OmniVision Unveils Compact Medical Camera Module With Industry’s Fastest Frame Rate

OmniVision Technologies Inc., a developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, has announced the OC0SA—the latest member of its growing family of CameraCubeChip wafer-level camera modules for medical applications. This new module offers a resolution of 800×800 with the highest frame rate of 60fps, or 400×400 resolution at 90fps, for blur-free images and video. Additionally, the OC0SA provides a compact size of 2.6×1.6mm and raw color imaging performance because it integrates an infrared (IR) cut filter, unlike some competing modules in this class. With 120 degrees and 90 degrees field of view options for diagnosis and therapeutic applications, respectively, this cost-effective module offers the best combination of resolution, size and viewing angle for disposable endoscopes, providing doctors, veterinarians and industrial applications with the very best image quality.
 
“Existing medical cameras are either too large, in the case of reusable cameras, or their disposable counterparts are lacking in resolution for medical procedures such as gastrointestinal, laparoscopy and airway management. Doctors and clinicians require smaller size and increased resolution during these procedures, for better diagnosis and greater surgical precision,” said Aaron Chiang, marketing director at OmniVision. “We are building on the success of our widely adopted CameraCubeChip line of wafer-level camera modules by doubling the resolution while maintaining an extremely small form factor, which is essential for these disposable applications.”
 
An IR cut filter is integrated into the OC0SA, eliminating the chromatic effects from IR light that cause color fidelity loss. This precise color reproduction is crucial for accurately identifying abnormalities within the body.
 
The OCOSA also provides wide 120 degrees and 90 degrees field of view options, in order to provide doctors with the best possible endoscopic images. To enable use within the body, the OC0SA is the only camera module in its class that offers ETO and STERRAD sterilization capabilities, along with waterproofing and biocompatibility. Additionally, it has low power consumption of 82.2 mW to reduce heat at the distal tip of the endoscope for enhanced patient comfort. Furthermore, unlike traditional cameras, all CameraCubeChip modules are reflowable. This means that they can be mounted to a printed circuit board simultaneously with other components, using automated surface-mount assembly equipment.
 
OmniVision’s PureCel Plus-S stacked pixel technology imbues the OC0SA with high sensitivity, high full-well capacity, zero blooming, low noise, stabilized black level and low power consumption. This pixel architecture also includes a buried color filter array for better angular response, a higher chief ray angle and deep trench isolation for reduced crosstalk. These features provide improved image quality over competing architectures.
 
Signal quality is ensured by the 1-lane MIPI / sub-LVDS serial output. In-module horizontal and vertical subsampling capabilities allow doctors to zoom in on specific areas within the body, while the light-source syncing and strobe function enables better and more convenient control of image brightness. The OC0SA also integrates 2×2 binning support, which combines four pixels into one for higher sensitivity while achieving the fastest frame rate of 90fps.
 
OmniVision Technologies Inc. develops advanced digital imaging solutions. Its CMOS imaging technology enables image quality in many of today’s consumer and commercial applications, including mobile phones; security and surveillance; automotive; tablets, notebooks, webcams and entertainment devices; medical; and AR, VR, drones and robotics imaging systems.