Sony releases a 1 x 1 mm image sensor for disposable endoscopes and digital television via 5 m cable

Sony Semiconductor Solutions has announced the IMX742, a CMOS image sensor just 1 mm wide on each side, for disposable medical endoscopes. According to Sony, this is the first sensor in the industry that both outputs digital signals and transmits images via a 5 m long cable. The sensor has a resolution of 720 x 720 pixels, about 0.51 megapixels, and can record at 60 frames per second.

Sony IMX742 sensor for disposable endoscopes. Photo: Sony Semiconductor Solutions

Insert the digital converter into the 1 mm chip

Small endoscope sensors often output analog signals, meaning the weak image signal must run along the entire length of the endoscope before being converted to a digital signal, so it is susceptible to interference. If you want to output a digital signal, you must place an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter right on the sensor, which takes the place of the pixel. Sony shrunk the surrounding circuitry, including the A/D converter, to retain enough space for 0.51 megapixels. The company also uses its own two-way transmission technology so that control signals and video signals share one cable, so the chip only needs 6 pins.

Image with less noise in the body

Sony targets thin endoscopes such as bronchoscopes and ureteroscopes. IMX742 is just a component, not a licensed medical device, endoscope manufacturers will buy it and attach it to their products. Macnica also has a solution available to receive signals from IMX742 and convert to MIPI CSI-2 standard to connect to popular image processors. Source: Sony Semiconductor Solutions, Yahoo Finance, Macnica