IMAGING MODULE AND ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS

• US 20160206186A1
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: IGARASHI, Takatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,617,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00018 using electrical cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0008 characterised by distal tip features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00114 Electrical cables in or with an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope

Abstract

An imaging module includes: an image sensor; a substrate having a conductor layer and extending from the image sensor; a multi-layer substrate having therein conductor layers on the substrate; electronic components mounted on/in the multi-layer substrate; an image signal electrode pad and a drive signal electrode pad on the image sensor; an image signal cable; a drive signal cable; an image signal wiring pattern through which an image signal is transmitted from the image signal electrode pad to the image signal cable; and a drive signal wiring pattern through which a drive signal is transmitted from the drive signal cable to the drive signal electrode pad. At least one of the electronic components is embedded inside the multi-layer substrate. The image signal wiring pattern and the drive signal wiring pattern are separated into different conductor layers of the substrate and the multi-layer substrate due to the embedded electronic component.

Claims

1. An imaging module comprising:

a solid state image sensor having a light-receiving surface and configured to receive light and to perform photoelectric conversion on the received light to generate an electrical signal;

a substrate having a conductor layer and extending from the solid state image sensor in a direction opposite to where the light-receiving surface is provided, along an optical axis direction of the solid state image sensor;

a multi-layer substrate on a surface of the substrate, the multi-layer substrate having therein a plurality of conductor layers and a plurality of via holes;

a plurality of electronic components mounted on or in the multi-layer substrate;

an image signal electrode pad on the solid state image sensor;

a drive signal electrode pad on the solid state image sensor;

an image signal cable for transmitting an image signal;

a drive signal cable for transmitting a drive signal;

an image signal wiring pattern through which the image signal is transmitted from the image signal electrode pad to the image signal cable; and

a drive signal wiring pattern through which the drive signal is transmitted from the drive signal cable to the drive signal electrode pad, wherein

at least one of the plurality of electronic components is embedded inside the multi-layer substrate, and

the image signal wiring pattern and the drive signal wiring pattern are separated on a side of the solid state image sensor into different conductor layers of the substrate and the multi-layer substrate due to the at least one of the plurality of electronic components embedded inside the multi-layer substrate, thereby to allow the image signal and the drive signal to be transmitted to the image signal cable and the drive signal electrode pad, respectively, through the different conductor layers of the substrate and the multi-layer substrate.

2. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein in a cross-sectional view of the substrate and the multi-layer substrate perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the solid state image sensor, the at least one of the plurality of electronic components is arranged between the image signal wiring pattern and the drive signal wiring pattern.

3. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein the image signal or the drive signal is transmitted through a first via hole that is located closest to the solid state image sensor among the plurality of via holes.

4. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein the drive signal cable is connected to the substrate, and the image signal cable to which the image signal is output is connected on the multi-layer substrate.

5. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein the drive signal cable and the image signal cable are connected on the multi-layer substrate.

6. The imaging module according to claim 5, wherein

the image signal is transmitted to the image signal cable connected on the multi-layer substrate through a first via hole that is located closest to the solid state image sensor among the plurality of via holes, and

the drive signal input from the drive signal cable connected on the multi-layer substrate is transmitted through a second via hole that is located farthest away from the solid state image sensor and formed most distant from the first via hole among the plurality of via holes.

7. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein

a chip including at least a transmission buffer is mounted on the multi-layer substrate, and

the image signal is transmitted to the image signal cable through the chip.

8. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein

the drive signal electrode pad and the image signal electrode pad are arranged separately from one another, and

the image signal wiring pattern and the drive signal wiring pattern are arranged separately from one another in plan view from above.

9. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein

the image signal cable is connected on the multi-layer substrate, and

a first via hole closest to the solid state image sensor among the plurality of via holes is located closest to the image signal electrode pad in plan view from above.

10. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein the multi-layer substrate is a multi-layer resin substrate in which multiple resin substrates are layered.

11. An endoscope apparatus comprising an insertion unit, at a distal end of which the imaging module according to claim 1 is provided.