Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony) has announced the upcoming release of the IMX742, a CMOS image sensor with approximately 0.51 effective megapixels for medical single-use endoscopes, supporting digital output and data transmission through a 5 m cable.
Demand for disposable, single-use endoscopes is growing in the medical field to help prevent infections and reduce the burden of endoscope reprocessing and equipment management after use. Cameras for these endoscopes require compact sensors for increasingly small-diameter insertion parts, as well as high image quality and stable signal transmission.
The IMX742 combines a 1 mm-square sensor with miniaturized peripheral circuits, including the A/D converter. Sony's proprietary bi-directional communication technology carries control and video signals over the same cable while keeping the sensor pin count to six. Digitizing image signals on the sensor enables lower-noise imaging in low-light environments compared with analog output, and the sensor supports a frame rate of 60 fps and stable transmission via a 5 m cable.
Sony says the IMX742 is the first CMOS image sensor for medical endoscopes to support digital output and data transmission through a 5 m cable, according to its research as of October 22, 2026. The company says the features will contribute to miniaturization and improved image quality in thin endoscope cameras, including bronchoscopes and ureteroscopes.
Key specifications include a back-illuminated structure; 720 (H) × 720 (V) effective pixels, or approximately 0.51 megapixels; 1.00 μm (H) × 1.00 μm (V) unit cells; 30 fps / 60 fps frame rates; a bi-directional communication interface; and a 6-pin, WCSP package.
Sample shipments are planned for November 2026. Sony says the product is not a medical device and has not been evaluated or approved for medical applications; it is provided as a component to be embedded in devices such as medical devices. Product details are available at https://www.sony-semicon.com/en/products/is/medical/endoscope/IMX742.html.
