Our system differs from conventional videoendoscopes. Standard methods fail at seeing through blood due to light scattering at red blood cells, if the endoscope is inserted into blood vessels. Similarly, sight is restricted in a foggy environment subject to droplet density and droplet size.

In both cases, one can find remedy by using an infrared (IR) camera. Blood becomes sufficiently transparent in the near IR region around 1.7 µm as well as around 2.2 µm. The visibility in blood is about 6-10 mm at a wavelength of 2.1µm. According to our roadmap, we want to bring that device into a clinical test to validate its functionality within 2 years.