Microlenses for 3D Endoscopes
Phil Lelyveld
Entertainment Technology Center
[pdd next]
… Researchers have developed an image sensor that transmits perfect 3-D images from inside the human body thanks to the use of microlenses. …
The camera integrated in the slender endoscope tube enables the surgeon to see every detail in sharp 3-D resolution – almost as if he were actually inside the patient’s brain. The stereoscopic vision provided by a 3-D endoscope considerably simplifies the work of neurosurgeons and other specialists. They can navigate a safe path through the tissue without the risk of collateral damage, and the work can be accomplished faster. …
In order to manufacture the lenses, the Fraunhofer engineers first had to calculate the optimum shape by means of simulations. …
In concrete terms this means ensuring that no more than five percent of the energy from one light ray is captured by the line of sensors serving the other channel – in signal transmission this is known as crosstalk.
The next task for the researchers was to adapt the conventional manufacturing process for microlenses to the requirements of the calculated lens shape. …
Together with the bundle of optical fibers that serves as the light source, the endoscope measures 10 millimeters in diameter – the perfect size for minimally invasive surgery.
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