Endoscopic compound-eye camera with extended depth of focus

A focusing-free and multispectral three-dimensional endoscope based on a compact compound-eye camera called TOMBO (thin observation module by bound optics) is proposed. A prototype endoscopic TOMBO with 3×2 aspherical lenses using a wavefront coding technique and a 640×480-pixel color image sensor demonstrates extended depth of focus and depth estimation.

I. Introduction

Capsule endoscopes[1] and endoscopic surgery such as NOTES (natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery)[2] have attracted a great attention due to their potential for thorough diagnosis and small invasion in operation. We have proposed an application of a thin and compact compound-eye camera called TOMBO (thin observation module by bound optics)[3] to the endoscope to realize highly-functional stereoscopic endoscopes[4]. In this paper, a three-dimensional endoscope with extended depth of focus (EDoF) and multi-spectral imaging is proposed and demonstrated.