Tower and Medigus Make Tiny 0.7mm-sized Sensor

Yahoo: Medigus, a developer of endoscopic and visualization medical devices, and Tower announced successful sampling of a new CMOS imager that will serve in Medigus' line of disposable miniature cameras and its new medical devices camera. The imager is said to be the smallest of its kind in the world, measuring only 700 x 700 microns. No word on sensor resolution is said, but assuming that Tower's smallest pixel size is 2.2um, the resolution should be less than CIF.

The imager was developed using Tower's advanced sensor design and production technologies, while the camera was developed using Medigus' electronic, optic and integration platform technologies. The miniature camera's outer diameter size, which includes a special housing, is only 1.2 mm x 5 mm long. In addition, it is completely disposable, eliminating the costly sterilization process commonly associated with endoscopic procedures.

First product samples have been shipped to end customers and mass production of the camera is expected to commence in mid-2010. The sensor will be manufactured in Tower's Fab2 using its 0.18um CIS process.