Importance

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Abstract

A camera that includes a camera head, an amplifier, and a camera control unit. The camera head includes a charge coupled device and at least one lens that is optically coupled to the charge coupled device to focus light energy onto the charge coupled device. The charge coupled device provides a plurality of signals indicative of the light energy incident upon a plurality of regions of the charge coupled device. The amplifier is electrically coupled to the charge coupled device to receive the plurality of signals from the charge coupled device and provide a plurality of amplified signals to the camera control unit, but, the amplifier is physically separated from the charge coupled device so that the amplifier is outside the camera head. The camera control unit is electrically coupled to the amplifier to receive the plurality of amplified signals from the amplifier and to process the plurality of amplified signals to form an image. In one embodiment, the camera head can move in numerous directions relative to other portions of the camera system, including rotationally, pivotally, and towards and away from a body of the camera.

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First Claim