Advances in technology have provided advances in imaging capabilities for medical use. One area that has enjoyed some of the most beneficial advances is that of endoscopy, including videostroboscopy, surgical procedures because of the advances in the components that make up the endoscope.
A fairly common procedure used in diagnosing vocal chord issues, such as the structure of a patient's larynx, is videostroboscopy of the vocal chords. The procedure is performed using either a rigid or flexible endoscope, a light source capable of being strobed and a microphone. Light sources might include but are not limited to Xenon, LED, Laser and Halogen. During the procedure, the imaging end of the endoscope is brought into view of the patient's vocal chords and then the patient is asked to speak, repeat key phrases, or sing. The microphone is used to pick up the frequency of the patient's voice and the light source is strobed at a similar frequency which provides a slow-motion view of the vocal chords. The physician then uses the slow motion view to diagnose any vocal chord issues.
Traditionally, CCD (charge-coupled device) type endoscopes are required for any application that requires strobing. The basic approach is to continually strobe the light source at the desired frequency. Because CCD sensors use global shuttering, the strobing may continue without any issue in video quality. However, CCD sensors are substantially more expensive than Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensors and are known to be inferior to CMOS image sensors in key areas.
In regards to sensor technology, CMOS image sensors have largely displaced conventional CCD imagers in modern camera applications such as endoscopy, owing to their greater ease of integration and operation, superior or comparable image quality, greater versatility and lower cost.