Housing for the tip of a disposable insertion endoscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12127731-B2
Application number	US-202017600479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2020
Priority date	Apr 2, 2019
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A housing ( 1 ) for the tip of a disposable insertion endoscope includes a circumferential side wall ( 2 ) having a first end and a second end, and a front wall ( 3 ) arranged at the first end to provide an internal compartment ( 4 ) in the housing ( 1 ), the front wall ( 3 ) including at least one transparent part made of a polymer material and adapted to protect a camera ( 10 ) arranged in the housing behind the at least one transparent part and a front surface ( 15 ) having at least one area provided with a nano-structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An endoscope comprising:
a camera; and
a housing, said housing comprising:
a circumferential side wall having a first end, a second end, and a front wall arranged at the first end of said circumferential side wall, the first end being distal of the second end, and the circumferential wall and the front wall providing an internal compartment in said housing,
said front wall comprising at least one transparent part made of a polymer material and adapted to protect the camera, the camera being arranged in said internal compartment proximally of said at least one transparent part,
said at least one transparent part comprising a first surface facing the internal compartment and a second surface opposite the first surface,
wherein said second surface comprises at least one area having a nano-structure molded or stamped directly in said front wall,
wherein the nano-structure in said at least one area comprises a predetermined pattern of features, the features comprising first features and second features,
wherein a spacing between the first features is greater than a spacing between the second features, wherein the second features are disposed between adjacent ones of the first features, and
wherein the first features are sized and structured to repel liquids and the second features are sized and structured to provide anti-reflective properties.

2. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the first features comprise protrusions having peaks with the spacing from one peak to a closest adjacent peak of the first features being of less than 380 nm.

3. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein a remainder of the front wall surrounding the at least one area comprises a nano-structure comprising protrusions having peaks with a spacing from one peak to the closest adjacent peak in the range of 50 nm to 30 μm.

4. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the spacing between the first features is in the range of 200 nm to 300 nm.

5. The endoscope of claim 2 , wherein the second surface comprises a plane and the protrusions extend from and perpendicular to the plane of the second surface.

6. The endoscope of claim 2 , wherein each of the features comprises a base, and wherein the protrusions comprise one or more of pyramids, cones, ridges, or ribs.

7. A housing for the tip of a disposable insertion endoscope, said housing comprising:
a circumferential side wall having a first end, a second end, and a front wall arranged at the first end of said circumferential side wall, the first end being distal of the second end, and the circumferential wall and the front wall providing an internal compartment in said housing,
said front wall comprising at least one transparent part made of a polymer material and adapted to protect a camera arranged in said internal compartment proximally of said at least one transparent part,
said at least one transparent part comprising a first surface facing the internal compartment and a second surface opposite the first surface,
wherein said second surface comprises at least one area having a nano-structure molded or stamped directly in said front wall,
wherein the nano-structure in said at least one area comprises a predetermined pattern of features, the features comprising first features and second features,
wherein a spacing between the first features is greater than a spacing between the second features,
wherein the second features are disposed between adjacent ones of the first features, and
wherein the first features are sized and structured to repel liquids and the second features are sized and structured to provide anti-reflective properties.

8. The housing of claim 7 , wherein the features comprise protrusions extending from and perpendicular to a plane traversing the front wall.

9. The housing of claim 7 , wherein the features are comprised of said polymer material.

10. The housing of claim 7 , wherein the spacing between the first features is in the range of 200 nm to 300 nm.

11. The housing of claim 7 , wherein the first features comprise protrusions having peaks with the spacing from one peak to a closest adjacent peak of the first features being less than 380 nm.

12. The housing of claim 4 , wherein a remainder of the front wall surrounding the at least one area comprises a nano-structure comprising protrusions having peaks with a spacing from one peak to the closest adjacent peak in the range of 50 nm to 30 μm.

Assignees

• Ambu As

Inventors

• Sørensen Morten
• Hansen Jan Guldberg

Classifications

• G02B2207/101

  Nanooptics · CPC title

• G02B27/0006

  with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title

• G02B1/118

  having sub-optical wavelength surface structures designed to provide an enhanced transmittance, e.g. moth-eye structures · CPC title

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title

• A61B1/05

  characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion · CPC title