Miniaturized digital camera system for disposable endoscopic applications

A miniaturized color camera module for disposable endoscopic applications and minimally invasive surgery has been designed and developed. The module consists of a Complementary Metal Oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, miniaturized optics, a Light Emitting Diode (LED)-based illuminator and a connector on a single substrate. The compact size (5.0 mm × 8.2 mm × 7.0 mm), high-efficiency illumination, VGA resolution and good image quality allow it to be used in endoluminal procedures. A demonstration system has been built and tested in vivo. The module is connected through a 1.5-m long cable to a receiver board, which transfers the data stream to a Personal Computer (PC). A dedicated software controls the hardware setting and displays the image, after having performed various color and image processing tasks. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.