SURGICAL DEVICES INCORPORATING REDUCED AREA IMAGING DEVICES

摘要

The imaging device can be incorporated in the housing of a standard medical camera adapted for use with traditional rod lens endoscopes (42). The image sensor may be placed alone on a first circuit board (40), or timing and control circuits may be included on the first circuit board (40) containing the image sensor. One or more video processing boards (50, 60) can be stacked with respect to the first board (40), or the video processing boards may be placed in an external control box (30). The small size of the tubular structure or microendoscope (14) which houses the imaging device allows its use with many surgical instruments such as Jackson grasping forceps; stent placement catheters; balloon catheters; over-tube tissue separating, dissecting or fulgeration devices; modified endotracheal intubation devices or trochars.