Surgical Camera Heads
This page lists surgical camera heads from Clear Choice Medical, along with the couplers that join an endoscope to the camera. A camera head is the handheld part of an endoscopic camera that sends the image to a camera control unit.
13 products · sorted by price (high to low)
Current listings include endoscopic camera heads from Dyonics and other makers. A head may come with its coupler fitted, or the camera coupler may be listed on its own. When a title calls a head autoclavable, compare that rating with the cleaning method your department uses.
When you compare heads, start with the system family. Each head is built to run on specific consoles from its maker. Most listing titles carry the maker's model number, which helps you match a head to your console. Next, look at the coupler, which some titles identify by its own model number. Sensor design and resolution also vary, so check each title for the model's specifications. Review the cable and the connector at the console end as well.
Availability changes as heads sell. Browse the current listings, or contact Clear Choice Medical about a model you are trying to match.
Common questions about Camera Heads
What is the difference between a 1-chip and a 3-chip camera head?
A 1-chip camera head uses a single image sensor, while a 3-chip head uses three. In a 3-chip head, a prism splits incoming light into red, green and blue beams. Each beam goes to its own sensor. A 1-chip head usually places a mosaic color filter over its one sensor instead. Listing titles may write this as 1CCD, 1-CCD or 1-chip. CCD and CMOS are two sensor technologies. Stryker's 1288 HD head uses CCD sensors, while Stryker describes its 1688 as a 3-chip camera with CMOS sensors. Chip count is one specification among several, so read it alongside the resolution and the console the head runs on.
What do HD and 4K mean on a surgical camera head?
HD and 4K describe the video resolution a camera system puts out. Full HD, often labeled 1080p, is 1920 x 1080 pixels. 4K UHD is 3840 x 2160 pixels, which is four times the pixel count of full HD. The camera head does not set the picture on its own. The camera control unit and the monitor also need to support that resolution. Stryker's 1688 manual, for example, says to run the camera at 1080p if a compatible 4K display is not available. So check the resolution listed for the head, the camera control unit and the monitor together.
What does the mm number on an endoscope camera coupler mean?
The mm figure on a camera coupler, such as 18 mm or 20 mm, is usually its focal length. A coupler joins the endoscope eyepiece to the camera head. One coupler maker says its 35 mm coupler enlarges the image, while its 14 mm coupler makes it smaller. Stryker couplers thread onto the head with a C-mount thread. A clamp holds the endoscope eyepiece, and a focusing ring adjusts image sharpness. Some heads have an integrated coupler instead. Stryker states that direct-coupled C-mount endoscopes are not compatible with its integrated-coupler heads. Zoom optics give a focal range instead, such as 14 to 28 mm on one Karl Storz camera head.