Medical Imaging
Enhancing Vision, Advancing Medicine
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OmniVision Enables Medical Technology
Continued innovation in CMOS image sensor technology is enabling a host of new medical imaging applications that improve quality of life, and sometimes save lives. OmniVision is at the forefront of developing the latest technologies for medical imaging applications, which range from small, disposable diagnostic cameras, to smaller endoscopic tools, and even to prosthetic eyes. OmniVision's ongoing developments and achievements in digital imaging technology are enabling entirely new products for minimally invasive medical procedures, such as ultra-small, flexible scopes for gastro-intestinal applications.Through continued pixel miniaturization and unsurpassed low-light performance, OmniVision enables real world implementation of vision in medical devices. Its OmniPixel3-HS™ and OmniBSI™ pixel architectures enable significant improvements in quantum efficiency and reductions in crosstalk in CMOS imagers. These advances mean that medical equipment manufacturers can develop very small, disposable diagnostic cameras that increase patient comfort and care provider's ease of use and diagnostic accuracy.
OmniVision's portfolio of medical sensors deliver high quality still and video images, and are fully customizable so that customers can develop solutions that address their specific imaging requirements.
CMOS Image Sensor Market Leader
OmniVision is the world's largest supplier of CMOS image sensors with over 25 percent of unit shipments in 2008. The company is rapidly expanding into emerging markets, with non-mobile products expected to account for more than 35 percent of sales by 2010. Committed to developing the most cutting-edge digital imaging technologies for the rapidly evolving medical device market, OmniVision is well positioned for leadership as CMOS image sensors are expected to surpass CCD shipments by 2011.CMOS technology has proven to be preferred over CCD and fiber optic, enabling its wider use in medical imaging applications
CMOS image sensors are seeing increasing market share for medical applications due to their many benefits over fiber optic and CCD technologies.Introduced over 30 years ago, CCDs were long the premier image capture technology until the mid to late nineties when CMOS image sensors selectively gained acceptance. The main obstacle towards wider market acceptance was the fact that CCD cameras offered better image quality than CMOS. Since then, OmniVision has perfected its CMOS pixel architecture and process technology to surpass the performance and capabilities of CCD components and by 2004, CMOS surpassed CCD as the premier image capture technology.
CMOS sensors also consume significantly less power than CCDs, a major advantage as electronics continue to shrink in profile. In terms of image processing, CCD's do not readout as fast, so they are not suitable for full-HD video, unlike CMOS sensors.
Fiber optic bundles offer another approach to capture images in minimally invasive imaging applications but relative to CMOS sensors, they offer lower resolution due to the limit of the number of fibers that can be used in the available space. Additionally, fiber optic bundles are costly compared to CMOS image sensors and they are relatively rigid, hindering their ability to transmit information over a long distance (as in the case of a flexible endoscope).
The rapid adoption of CMOS imaging technology in recent years is largely contributed to its inherent benefits - including higher integration and a lower overall system bill-of-materials as compared to CCD-based cameras or fiber optic bundles. The CMOS production process enables the integration of all camera functions on a single chip, significantly reducing chip count, cost and board space. The relative simplicity of OmniVision's CMOS image sensors allows for quick and easy application designs, enabling faster time-to-market for systems manufacturers.
OmniVision's Medical Imaging Technologies
Each OmniVision image sensor offers an application-specific package tailored to address the very stringent and specific requirements of the medical device industry. OmniVision has developed some of the world's smallest imaging solutions through its advanced approach to packaging design and device miniaturization.OmniVision's proprietary OmniPixel3-HS technology has enabled the design and development of ultra small medical sensors (1.8 mm) with best-in-class low light performance of 3300 mV/lux-second. Currently, no other CMOS image sensor on the market can claim such high performance and sensitivity in such a small form factor, making OmniPixel3-HS a very compelling solution for the medical devices such as endoscopes and other applications where there is no natural light source to assist with the image capture.
OmniVision delivers the medical industry's most complete product offering
OmniVision offers the broadest portfolio of CMOS image sensors on the market, from sub-VGA to 9-megapixel solutions, available in the industry's broadest selection of package options. Package customization is available to meet specific market needs and all products are delivered with evaluation kits, software and development platforms.Leading OmniVision Image sensors for medical applications include:
| OV6922 NTSC Camera on Chip
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OV6930 1.8mm 400x400 analog
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Why are the size and performance of OmniVision medical imaging solutions ideal for emerging medical applications?
OmniVision's 1/18-inch OV6920 sensor is a key component of Avantis Medical Systems' Third Eye™ Retroscope™ auxiliary endoscopy system. Through a strategic partnership with OmniVision, Avantis succeeded in placing a complete imaging system right at the tip of the catheter. The disposable miniature video endoscope is smaller in diameter than a ballpoint pen refill with a distal tip diameter of just 3.5 mm. 
ETView worked with OmniVision to develop its latest FDA-approved medical intubation tube, the TVT™ Tracheoscopic Ventilation Tube. The TVT incorporates OmniVision's OV6920, selected for its extremely small package size and the excellent image quality it offers. The OV6920 is a small footprint, market ready medical sensor offering best-in-class low-light sensitivity and an excellent cost-performance ratio, making it ideal for ETView's disposable medical devices. 
Filmmaker Rob Spence who lost his eye in an accident at age 13 has been working to develop a 'bionic eye' video camera implanted in a prosthetic eye. Rob and his team selected the OV6920 due to its small footprint. In the long term, OmniVision hopes that success with the eye camera could accelerate research into using the technology to restore vision to the blind. 
Filmmaker Rob Spence who lost his eye in an accident at age 13 has been working to develop a 'bionic eye' video camera implanted in a prosthetic eye. Rob and his team implemented the OV6920 due to its small size. In the long term, the company hopes that success with the eye camera could accelerate research into using the technology to restore vision to the blind. 
No solution is complete without customer support. OmniVision customers are assured of rapid local support from dedicated resources located around the globe.