Is It True That The Smaller The Diameter of The Endoscope Camera Module, The Better?

The selection of the diameter of the endoscopic camera module should be comprehensively evaluated based on specific application scenarios, rather than simply pursuing the smallest size. The key considerations are as follows:

I. The Core Value and Limitations of Small Diameter

Adaptability in confined spaces

Medical field: With a diameter of 0.9mm, it can reach the minimally invasive surgical areas such as blood vessels and nerves, significantly reducing the risk of tissue damage.

Industrial field: Probes with a diameter of less than 2.8mm are suitable for sub-millimeter detection spaces such as turbine blade cooling holes and semiconductor wafer pipes.

Risk of performance degradation

Imaging quality degradation: When the diameter is less than 2mm, the optical interface size limits the amount of light entering the sensor, which may lead to reduced resolution and increased noise.

Weakened mechanical strength: For every 1mm reduction in diameter, the probe's compressive strength decreases by approximately 15%. Careful selection is required for high-pressure pipe (greater than 2.5MPa) inspection.

II. Key Principles for Scientific Selection and Modeling

For human body cavity and precision electronic detection scenarios, it is recommended to use a diameter range of 0.9 to 2.0 mm. This specification ensures minimally invasive procedures while maintaining basic imaging clarity through high-density pixel sensors. It is suitable for scenarios such as vascular intervention and neurosurgery where tissue damage is a sensitive concern.

2. For industrial narrow pipe inspection scenarios with pipe diameters below DN50, it is recommended to use 3-6mm diameter modules. This range can not only meet the demand for sub-millimeter defect identification but also has sufficient mechanical strength to resist the bending stress of the pipe. Typical applications include the inspection of semiconductor cooling pipelines and aviation hydraulic systems.

3. For large-scale pipeline panoramic inspection of pipes with a diameter of DN150 or above, a module with a diameter of ≥8mm should be selected. For larger sizes, a multi-light source illumination system can be integrated to solve the problem of uniform field of view in deep cavity environments. This is commonly used in the inspection of main transportation pipelines in petrochemical industries and urban utility tunnels.

Supplementary Notes:

In industrial scenarios, an additional 15% diameter safety margin should be reserved to ensure the reliability of the probe passing through the elbow joint. In medical scenarios, if the biopsy channel function needs to be considered, the diameter can be relaxed to 3.5mm. All selections should be comprehensively evaluated in combination with the specific working condition pressure level. If it is greater than 2.5MPa, the structure should be strengthened.

III. Technical Compensation Solutions

Customized Solution: By integrating customized micro-lenses with high-sensitivity CMOS sensors, 160,000-pixel imaging is achieved within a 1.0mm diameter module, meeting the requirements of minimally invasive surgeries and industrial inspections.

Intelligent Assistance: AI algorithms enhance low-light imaging and compensate for the optical defects of ultra-fine probes.

Conclusion: The diameter is not necessarily the smaller the better. A balance needs to be struck among spatial accessibility, imaging quality, and mechanical reliability. In medical minimally invasive scenarios, an extremely fine diameter (0.9 - 2mm) is preferred, while in industrial inspection, a comprehensive performance match (2 - 8mm) is more emphasized.

If you need to purchase an endoscope camera module, please feel free to contact us at SincereFirst. We can provide a complete solution.