^1mm2 size NanEyeM, 100,000 pixel readability
0.46mm ² size NanEyeXS, 40,000 pixel resolution
ams announced today the launch of the NanEyeM and NanEyeXS, the latest members of the NanEye family and successors to the NanEye 2D, a miniature image sensor module for endoscopes.

NanEyeM and NanEyeXS enable the production of high-performance, disposable endoscopes for minimally invasive surgery. Bloodless surgery refers to surgery that makes small incisions to reduce pain and minimize bleeding.

The ^1mm2 sized NanEyeM is capable of high-resolution reading of 100,000 pixels with an LVDS digital interface that transmits up to 49 frames per second at 62MHz. The NanEyeM is available as a micro camera module (MCM) with a cable up to 2 m long and features a custom multi-element lens that dramatically increases the effective resolution of the sensor and reduces distortion.

Compared to the previous generation NanEye 2D sensor that uses a single element lens, the NanEyeM offers more than 50% improved MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) in the corners, less than 15% lower distortion, and less than 1 pixel of color aberration.

NanEyeXS is one of the world's smallest image sensors with a footprint of ^0.46mm2 . It achieves a digital output resolution of 40,000 pixels at a speed of up to 55 frames per second at 28MHz. Because of its extremely small size, it enables the design of small-diameter surgical equipment when developing ultra-small equipment for bloodless surgery. It also provides the advantage of allowing more space for working channels in large equipment.

Like the NanEyeM, the NanEyeXS is also available as an MCM module. The NanEyeM is also available in surface-mount chip form.

The introduction of NanEyeM and NanEyeXS enables the supply and use of endoscopes for a wide range of applications such as Arthroscopy, Bronchoscopy, Ureteroscopy, Cystoscopy, Laryngoscopy, Hysteroscopy, and Neuroscopy.

Once mass-produced, endoscopic devices based on the NanEye sensor will have a unit price suitable for single-use use. Disposable endoscopes offer numerous benefits, including eliminating the risk of cross-contamination that can occur due to ineffective sterilization measures, reducing the high costs of equipment maintenance, and minimizing the disruption of operating room schedules when reusable endoscopes are not available.

Chip-on-chip endoscopes based on NanEyeM or NanEyeXS provide superior image quality than the existing fiber-optic endoscopes widely used in operating rooms today. NanEye image sensors provide sharper images, better contrast, and smoother video output, enabling medical staff to operate surgical instruments more accurately and precisely inside the patient’s body.

“The medical endoscopy market is growing rapidly and will see increasing demand for single-use devices,” said Dina Aguiar, marketing manager for the NanEye product family at ams. “The NanEyeM and NanEyeXS modules are designed to address this market need by offering a complete package approach that combines excellent image quality with a competitive price for high-volume, single-use endoscope and catheter-based applications.”

“These new additions to the NanEye family, NanEyeM and NanEyeXS, complement the award-winning NanEye 2D, which is leading the technological evolution of medical endoscopy,” he added. “They further strengthen ams’ position in the fast-growing single-use endoscopy market with products that contribute to patient care.”