Tip housing for an endoscope with a coated wall surface
A method for manufacturing an endoscope having a tip housing may comprise the steps of moulding at least one tip housing for an endoscope by injection moulding or by multi shot injection moulding. Each tip housing may comprise an integrally formed wall defining an interior cavity and a proximal opening providing access to the interior cavity. The wall may comprise a longitudinally extending side wall portion, a distal end wall portion, and a window portion. The window portion may consist essentially of a transparent first material and form part of the side wall portion and/or the distal end wall portion. The wall may further comprise a wall surface facing the exterior of the tip housing and having a window surface of the window portion and a distally facing end surface of the distal end wall portion. The method may further comprise positioning the at least one tip housing in a treatment chamber; and applying, in the treatment chamber, a treatment formulation to provide a coating on at least the wall surface.
1 . A method for manufacturing endoscopes, the method comprising:
injection moulding tip housings in a two-component injection polymer moulding process, each of the tip housings being molded from polymers, the two component injection molding process comprising injection moulding a first component comprising a first material and subsequently injection molding a second component comprising a second material, the second component forming a liquid tight border with the first component to form the tip housing, the first material being transparent and the second material being opaque, each of the tip housings comprising an interior cavity and a proximal opening providing access to the interior cavity,
the second component comprising:
a longitudinally extending side wall portion, and
a distal end wall portion, and the first component comprising:
a window portion bonded to the side wall portion and/or the distal end wall portion, the window portion having a window surface including a camera window surface and an illumination window surface, the distal end wall portion and the window portion forming a distally facing end surface;
placing the tip housings in holes of a jig having a treatment side and a mandrel in each of the holes, each of the mandrels positioned in the interior cavity of each of the tip housings after the tip housings are placed in the holes, and each of the distally facing end surfaces being exposed on the treatment side of the jig;
covering the illumination window surfaces with a first mask configured to expose the camera window surfaces; and
coating the camera window surfaces with a first treatment formulation.
2 . A method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:
before covering the illumination window surfaces with the first mask or after coating the camera window surfaces with the first treatment formulation, covering the camera window surfaces with a second mask configured to expose the illumination window surfaces; and
coating the illumination window surfaces with a second treatment formulation.
3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein coating the camera window surfaces comprise placing the jig in a treatment chamber of a vapor deposition device, and wherein coating the camera window surfaces with the first treatment formulation comprises applying, by vapor deposition, the first treatment formulation.
4 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the tip housings comprises a tip working channel portion, and wherein the mandrels are positioned in the tip working channel portions.
5 . A method according to claim 4 , wherein a mandrel sealing element is arranged together with each of the mandrels to seal the first mandrels against the tip housings.
6 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the injection moulding of the tip housings is performed in a mould, and the method further comprises:
automatically removing the tip housings from the mould by a first automation device, and
automatically placing the tip housings, after said removing and by a second automation device, in the holes of the jig by a second automation device.
7 . A method according to claim 6 , wherein the first automation device is the same as the second automation device.
8 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein, for each of the tip housings, the camera window surface is configured to be positioned in front of a camera of the endoscope, and the illumination window surface is configured to be positioned in front of a light source of the endoscope.
9 . A method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
positioning a third screen to cover at least the window surfaces prior to said coating to prevent the window surfaces from being coated; and
applying, in the treatment chamber, a third treatment formulation, to provide a coating on the wall surfaces.
10 . A method according to claim 9 , wherein each of the tip housings comprises a tip working channel portion having a distal entrance at the distal end wall portion of the tip housing, the method further comprising:
positioning a fourth screen to cover at least the distal entrances of the tip working channel portions to prevent coating of the tip working channel portions.
11 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
inserting, in each of the tip housings, a camera proximally of and longitudinally aligned with the camera window surface and a light source proximally of and longitudinally aligned with the illumination window surface;
attaching each of the tip housings to respective insertion cords of the endoscopes; and
packaging each of the endoscopes in respective sterilized packagings.
12 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein the second treatment formulation is the same as the first treatment formulation.
13 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the tip housings comprises a tip working channel portion, and wherein the jig comprises, in each of the holes, a second mandrel, each of the mandrels positioned in a respective camera cavity of the tip housing and each of the second mandrels positioned in a respective tip working channel portion of the tip housing.