Image sensor for endoscopic use
First Claim
1. An endoscopic device comprising:
- a lumen;
an imaging sensor disposed near the distal tip of said lumen;
wherein said imaging sensor comprises;
a plurality of substrates comprising at least a first substrate and a second substrate;
a pixel array located on the first substrate and comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of pixels are divided into a plurality of pixel groups;
a plurality of supporting circuits located on the second substrate and comprising a plurality of circuits, wherein the plurality of circuits are divided into a plurality of circuit groups;
wherein one circuit group corresponds with one pixel group;
a plurality of pixel buses;
a plurality of circuit buses, wherein there is one pixel bus per at least one pixel group residing on the first substrate and one circuit bus per at least one circuit group residing on said second substrate;
wherein at least a portion of each of the pixel buses is superimposed with at least a portion of each of the corresponding circuit buses and at least one interconnect providing electrical communication between one pixel bus and one corresponding circuit bus; and
wherein said at least one interconnect is located anywhere between one pixel bus and one corresponding circuit bus that are superimposed with respect to each other.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An endoscopic device having embodiments of a hybrid imaging sensor that optimizes a pixel array area on a substrate using a stacking scheme for placement of related circuitry with minimal vertical interconnects between stacked substrates and associated features are disclosed. Embodiments of maximized pixel array size/die size (area optimization) are disclosed, and an optimized imaging sensor providing improved image quality, improved functionality, and improved form factors for specific applications common to the industry of digital imaging are also disclosed. Embodiments of the above may include systems, methods and processes for staggering ADC or column circuit bumps in a column or sub-column hybrid image sensor using vertical interconnects are also disclosed.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. An endoscopic device comprising:
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a lumen; an imaging sensor disposed near the distal tip of said lumen; wherein said imaging sensor comprises; a plurality of substrates comprising at least a first substrate and a second substrate; a pixel array located on the first substrate and comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of pixels are divided into a plurality of pixel groups; a plurality of supporting circuits located on the second substrate and comprising a plurality of circuits, wherein the plurality of circuits are divided into a plurality of circuit groups; wherein one circuit group corresponds with one pixel group; a plurality of pixel buses; a plurality of circuit buses, wherein there is one pixel bus per at least one pixel group residing on the first substrate and one circuit bus per at least one circuit group residing on said second substrate; wherein at least a portion of each of the pixel buses is superimposed with at least a portion of each of the corresponding circuit buses and at least one interconnect providing electrical communication between one pixel bus and one corresponding circuit bus; and wherein said at least one interconnect is located anywhere between one pixel bus and one corresponding circuit bus that are superimposed with respect to each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An endoscope comprising:
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a lumen; an imaging sensor disposed within said endoscope comprising; a plurality of substrates comprising a first substrate and at least one second, subsequent supporting substrate; a pixel array; a plurality of interconnects; and a plurality of support circuits; wherein the first substrate of the plurality of substrates comprises the pixel array; wherein the plurality of supporting circuits are disposed on the at least one second, subsequent supporting substrate that is disposed remotely relative to said first substrate; wherein said plurality of supporting circuits are electrically connected to, and in electrical communication with, said pixel array via the plurality of interconnects disposed between said first substrate and said at least one second, subsequent supporting substrate; wherein said plurality of interconnects are spaced relative to one another at a distance that is greater than a pixel pitch of said pixel array. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An endoscopic device comprising:
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a lumen; an imaging sensor disposed near the distal tip of said lumen; wherein said imaging sensor comprises; a plurality of substrates comprising at least a first substrate and a second substrate; a pixel array located on the first substrate and comprising a plurality of pixel groups, wherein said plurality of pixel groups are divided into pixel sub-groups, such that each pixel sub-group is electrically isolated from other pixel sub-groups; a plurality of supporting circuits located on the second substrate and comprising a plurality of circuit groups, wherein said plurality of circuit groups are divided into circuit sub-groups; a plurality of pixel buses; a plurality of circuit buses; wherein there is one pixel bus per at least one pixel sub-group residing on the first substrate and one circuit bus per circuit sub-group residing on said second substrate; wherein at least a portion of each of the pixel buses is superimposed with at least a portion of each of the corresponding circuit buses and at least one interconnect providing electrical communication between one pixel bus and one corresponding circuit bus; and wherein said at least one interconnect is located anywhere between one pixel bus and one corresponding circuit bus that are superimposed with respect to each other. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification