Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-10-17 Origin: Site
As a key tool in dental diagnosis and treatment, dental endoscopes need to achieve accurate detail capture (such as early dental caries and plaque detection) in the narrow, low-light oral environment, while meeting requirements for ergonomic operation, medical compliance, and adaptability to diagnosis and treatment processes. The camera module equipped with OmniVision OV9734 CMOS sensor can be highly matched with the functional needs of dental endoscopes (e.g., GoodDRS Inspire IC-WHCD100) by virtue of its optical performance, miniaturized design, operational adaptability, and compliance, providing technical support for dental diagnosis and treatment. The specific advantages are analyzed as follows:
The interior of the oral cavity is a typical environment with "local low light and high contrast". For dental diagnosis and treatment, it is necessary to accurately identify 0.1mm-level early dental caries, plaque, or tooth cracks, which imposes strict requirements on the light control capability and detail resolution of the camera module.
The optical configuration of this module specifically addresses this need: First, the F4.0 aperture + 6 0201-sized LED beads form a collaborative fill-light system. The 6 miniature LED beads provide uniform, low-glare light sources, while the F4.0 aperture balances light intake to reduce underexposure in the low-light oral environment. Combined with the 1.75μm×1.75μm pixel size of the OV9734 sensor, it can clearly present the surface texture of teeth and the state of gingival mucosa, providing basic imaging support for the "Fluorescence Mode (FL mode)" and "Transillumination Mode (TR mode)" of the Inspire endoscope. For example, in FL mode, the detail resolution of the module helps distinguish between "green fluorescence of normal tooth enamel" and "red fluorescence of plaque/caries", avoiding misdiagnosis caused by blurred imaging. Second, the 102° field of view + manual focus adapts to the needs of switching between oral panoramic and local views. The 102° wide field of view can cover the entire crown of a single tooth or a local dental arch at one time. The manual focus function enables precise focusing on the interproximal surface of teeth, making up for the focusing deviation of auto-focus in narrow spaces and improving the accuracy of interproximal caries detection.
The oral interior has limited space, especially in the posterior tooth area, and it is necessary to avoid irritation of the oral mucosa and tongue by instruments. Therefore, the "head size" and "operational flexibility" of dental endoscopes directly affect the diagnosis and treatment experience.
The structural design of this module is highly compatible with this demand: First, the 3.3mm lens diameter is consistent with the "Slim head" design concept of the Inspire endoscope. It can easily reach the posterior tooth area or interdental spaces in the oral cavity, reducing pressure on the tongue and cheeks. At the same time, the slim lens is convenient to cooperate with the "Retraction head" function of the Inspire endoscope to push aside soft tissues for unobstructed tooth imaging. Second, the Separated design optimizes the operation workflow of diagnosis and treatment. The module connects to the DSP board via a Type-C interface using MIPI signals, and the DSP board can be placed externally. Only the 3.3mm-diameter lens end is inserted into the oral cavity, avoiding the problem of "doctor's hand fatigue caused by heavy body weight" of traditional integrated devices. Meanwhile, the anti-plugging durability of the Type-C interface extends the service life of the device. Third, the lightweight bare module form facilitates integration. The module has no redundant casing and can be combined with the "Metal body case" of the Inspire endoscope. While ensuring device durability, it controls the overall weight (the Inspire endoscope weighs approximately 61g), meeting the ergonomic needs of doctors for long-term handheld operation.
Dental diagnosis and treatment processes emphasize "real-time observation, instant recording, and seamless connection to software analysis", requiring the camera module to have rapid response, stable transmission, and wide compatibility to minimize interruptions in diagnosis and treatment.
The operation and transmission design of this module accurately matches this process: First, the DSP board button photo + direct imaging improves the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment recording. The physical button integrated on the module's DSP board enables "what you see is what you shoot", eliminating the need for doctors to switch to software interfaces. Complementing the "dual capture buttons (top + bottom layout)" function of the Inspire endoscope, doctors can flexibly trigger photo capture according to their holding posture, quickly saving key images such as caries and restoration edges, and adapting to the "inspection while recording" rhythm of diagnosis and treatment. Second, the USB 5Pin interface + USB 2.0 speed + UVC protocol ensures transmission stability and compatibility. The USB 2.0 speed can meet the real-time transmission needs of 720-resolution and Inspire FHD (1080p) images without frame freezes. The UVC protocol supports "plug-and-play" without the need for additional driver installation, enabling quick connection to dental treatment computers. It is also compatible with the "TWAIN driver" supported by the Inspire endoscope, allowing seamless access to mainstream dental imaging software such as Romexis® for rapid image filing, analysis, and printing. Third, the detachable USB cable adapts to multi-treatment-table switching. The USB 5Pin interface supported by the module can be paired with a detachable cable, allowing doctors to quickly switch the lens end from one treatment table to another without moving heavy DSP boards or computers, improving device utilization.
As a Class II medical device, dental endoscopes must comply with global medical compliance certification requirements, while withstanding frequent disinfection, collisions, and other usage scenarios, imposing high demands on the module's production process and durability.
