Sony unveils 1 mm IMX742 sensor with 5 m digital output for endoscopes
Sony Semiconductor Solutions has announced the IMX742, a CMOS image sensor with approximately 0.51 effective megapixels for medical single-use endoscopes. According to Sony, it is the first sensor among CMOS image sensors for medical endoscopes to support digital output and data transmission through a 5 m cable.
- Sony announced the IMX742, a 1 mm-square CMOS sensor with approx. 0.51 effective megapixels for single-use endoscopes.
- According to Sony, it is the first among CMOS sensors for medical endoscopes to support digital output over a 5 m cable.
- The sensor supports 30 fps and 60 fps and uses bi-directional communication with only six pins.
- Sample shipments are planned for November 2026.
- The IMX742 is a component, not a medical device, and has not been approved for medical applications.
A very small sensor with digital output
The IMX742 measures 1.00 mm by 1.00 mm and offers 720 by 720 effective pixels, or approximately 0.51 megapixels. It is a back-illuminated, 1/17.7-type sensor with a diagonal of 1.02 mm and a unit cell size of 1.00 μm by 1.00 μm.
Sony says it miniaturized peripheral circuits, including the A/D converter, to fit both high resolution and digital output into the small chip while maintaining sufficient pixel area. The company also uses its own bi-directional communication technology, which sends control and video signals through the same cable. This keeps the number of sensor pins at six. The package is a 6-pin WCSP.
60 fps video over a 5 m cable
The sensor digitizes image signals on the chip. According to Sony, this allows lower-noise imaging than analog output and gives high visibility in dark areas inside the body. It supports frame rates of 30 fps and 60 fps, and Sony says the 60 fps mode enables smooth video display.
Digital output also allows stable video transmission over a 5 m cable, which Sony says increases flexibility in system configuration. The company notes that the transmission distance was confirmed in its own evaluation environment using an AWG44 cable.
Other listed specifications include a Bayer filter, a CRA of 30 degrees, rolling shutter and global reset shutter modes, and power supply voltages of 2.7 V, 1.2 V and -1.2 V.
Why single-use endoscopes matter
Sony points to growing demand for disposable endoscopes in medicine. It says they help prevent infections and reduce the burden of reprocessing and managing equipment after use. Cameras in such devices need compact sensors that fit increasingly thin insertion parts, along with good image quality and stable signal transmission.
Sony says the IMX742 will contribute to smaller and higher-quality cameras in thin endoscopes such as bronchoscopes and ureteroscopes. The company has so far supplied image sensors for reusable endoscopes and now plans to expand into single-use applications.
Availability and what it means
Sony plans to begin sample shipments of the IMX742 in November 2026. The source gives no pricing or mass-production date.
For endoscope makers, the sensor offers a digital, low-noise option in a 1 mm footprint, with a cable length of up to 5 m confirmed by Sony. Sony says this supports systems aimed at reduced invasiveness and improved operability and visibility.
The company stresses that the IMX742 is not a medical device and has not been evaluated or approved for medical applications. It is supplied as a component to be built into devices such as medical devices. Sony also states that the product is not intended for medical applications in Hong Kong.
