Stacked Image Pickup Module for Compact Endoscope Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional endoscope image pickup units are lengthened by the mounting of chip components on a wiring board, making them less invasive, and there is a need for a more compact design that maintains optical axis alignment and heat transfer efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An image pickup module with a stacked semiconductor device configuration, where the image pickup unit is inserted into a hollow frame with specific contact surfaces and resin-filled gaps, ensuring precise alignment and effective heat transfer, and the frame is made of a conductive material for improved thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If chip components are mounted on a wiring board, then the image pickup unit can be assembled, but the length in the optical axis direction becomes long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar wiring board layout to a three-dimensional stacked configuration where semiconductor devices are arranged vertically along the optical axis. This dimensional change allows components to be stacked in layers rather than spread out horizontally, significantly reducing the length in the optical axis direction while maintaining all necessary assembly capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where multiple semiconductor devices are stacked one on top of another, with each device nested within the vertical space occupied by the previous device. The image pickup device, signal processing devices, and other components are arranged in a nested vertical configuration, allowing all components to coexist in a compact space along the optical axis.
2Length of moving object
If the image pickup unit is made compact, then invasiveness is reduced, but optical axis alignment precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates preliminary alignment features directly into the stacked semiconductor devices, such as precision-machined mounting surfaces and positioning protrusions that are prepared in advance during device fabrication. These pre-prepared alignment features ensure that when the compact stacked unit is assembled, the optical axis alignment is maintained with high precision despite the reduced overall length.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary alignment structures between the stacked semiconductor devices that act as mediators to maintain precise optical axis alignment. These intermediary elements, such as alignment pins or precision-machined interface surfaces, ensure that each stacked device is positioned accurately relative to the others, preserving optical axis precision in the compact configuration.
3Length of moving object
If the image pickup unit is made compact, then invasiveness is reduced, but heat transfer efficiency may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat dissipation function from the internal structure of the stacked devices and provides dedicated thermal management pathways. By separating the optical functions from the thermal management functions, the patent can maintain compact dimensions while ensuring efficient heat transfer through dedicated thermal conduction paths that do not interfere with the stacked configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures in the stacked semiconductor devices, combining materials with different thermal conductivities in strategic locations. High-thermal-conductivity materials are used in thermal pathways and heat dissipation structures, while other materials maintain electrical and optical properties, creating a composite structure that enables efficient heat transfer in the compact stacked configuration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a compact, low-invasive endoscope image pickup module with precise optical axis alignment and stable image signals, reducing thermal noise and enhancing manufacturing ease while maintaining the compactness of the device.
Implementation Method 1
the frame is made of a conductive material for improved thermal management
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup module including: an image pickup unit having a plurality of stacked semiconductor devices, the plurality of stacked semiconductor devices including an image pickup sensor; and a frame including a hollow portion in which the image pickup unit is inserted, wherein the image pickup unit includes a first side surface orthogonal to a principal surface of the image pickup sensor, and a second side surface opposed to the first side surface, and two edges of four edges defining the first side surface of the image pickup unit are in contact with an inner surface of the frame, the two edges being orthogonal to the principal surface of the image pickup device, and the second side surface is not in contact with the inner surface of the frame.