# US 10,455,201 B2 · Imaging device, manufacturing method thereof, and medical imaging system

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- Number: US 10,455,201 B2
- Document ID: US10455201B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/540,175
- Filed: 2016-03-01
- Published: 2018-01-11
- Granted: 2019-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-24
- Assignees: Sony Corporation
- Applicants: Sony Corporation
- Inventors: Rui Kouno; Tadamasa Kurashige; Takuma Tanae
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455201B2

## CPC

- H04N 23/15: Image signal generation with circuitry for avoiding or correcting image misregistration
- A61B 1/0011: {Manufacturing of endoscope parts}
- A61B 1/044: {for absorption imaging}
- A61B 1/0638: {providing two or more wavelengths}
- G06T 7/30: Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration
- G06T 7/80: Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration
- H04N 17/002: {for television cameras}
- H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means
- G06T 2207/10024: Color image
- G06T 2207/10068: Endoscopic image
- H04N 23/555: {for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

An imaging device includes a light separator that separates light into light bands, and imaging elements that each receives one of the light bands and generates a corresponding signal. Each of the imaging elements has a pixel size of at most 2.5 μm by 2.5 μm. A registration error among the imaging elements is equal to or less than a threshold determined according to the pixel size.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An imaging device, comprising:
a light separator configured to separate light into a plurality of light bands; and
a plurality of imaging elements, each of the plurality of imaging elements configured to receive one of the plurality of light bands and to generate a corresponding signal, each of the plurality of imaging elements having a pixel size of at most 2.5 μm by 2.5 μm,
wherein a registration error among the plurality of imaging elements is equal to or less than a threshold of 0.5 μm.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the light separator is a prism.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light bands include a red light band, a green light band, and a blue light band.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of imaging elements is of ⅔-inch size and has 4K resolution.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The imaging device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of imaging elements include at least 3840 horizontal pixels.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the registration error is determined based on contrast degradation.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The imaging device according to claim 6, wherein the contrast degradation is determined by circuitry of a fixing device at a predetermined f-stop.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined f-stop is f/4.0.

### Claim 9

A medical imaging system, comprising:
a medical imaging device configured to capture images of a subject; and
circuitry configured to process an image signal from the medical imaging device to display the images on a display,
wherein the medical imaging device includes:
a light separator configured to separate light into a plurality of light bands; and
a plurality of imaging elements, each of the plurality of imaging elements configured to receive one of the plurality of light bands and to generate a corresponding signal, each of the plurality of imaging elements having a pixel size of at most 2.5 μm by 2.5 μm, a registration error among the plurality of imaging elements being equal to or less than a threshold of 0.5 μm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The medical imaging system according to claim 9, wherein the medical imaging device is an endoscope.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The medical imaging system according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of imaging elements have at least 4K resolution.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The medical imaging system according to claim 9, wherein the light separator is a prism, and the plurality of imaging elements include an imaging element configured to capture red light, an imaging element configured to capture green light, and an imaging capture element configured to capture blue light.