Planar Imaging Module Substrates for Miniaturized Catheters
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imaging modules for medical instruments, such as catheters, face challenges in reducing the diameter while maintaining functionality, as they require increased diameter and complex wiring configurations that hinder miniaturization.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a solid-state image sensing device with a first and second substrate, each with specific wiring patterns and terminals, connected via a coaxial signal cable, allowing for a compact configuration where the substrates and signal cable are aligned on the same plane, reducing the overall diameter and enabling a smaller imaging module and catheter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a conventional imaging module configuration with multiple electrical cables and wiring substrates is used, then the imaging function can be achieved, but the diameter of the medical instrument increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple electrical cables and wiring substrates into a single integrated wiring substrate. The image-sensing device is directly mounted on this integrated substrate, eliminating the need for separate cable assemblies and multiple connection points, thereby reducing the overall diameter of the medical instrument while maintaining all necessary electrical connections
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a three-dimensional cable assembly configuration to a two-dimensional planar wiring substrate layout. By arranging all electrical connections on a flat substrate plane, the complex spatial routing of multiple cables is simplified, reducing the diameter requirement while preserving functional connectivity
2Volume of moving object
If multiple electrical cables are accommodated in a tube, then electrical connections can be maintained, but the diameter of the medical instrument increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate electrical cable assemblies into a single integrated wiring substrate structure. This consolidation eliminates the need for a large-diameter tube to accommodate multiple cables, while the integrated design simplifies manufacturing by reducing the number of assembly steps and components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the electrical connection function from traditional cable assemblies and relocates it to a planar wiring substrate. This extraction allows the elimination of the protective tube that would otherwise be required to house multiple cables, reducing diameter while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized substrate fabrication
3Volume of moving object
If a compact imaging module is designed, then the diameter can be reduced, but the wiring configuration becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the wiring complexity issue by transitioning from three-dimensional cable routing to a two-dimensional planar substrate layout. All electrical connections are arranged on the flat surface of the wiring substrate, eliminating complex spatial routing requirements and enabling compact imaging module design without increasing wiring complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging module includes: an image-sensing device; a first substrate including a first insulating substrate main body that includes a plurality of surfaces, an electrode terminal, a first cable terminal disposed on only one of the plurality of surfaces of the first insulating substrate main body; a second substrate including a second insulating substrate main body and a second cable terminal; and a signal cable disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, that electrically connects the first cable terminal to the second cable terminal. The one of the plurality of surfaces of the first insulating substrate main body where the first cable terminal is connected to the signal cable and a surface of the second insulating substrate main body where the second cable terminal is connected to the signal cable are disposed on a same plane.