Development of broad-view camera unit for laparoscopic surgery.

A disadvantage of laparoscopic surgery is the narrow operative field provided by the endoscope camera. This paper describes a newly developed broad-view camera unit for use with the Broad-View Camera System, which is capable of providing a wider view of the internal organs during laparoscopic surgery. The developed camera unit is composed of a miniature color CMOS camera, an indwelling needle, and an extra-thin connector. The specific design of the camera unit and the method for positioning it are shown. The performance of the camera unit has been confirmed through basic and animal experiments.