Streamlining Rigid Borescope Inspection: The New iShot® VistaScope R Series

Streamlining Rigid Borescope Inspection: The New iShot® VistaScope R Series

For over 50 years, inspectors have been using rigid borescopes to ensure the quality in small, manufactured and industrial components. These tiny and precise viewing instruments built of glass and metal proved to best way to perform crucial inspections - until now. Now with 21st century micro camera sensors, the rigid borescope makes a forward leap in innovation.

 

Intertest, Inc. proudly introduces the new iShot® R-Series Rigid Borescope System, a well-overdue update to the world of rigid borescope platforms.  Rigid borescopes have been used in industrial quality control for over 50 years because of their superb optical clarity and easy, repeatable handling for quality inspections of industrial components.  Traditional rigid borescopes have been constructed using high-precision optical lenses, to allow the user to clearly view the internal surfaces and objects of components. 

Pictured: a cross-section diagram of a rigid borescope, eye piece and light source (Source link)
Originally, inspectors used rigid borescopes with an eyepiece for viewing, and in some cases still do. When inspection quantities and tired eyes demanded more ease in the method of inspection, the rigid borescope systems required additional system support such as auxiliary light sources, cameras with optical adapters, and monitors. These allowed the inspectors more mobility and ease-of-use in their quality processes. While adding accessories proved to be an innovative step in rigid borescope inspection, the borescopes themselves remained fragile, and quality control stations became cluttered with the numerous accessories. 
Pictured left: the traditional rigid borescope inspection method with tiresome eye-piece viewing. Pictured right: the cluttered, rigid borescope inspection method with a bench-top light source, camera control unit, camera, and optical adapter.
Manual viewing with eyepieces or remote viewing with video accessories has been the status quo of this type of inspection for decades. Few technological improvements have been made on the basic rigid borescope design, until now.

The new iShot® R-Series Rigid Borescope System is the next innovative leap in borescope inspection technology. This system eliminates the optical lens system entirely and places a micro camera sensor at the distal end of the borescope. 

Pictured left: The distal tip with a micro image sensor. Pictured right: the distal tip with lighting LEDs on.

 The value-added features for the iShot® R-Series Rigid Borescope System include:

  • Durable, easily-detachable and cost-effective borescope tips
  • An organized inspection environment with no need for costly auxiliary instrumentation such as light sources, light guides, adapters and cameras
  • Dynamic light adjustments using the camera sensor that eliminates bothersome glare on inspection surfaces

Pictured left: The iShot® R-Series Rigid Borescope benchtop setup with monitor. Pictured right: The the iShot® R-Series Rigid Borescope with handheld control unit.

 

The comprehensive system consists of the iShot® R-Series Rigid Borescope tips (available in forward and side configurations in various diameters and lengths), a standard iShot® Desktop Handle attachment allowing for easy swapping of borescope tips, and an iShot® Desktop Camera Controller (left image) or a portable, handheld version (right image) which provides controls and imaging. Optional accessories include backup borescope tips and sliding fixtures for methodical and repeatable quality inspections as seen in the video below: