REDUCED AREA IMAGING DEVICES INCORPORATED WITHIN SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS

摘要

A reduced area imaging device provided for use in medical or dental instruments can be wholly incorporated within an endoscope (10) by placing t he image sensor and timing and control circuitry within the distal tip (16) of the endoscope, and placing the remaining processing circuitry within the handle (12) of the endoscope. In another embodiment, the image sensor (40) m ay be placed alone on a first circuit board and timing and control circuit may be included on the first circuit board containing the image sensor (40). One or more video processing boards (50, 60) can be stacked in a longitudinal fashi on with respect to the first board (40), or the video processing boards (50) ma y be placed in the control box (30) or in the handle (12) of the endoscope.