Tip part for an endoscope and the manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021093175-A1
Application number	US-202017032535-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 25, 2020
Priority date	Sep 26, 2019
Publication date	Apr 1, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tip part (2) for an endoscope (1) having at least one transparent part and at least one opaque part providing an outer surface. The outer surface comprises a transparent outer surface part (6, 7) and an opaque outer surface part (9, 10), respectively. The transparent outer surface part is smooth (6, 7) and at least a part of the opaque outer surface part (9, 10) is provided with a hydrophobic structure.

First claim

1 . An endoscope comprising:
a tip part including a housing having a proximal end opposite a distal end and an outer peripheral surface extending between the proximal end and the distal end, the housing also having an outer distal surface at the distal end; and a camera positioned in the housing and having an optical axis, wherein the housing includes a camera viewing area that is transparent and traversed by the optical axis, and wherein the housing also includes a textured area surrounding the camera viewing area, the textured area comprising a first regulated pattern of outwardly extending protrusions.

2 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an opaque portion and a transparent portion, and wherein the opaque portion comprises the textured area and the transparent portion comprises the camera viewing area.

3 . The endoscope of claim 1 , further comprising a light source positioned in the housing, wherein the housing includes a light transmission area that is transparent, and wherein the textured area surrounds the light transmission area.

4 . The endoscope of claim 3 , wherein the textured area is located between the camera viewing area and the light transmission area.

5 . The endoscope of claim 4 , wherein the outer distal surface of the housing comprises the camera viewing area and the textured area.

6 . The endoscope of claim 4 , wherein the outer peripheral surface of the housing comprises the camera viewing area and the textured area.

7 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein a distance d between the extending protrusions is in the range between, and including, 50 nm to 2 μm.

8 . The endoscope of claim 7 , wherein a distance d between the extending protrusions is in the range between, and including, 200 nm to 300 μm.

9 . The endoscope of claim 7 , wherein the textured area comprises a second regulated pattern of outwardly extending protrusions disposed between the outwardly extending protrusions of the first regulated pattern, and a distance d′ between the outwardly extending protrusions of the second regulated pattern is less than or equal to 740 nm.

10 . The endoscope of claim 9 , wherein the distance d′ between the outwardly extending protrusions of the second regulated pattern is less than or equal to 380 nm.

11 . The endoscope of claim 10 , wherein the distance d′ between the outwardly extending protrusions of the second regulated pattern is in a range from, and including, 200 nm to 300 nm.

12 . An endoscope comprising:
a tip part including a housing having a proximal end opposite a distal end and an outer peripheral surface extending between the proximal end and the distal end, the housing also having an outer distal surface at the distal end; and a camera positioned in the housing and having an optical axis, wherein the housing includes a camera viewing area that is transparent and traversed by the optical axis, and wherein the housing also includes a hydrophobic structure surrounding the camera viewing area.

13 . The endoscope of claim 12 , wherein the housing comprises a transparent portion and an opaque portion, and wherein the opaque portion comprises the hydrophobic structure and the transparent portion is devoid of the hydrophobic structure.

14 . The endoscope of claim 12 , wherein the hydrophobic structure comprises a microstructure having repeated features spaced apart by a distance d that is in the range between, and including, 50 nm to 2 μm.

15 . The endoscope of claim 14 , wherein the hydrophobic structure further comprises a nanostructure superimposed on the microstructure.

16 . The endoscope of claim 15 , wherein a distance d′ between repeated features of the nanostructure is less than or equal to 740 nm.

17 . A method of making an endoscope including a tip part, the method comprising:
injection molding housing having a peripheral wall extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the housing and a distal wall at the distal end, the distal wall having an outer distal surface, and the peripheral wall having an outer peripheral surface, wherein the housing includes a camera viewing area and a surrounding area surrounding the camera viewing area, wherein the surrounding area comprises a first regulated pattern of outwardly extending protrusions, and wherein the injection molding comprises imparting the first regulated pattern onto the outer distal surface or the outer peripheral surface.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the injection molding comprises molding the outer peripheral wall with the distal wall to form the housing in one-piece.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising positioning a camera in the housing with an optical axis of the camera traversing the camera viewing area.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the injection molding comprises molding a transparent portion in a transparent part mould cavity and molding an opaque portion in an opaque part mould cavity comprising a structured inner surface sized and shaped to provide the opaque portion with the first regulated pattern.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the transparent portion is molded in a first step and the opaque portion is molded in a second step subsequent to the first step.

Assignees

• Ambu As

Inventors

• Sørensen Morten
• Hansen Jan Guldberg

Classifications

• A61B1/009

  with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part · CPC title

• A61B1/00103 Primary

  designed for single use · CPC title

• A61B1/051 Primary

  Details of CCD assembly · CPC title

• A61B1/0008

  characterised by distal tip features · CPC title

• A61B1/00165

  with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics (A61B1/07 takes precedence) · CPC title