Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-05-01 Origin: Site
Introduction
In endoscopy, smaller means less invasive and greater reach. At the heart of every ultra‑thin endoscope is a tiny lens. So what is the smallest lens used in endoscopy today? Commercially available miniature lenses can be as small as 0.65 mm in diameter – roughly the thickness of a needle. These lenses are part of a micro endoscope camera module that can navigate blood vessels, tear ducts, or micro‑machinery. This article explores the size limits, the technology behind them, and how they integrate into endoscope camera module designs.
What Is a “Smallest Lens” in Endoscopy?
A lens in an endoscope is a multi‑element optical system that focuses light onto a cmos module camera sensor. The “smallest” refers to the outer diameter of the complete lens assembly. For medical micro‑endoscopy (e.g., viewing coronary arteries), lenses of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm are already in use. The record for mass production is the OmniVision OV6948 sensor package, which includes an integrated lens measuring 0.65 mm × 0.65 mm – a complete micro endoscope camera module showing how small optics have become.
How Small Can a Lens Be?
Physical limits come from:
Diffraction – When the aperture becomes too small, resolution suffers.
Manufacturing tolerance – Grinding and polishing sub‑millimetre glass is very hard.
Sensor pixel size – The lens must resolve details at the pixel level (typically 1.0–1.9 µm).
Today’s smallest lenses use wafer‑level optics (WLO) , etching hundreds of lenses onto a glass wafer. This technique produces consistent lenses down to 0.4 mm diameter. For a usable image, most medical endoscopes use lenses around 0.8–1.5 mm to get enough light and resolution.
Applications of the Smallest Lenses
Application | Typical Lens Diameter | Example |
|---|---|---|
Neuroendoscopy | 0.9–1.5 mm | Brain surgery |
Cardiovascular | 0.6–1.0 mm | Coronary artery inspection |
Lacrimal duct | 0.5–0.8 mm | Tear duct blockage |
Industrial micro‑inspection | 0.6–1.2 mm | Fuel injector nozzles |
A micro endoscope camera module with a sub‑millimetre lens is usually fixed‑focus and uses a cmos module camera with very small pixels (e.g., 1.0 µm). Resolution is often VGA or 720p – a camera module 1080p would need a larger lens for enough light.
CMOS Sensors and Tiny Lenses
A micro endoscope camera module pairs the tiny lens with a matching cmos module camera. To keep the total diameter under 1 mm, the sensor die itself is miniaturised. For example, the OmniVision OV6948 stacks the lens on top of the sensor, creating a chip‑scale camera. This chip fits into disposable medical scopes.
For plug-and-play convenience, the module can be built as a USB Camera Module with an external driver board. However, at sub‑millimetre sizes, only the sensor and lens fit in the tip – the USB interface is handled in a larger handle.
Why Not Always Use the Smallest Lens?
Trade‑offs include:
Image quality – Extremely small lenses gather little light and have limited resolution.
Cost – Wafer‑level optics are expensive to tool.
Field of view – Very small lenses often have narrow FOV (<70°).
Depth of field – Miniature lenses typically have shallow DOF.
For most medical and industrial endoscopy, a lens diameter of 2–4 mm is the sweet spot, delivering hd camera module (1080p) performance with good light capture. A camera module 1080p used in a standard borescope usually has a 3–5 mm lens.
Sincere’s Micro Endoscope Camera Modules
At Sincere, we manufacture both standard and micro‑size endoscope camera module solutions:
Micro endoscope camera module – Lenses as small as 0.7 mm, with cmos module camera sensors down to 400×400.
USB Camera Module – For non‑sterile industrial use, we offer UVC‑compatible modules with 1.0 mm tips.
Camera module 1080p – For applications where resolution matters more than size, our 2.8–5 mm modules deliver Full HD.
Hd camera module – 720p and 1080p options with UVC camera module plug‑and‑play interface.
Plug-and-play – Our UVC camera module models work immediately on any PC.
Summary
The smallest lens used in endoscopy today reaches 0.65 mm diameter, enabling true micro‑invasive procedures. These lenses are part of a micro endoscope camera module combining cmos module camera sensors with wafer‑level optics. While impressive, most routine endoscopy uses lenses of 2–5 mm to balance image quality, light sensitivity, and cost. For applications requiring the ultimate miniaturisation, Sincere offers custom endoscope camera module designs down to 0.7 mm. Whether you need a USB Camera Module for industrial micro‑inspection or a camera module 1080p for standard borescopes, we match lens size to your needs.
Contact Sincere to discuss your micro endoscope camera module requirements.
