEyeM and NanEyeXS modules are designed to meet this market demand by offering a complete suite of solutions with superior imaging capabilities that can remain cost-competitive in high volume delivery for single-use endoscopic and catheter-based applications.

The addition of these new products completes the award-winning NanEye 2D family, which has pioneered medical endoscopy technology innovation. "Ams strengthens its position in the rapidly growing disposable endoscope market while leveraging these unique products to further revolutionize patient care."