# US 12,108,933 B2 · Cover for endoscope distal end part and endoscope > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,108,933 B2 - Document ID: US12108933B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/042,876 - Filed: 2019-03-20 - Published: 2021-01-21 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-30 - Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Miho Yamada; Kiyoshi Minoura; Tokio Taguchi; Yasuhiro Shibai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12108933B2 ## CPC - A61B 1/00096: {Optical elements} - A61B 1/00137: {End pieces at either end of the endoscope, e.g. caps, seals or forceps plugs} - A61B 1/00089: {Hoods} - G02B 1/118: having sub-optical wavelength surface structures designed to provide an enhanced transmittance, e.g. moth-eye structures - G02B 1/18: Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films (G02B1/16 takes precedence) - G02B 23/2423: {of the distal end} - G02B 23/26: using light guides {(for illumination G02B23/2469)} - A61B 1/00142: {with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An endoscope distal end cover (10) is a cover for protecting a distal end (20t) of an endoscope (20) which has an observation window at the distal end, including: a synthetic polymer film (13) which is to be located over the observation window (32) when the endoscope distal end cover is attached to the distal end of the endoscope, wherein the synthetic polymer film has a surface which includes a plurality of raised portions, when viewed in a normal direction of the synthetic polymer film, a two-dimensional size of the plurality of raised portions is in the range of more than 20 nm and less than 500 nm, and a static contact angle of water with respect to the surface is not less than 150°, and a static contact angle of hexadecane with respect to the surface is not less than 60°. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An endoscope distal end cover for protecting a distal end of an endoscope which has an observation window at the distal end, comprising: a synthetic polymer film which is to be located over the observation window when the endoscope distal end cover is attached to the distal end of the endoscope, wherein the synthetic polymer film has a surface which includes a plurality of raised portions on a side opposite to the endoscope, when viewed in a normal direction of the synthetic polymer film, a two-dimensional size of the plurality of raised portions is in the range of more than 20 nm and less than 500 nm, and a static contact angle of water with respect to the surface is not less than 150°, and a static contact angle of hexadecane with respect to the surface is not less than 60°, wherein the synthetic polymer film is formed from a photocurable resin, the photocurable resin contains a first polymerizable fluoric compound which contains a fluorine element, the first polymerizable fluoric compound has a plurality of polymerizable functional groups and has a molecular weight of not less than 1000 and not more than 5000, and at the lapse of 5 minutes since placing a 200 μL drop of water on the surface of the synthetic polymer film, a pH of an aqueous solution is not less than 6.5 and not more than 7.5. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 1, further comprising: a base film located on the endoscope side of the synthetic polymer film when the endoscope distal end cover is attached to the distal end of the endoscope; and a cover member located on the endoscope side of the base film when the endoscope distal end cover is attached to the distal end of the endoscope, wherein the synthetic polymer film and the base film are located only over an end face of the distal end, and the cover member has a greater tensile elongation than the base film and is also located on a lateral surface of the distal end. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 2, wherein the tensile elongation of the cover member is not less than 100%. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 2, wherein the cover member is a film whose thickness is not more than 500 μm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 2, further comprising a securing member which includes a cylindrical attaching member capable of pressing the cover member against the lateral surface of the distal end when the endoscope distal end cover is attached to the distal end of the endoscope. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 2, wherein the cover member includes a cylindrical attaching member which covers the lateral surface of the distal end when the endoscope distal end cover is attached to the distal end of the endoscope. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 2, wherein the cover member is made of an elastomer whose visible light transmittance is not less than 80%. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 2, further comprising a second synthetic polymer film located on the endoscope side of the cover member when the endoscope distal end cover is attached to the distal end of the endoscope, wherein the second synthetic polymer film has a surface which includes a second plurality of raised portions on the endoscope side, when viewed in a normal direction of the second synthetic polymer film, a two-dimensional size of the second plurality of raised portions of the second synthetic polymer film is in the range of more than 20 nm and less than 500 nm, and a static contact angle of water with respect to the surface of the second synthetic polymer film is not less than 150°, and a static contact angle of hexadecane with respect to the surface of the second synthetic polymer film is not less than 60°. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 8, wherein an air layer is formed between the second synthetic polymer film and the endoscope when the endoscope distal end cover is attached to the distal end of the endoscope. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 2, wherein the photocurable resin contains a photopolymerization initiator, and the photopolymerization initiator contains at least one of the group consisting of ethanone, 1-[9-ethyl-6-(2-methylbenzoyl)-9H-carbazole-3-yl]-, 1-(O-acetyloxime), 2-hydroxy-1-{4-[4-(2-hydroxy-2-methyl-propionyl)-benzyl]phenyl}-2-methyl-propan-1-one, and 1-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-phenyl]-2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-propane-1-one. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 1, wherein the photocurable resin further contains a second polymerizable fluoric compound which contains the fluorine element, and the second polymerizable fluoric compound is a monofunctional polymerizable compound and has a molecular weight of not less than 100 and not more than 1000. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 1, wherein a proportion of the first polymerizable fluoric compound to the photocurable resin is not less than 1 mass % and not more than 5 mass %. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) An endoscope comprising the endoscope distal end cover as set forth in claim 1, the endoscope distal end cover being attached to the endoscope. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The endoscope distal end cover of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the endoscope distal end cover is transparent, the portion being to be located over the observation window when the endoscope distal end cover is attached to the distal end of the endoscope.