Autoclavable antireflective coatings for endoscopy windows and related methods

1 . An optical window for use within an endoscope, comprise:

a substrate sized to be coupled to the endoscope and defining a first surface and at least a second surface; and

at least one coating applied to at least one of the first surface and second surface.

2 . The optical window of claim 1 wherein the substrate is manufactured from sapphire.

3 . The optical window of claim 1 wherein the substrate is manufactured from at least one material selected from the group consisting of doped-sapphire, Al 2 O 3 , fused silica, glass, composite materials, and silica.

4 . The optical window of claim 1 wherein a coating applied to the substrate comprises Hafnium Oxide.

5 . The optical window of claim 1 wherein a coating applied to the substrate comprises Silicon Dioxide.

6 . The optical window of claim 1 wherein a coating applied to the substrate comprises Aluminum Oxide.

7 . The optical window of claim 1 wherein a coating applied to the substrate comprises Tantulum Pentoxide.

8 . The optical window of claim 1 wherein a coating applied to the substrate is selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, aluminum, tantalum, hafnium, zirconium, anti-reflective coatings, bandpass filter coatings, wavelength selective coatings, and protective overcoats.

9 . An endoscope window configured to withstand multiple autoclaving processes, comprising:

a sapphire substrate sized to coupled to an endoscopy handpiece and defining a first surface and at least a second surface;

at least one first surface coating layer applied to the first surface; and

at least one second surface coating applied to the second surface.

10 . The device of claim 9 wherein the first surface coating and second surface coating are the same.

11 . The device of claim 9 wherein the first surface coating and second surface coating are different.

12 . The device of claim 9 wherein the at least one of the first surface coating and second surface coating comprises Hafnium Oxide.

13 . The device of claim 9 wherein the at least one of the first surface coating and second surface coating comprises Silicon Oxide.

14 . The device of claim 9 wherein the at least one of the first surface coating and second surface coating comprises Aluminum Oxide.

15 . The device of claim 9 wherein the at least one of the first surface coating and second surface coating comprises Tantulum Pentoxide.

16 . The device of claim 9 wherein the at least one of the first surface coating and second surface coating is selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, aluminum, tantalum, hafnium, zirconium, anti-reflective coatings, bandpass filter coatings, wavelength selective coatings, and protective overcoats.

17 . A method of producing a coated endoscope window configured to withstand multiple autoclaving processes, comprising:

positioning one or more endoscope window substrates within an evacuatable coating vessel;

inserting at least one coating material into at least one containment structure positioned located within the coating vessel;

evacuating the containment vessel to a about pressure of about 3×10−6 mbar or less;

activating one or more intense electron beams into the containment structure

vaporizing the coating material at about room temperature or greater with the electron beam; and

depositing the vaporized coating material onto the one or more endoscope windows.

18 . A method of producing a coated endoscope window configured to withstand multiple autoclaving processes, comprising:

positioning one or more endoscope window substrates within an evacuatable coating vessel having one or more coating material located therein;

inserting at least one coating material into at least one containment structure positioned located within the coating vessel; and

depositing the vaporized coating material onto the one or more endoscope windows at room temperature using an ion plating process.