An endoscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024197150-A1
Application number	US-202218566694-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2022
Priority date	Jun 15, 2021
Publication date	Jun 20, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An endoscope with a distal tip part including a tip housing integrally moulded from a first material and a second material and having an end wall and a surrounding side wall so as to define an inner compartment accommodating an electronic vision device and at least one light source. The end wall includes an end surface and the surrounding side wall includes a surrounding side surface. The second material is provided as one contiguous part providing part of the side wall and part of the end wall, a vision window in the end wall and a light emission window adapted to receive and transmit light from the at least one light source through the end wall. In the end wall, said second material overlaps at least partially said first material when viewed from the end surface.

First claim

1 . An endoscope comprising a distal tip part, the distal tip part comprising:
a housing integrally moulded from a first material and a second material, the second material being a transparent material, the housing comprising an end wall and a side wall, the end wall including an internal end wall surface and an external end surface facing an exterior, and the side wall including an internal side wall surface and an external surrounding side surface, the internal end wall surface and the internal side wall surface forming an inner compartment configured to house an electronic vision device and a light source, wherein the second material forms a part of the end wall so as to provide a vision window and a light emission window in the end wall, and wherein, in the end wall, said second material overlaps at least partially said first material, when viewed from the exterior towards the external end surface, forming an overlap comprising a fusion seam extending from the internal end wall surface to the external end surface.

2 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the second material forms one contiguous part so as to provide both said vision window and said light emission window.

3 . The endoscope of claim 2 , wherein the second material forms one contiguous part providing part of the side wall and part of the end wall.

4 . The endoscope of claim 3 , wherein the overlap is formed as a step between the first material and the second material.

5 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the overlap is formed as a step between the first material and the second material, and wherein the step comprises a first interface extending in parallel with the end surface and a second interface extending from the first interface not in parallel with the end surface.

6 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the overlap is formed as a step between the first material and the second material, wherein the step comprises a first interface extending in parallel with the end surface, and wherein the step comprises a second interface extending essentially at a right angle to said first interface.

7 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein said overlap is arranged at a central part of the end surface, which central part is away from the side wall when viewed from said exterior facing the external end surface.

8 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the light emission window comprises a light guide.

9 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein said second material overlaps a moulding artefact in the first material.

10 - 30 . (canceled)

31 . The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the first material forms one contiguous part so as to provide part of the side wall, part of the end wall, and a plane surface, wherein the second material forms one contiguous part so as to provide both said vision window and said light emission window, part of the side wall, and part of the end wall, and wherein a portion of the second material extends radially from the vision window away from the part of the side wall formed by the second material and overlaps the plane surface to form the overlap.

32 . The endoscope of claim 31 , wherein the fusion seam, measured at an intersection with a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing, is longer than a thickness of the end wall measured adjacent the fusion seam.

33 . The endoscope of claim 31 , wherein the light emission window comprises a light guide extending proximally from the internal end wall surface.

34 . A system comprising a video processing apparatus and the endoscope of claim 31 , wherein the endoscope is connectable to the video processing apparatus.

35 . A system comprising a video processing apparatus and the endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the endoscope is connectable to the video processing apparatus.

36 . A method of manufacturing an endoscope, the method comprising:
injecting a first material, in a molten state of the first material, into a mould through a first gate having an outlet directed to a portion of a cavity configured to form a portion of a side wall of a housing, the first material flowing through the first gate to form the portion of the side wall and a portion of an end wall of the housing; injecting a second material, in a molten state of the second material, into the mould through a second gate having an outlet directed to a portion of a cavity configured to form a portion of the end wall of the housing, the second material being a transparent material and flowing through the second gate to form a portion of the side wall and the portion of the end wall of the housing, wherein the portion of the end wall formed from the second material provides a vision window and a light emission window in the end wall, and wherein, in the end wall, said second material overlaps at least partially said first material, when viewed from an exterior longitudinally towards the end wall, forming an overlap comprising a fusion seam extending from an internal end wall surface to an external end wall surface.

37 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the side wall and the end wall form an inner compartment, further comprising inserting an electronic vision device and a light source into the inner compartment.

Assignees

• Ambu As

Inventors

• Johnsen Lasse Markworth
• Sørensen Morten
• Lundbech Michael René

Classifications

• A61B1/07

  using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres · CPC title

• A61B1/0011

  Manufacturing of endoscope parts · CPC title

• A61B1/00103

  designed for single use · CPC title

• H04N23/555

  for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title