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The human eye is limited to the obvious but an endoscope camera allows you to see beyond what the human eye has to offer. Therefore, if you need to view small spaces, around corners and angles, then get yourself the best endoscope camera on the market. On the market, you will find numerous of these gadgets and you have to choose the most suitable for your needs.
This article will explore various areas of interest that will help you acquire all the information you need before buying an endoscope camera. It will cover areas like common endoscope camera problems and solutions, types of endoscope cameras, and a buying guide among others. Go through the article and learn how to buy and operate an endoscope camera.
Types of Endoscope Cameras
The term endoscope camera is mainly used to refer to medical devices that doctors use to view the internal parts of a human being without conducting surgery. As much as this is correct, this is also a term that can be used to refer to industrial inspection cameras that come in handy for various industries to troubleshoot building, mechanical, and plumbing problems. Below are the types of endoscope cameras that you will find on the market.
Medical Endoscope Cameras
These endoscope cameras involve a tubing and camera combination that views and takes images of targeted areas inside the body for the doctors to diagnose and treat areas that x-rays cannot sufficiently reach. The devices come in different sizes, depending on their purposes. They also feature different types depending on where they are used in the body. Some of the types of endoscope cameras under this category include;
- Upper endoscopes
These are cameras that examine the upper part of the digestive system including the esophagus, stomach, and small intestines. This endoscope camera examines lesions in the digestive tract or other possible damages within that system.
- Bronchoscopes
These are endoscope cameras that examine the bronchi and trachea of patients.
- Colonoscopies
These endoscope cameras target the colon or what is popularly known as the large intestines. Additionally, these cameras come in handy for examining the lower part of the digestive system. The cameras feature flexible tubing for easy navigation.
- Sigmoidoscope
This one is used to examine the digestive tract, specifically, the bottom third of the colon. It comes in handy for diagnosing unusual bleeding and bowel problems.
Industrial Endoscope Cameras
This category covers endoscope cameras that are used for mechanical, construction, automotive, and plumbing inspection. The term borescope camera is more prevalent to refer to this category. Besides, you can find this gadget on the market at a wide range of prices. In this article, we will solely focus on this type of endoscope camera and not the medical devices.
What are the Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Endoscope Cameras?
- Camera resolution
Maybe you hope to get crisp full HD video or image quality from an endoscope camera. However, how small these cameras have to be, makes it very costly to get one that gives you the highest quality video or images.
Nonetheless, the market still gives you affordable options that give you crisp video quality without spending a fortune on them. Cameras with a 1200p resolution will give you images and videos of high quality.
Endoscope cameras with 720p resolution will also give you good value for your money at a competitive price.
- Magnet tips
Magnet tips are handy for every endoscope camera because they help pick minute metallic objects in pipes or hard-to-reach areas that you are inspecting. Therefore, buy a product that gives you magnetic tips in the package to eliminate extra costs.
- Hook attachments
Just like magnetic tips, hook attachments are very useful in helping you reach and drag out small objects in areas that your hands cannot reach like confined spaces.
- Battery life
There are battery-powered endoscope cameras on the market. Before buying one, you need to know how the Wi-Fi chip and the camera consume power. This way, you can get a product that has a large battery capacity to enhance a seamless, uninterrupted process. An endoscope camera with a 1000 milliamps battery gives you service for 2 hours on a single charge. Products with 2000 milliamps or more battery, on the other hand, give you at least 5 hours of uninterrupted service. Depending on how often you use the endoscope camera, buy one that has a battery capacity that will give you continuous service without any disruptions.
- Wi-Fi
The market gives you a wide variety of endoscope cameras to choose from. There are those that are Wi-Fi enabled to help you connect them to your devices like phones and tablets. It is important to get one that has this function to ensure that you can safely view the location of the camera away from the site of dirty work, keeping your phone safe.
The 5 Most Common Endoscope Camera Problems and Solutions
1. No image display on the screen
There are various ways to troubleshoot this challenge.
- Ensure that the endoscope camera is switched on and that its connection to the screen is done perfectly
- Ensure that the screen is switched on and that its input connection is properly done
- Get rid of anything that can conceal the camera’s head
- Every device component should be properly connected to power. Therefore, check the wall socket connection and also the device port where the cord connects to the device.
2. The screen color seems unreal
Use a white non-glossy paper or surface to do a white balance procedure with your camera on focus. Be patient for the procedure to complete with a beep or until the OK button appears on your screen. There are endoscope cameras with automatic white balance but if yours requires a manual white balance reset, consult your manual and do it as the manufacturer instructs.
3. Unable to perform the white balance procedure
Turn off the GAIN ON/BOOST feature, then start the white balance procedure.
4. Unclear image
Do the following if you are dealing with an unclear image.
- Rotate the focus ring to try and enhance the image quality. Alternatively, switch off the coupler zoom feature or turn off the camera completely then turn it on.
- If this does not work, and you still get a blurry image, undo the camera head and endoscope connection. Try to view the image using the eyepiece of the scope. Additionally, if this does not give you a clear image, take a pad and dip it lightly in non-colored alcohol and wipe the eyepiece. Just in case this does not work, you should know that the scope has a problem that only the manufacturer can fix. Therefore, get in touch with the manufacturer and get a clarification about the issue.
- In the case that the image quality improves when you check through the eyepiece, check if the image displayed on the camera screen is blurred when it is disconnected from the endoscope. If it is unclear on the camera screen, tighten the coupler connection. However, if the image is clear when you view it through the camera screen, clean the camera head with a pad soaked in clear and uncolored alcohol. If the issue persists, the camera has a problem and you should get with the manufacturer to fix that.
- Moreover, check the connection between the light source and the endoscope. There should be a high-intensity light source for clear images.
5. Flickering or flashing image on the camera screen
The video cable that links both the screen and the camera should be properly connected. Ideally, ensure that the cable of the camera head is not bent and that it has no dents. Additionally, the connection of this cable should be properly done.
Rigid vs. Semi-rigid vs. Flexible Cables
Rigid cables are highly affordable than other cables on the market. They are straight and are only used in straight areas and without corners like gun barrels and straight pipes. These types of endoscope camera cables give high-quality images as there is no obstruction.
Additionally, there are semi-rigid cable models that can bend to navigate corners and are highly used when monitoring small spaces. Lastly, the flexible cables give high mobility and experts use them to monitor small cavities, corners, and angles.
What is the Difference between a Borescope and an Endoscope?
Borescopes and endoscopes are all used for inspection in areas that the human eye cannot access. However, the terms are used depending on the area of application. For instance, a borescope is mainly preferred when monitoring mechanical objects like pipes and it is very prevalent in industrial settings as it helps view the interior part of hollow bodies.
An endoscope on the other hand is a type of borescope that is mainly a precise version that is used in the medical field to view the inner parts of a human body without performing surgery. Nonetheless, the term endoscope is also used in industrial applications and is not exclusively used for medical settings.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you now have all the information you need when buying an endoscope and operating one. The human eye is only limited to seeing what is obvious, however, an endoscope is everything you need to see beyond what the human eye can offer. Get one for yourself or a loved one and manage, repair, and renovate properties with much ease.
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