An endoscope (fig. 2, item 40) having restricted dimensions and comprising at least one image gatherer (48), at least one image distorter and at least one image sensor (46) shaped to fit the limited dimensions, and wherein said image distorter (fig. 13, itel 115) is operable to distort an image receiver (fig. 2, item 40) from the image gatherer so that the image is sensible at said shaped image sensor (fig. 2, item 46).

An image sensor and an endoscope using the same

An apparatus, system and method for providing a photographic image of a target region within an intravascular environment. The apparatus has a plurality of different embodiments, each of which reduces the ambient 'noise' detected along with the light reflected from the target region in order to increase the signal/noise ratio, thereby to enhance the quality of the image produced.

Apparatus, method and system for intravascular photographic imaging

An imaging system is provided for imaging a scene to produce a sequence of image frames of the scene at a frame rate, R, of at least about 25 image frames per second. The system includes an optical input port (14), a charge-coupled imaging device (16a), an analog signal processor (24), and an analog-to-digital processor (A/D) (26). The A/D (26) digitizes the amplified pixel signal to produce a digital image signal formatted as a sequence of image frames each of a plurality of digital pixel values and having a dynamic range of digital pixel values represented by a number of digital bits, B, where B is greater than 8. A digital image processor (28) is provided for processing digital pixel values in the sequence of image frames to produce an output image frame sequence at the frame rate, R, representative of the imaged scene, with a latency of no more than about 1/R and a dynamic range of image frame pixel values represented by a number of digital bits, D, where D is less than B. The output image frame sequence is characterized by noise-limited resolution of at least a minimum number, NM, of line pairs per millimeter, referred to the charge-coupled imaging device pixel array, in an imaged scene as a function of illuminance of the input light impinging the charge-coupled imaging device pixels.

Low-light-level imaging and image processing

An electronic imaging device (27) includes an optical objective (28) for collecting optical radiation from an object, the objective having an optical axis, and an image sensor (24), including a matrix of optical detectors arranged in a plane that is substantially non-perpendicular to the optical axis, the image sensor having a lateral dimension in the plane. A turning mirror (38) has an optical surface that is positioned so as to reflect the radiation collected by the objective in order to form a focused image in the plane of the image sensor, while a maximum distance from the optical surface to the plane of the image sensor is substantially less than the lateral dimension of the image sensor.

Miniature camera head

A method of making a curved sensor is described. The method involves projecting portions of a curved three dimensional structure such as a hemisphere onto a two dimensional substrate in an outline pattern. The outline pattern typically serves as a perimeter of a sensor. After forming a sensor in the shape of the outline pattern, the two dimensional substrate is flexed to form a three dimensional sensor structure.

Flexible segmented image sensor

An apparatus for picking-up an image of an object including a solid state image sensor having a number of image sensing elements and an objective lens for projecting the image of the object onto the image sensor is disclosed. In order to remove a curvature of field of the objective lens, the image sensor is curved into a spherical shape having a radius of curvature equal to that of the curvature of field. The solid state image sensor may be curved in any desired shape to correct various aberrations of the objective lens.

Kunio Ohno

Papers

Image pick-up apparatus