Patents Assigned to Karl Storz SE & Co. KG
  • Patent number: 11517385
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an actuation unit (16) for a medical instrument (10) and to a medical instrument (10) with a shaft (12) which extends between a proximal end (20) and a distal end (22), wherein the instrument (10) is designed at the distal end (22) to receive an end effector (14), an actuation unit (16, 216) which is assigned to the proximal end of the shaft (12), and which has a plurality of drives (50, 52, 54, 56), and with at least two control trains (100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114) which extend through the shaft (12), wherein the at least two control trains (100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114) can be used for controlling at least one degree of freedom of the instrument, in particular for deflecting the end effector (14), wherein the at least two control trains (100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114) comprise a first control train (100, 104, 108, 112) and a second control train (102, 106, 110, 114), and wherein the first control train (100, 104, 108, 112) is coupled to a first carrier
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
    Inventor: Jochen Stefan
  • Publication number: 20220369903
    Abstract: An endoscopic instrument is disclosed that includes an elongate shaft and an instrument insert releasably connected to a distal end portion of the shaft, the distal end portion of the shaft being in the form of a sleeve and a proximal end region of a base of the instrument insert being in the form of a coupling shaft, or the distal end portion of the shaft being in the form of a coupling shaft and a proximal end region of a base of the instrument insert being in the form of a sleeve, with the coupling shaft being releasably held in the sleeve and the sleeve and/or the coupling shaft at least in portions having a cross-sectional profile which is reversibly changeable for detaching the coupling shaft from the sleeve. The invention also relates to a shaft for an endoscopic instrument, and to an instrument insert for an endoscopic instrument.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: KARL STORZ SE & Co KG
    Inventors: Janosz Schneider, Daniel Kärcher, Robin Merz, Sven Schneider, Tobias Unger, Dominik Längle, Judith Holzer
  • Patent number: 11497516
    Abstract: The present application is directed to a medical instrument with a hollow shaft, a handle arranged at the proximal end of the shaft and a tool tip with a tool arranged at the distal end of the shaft, wherein the tool can be actuated via an actuating element mounted in the shaft, the element being in an operative connection with the handle and the tool tip being pivotable relative to the shaft via a joint mechanism, the joint mechanism having pivoting members, wherein inside the hollow shaft at least one guide device is arranged for the steering wires connecting the pivoting members to the drive. In order that the steering wires can be installed easily and without crossing, the at least one guide device is arranged coaxially on the actuating element, and the at least one a guide device is mounted on the actuating element so that it cannot rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Heiner Fauser, Arno Kohli, Sven Grüner
  • Patent number: 11490968
    Abstract: A device includes a memory including instructions, and a processor that executes the instructions to determine, based on eye tracking data, that a clinician gazes at a sub-section of a display for more than a threshold amount of time during a first time period of a medical procedure, where the display displays video of the medical procedure according to a video signal. The processor executes the instructions to identify a block of the video signal that corresponds the first time period, segment a selected frame in the block of the video signal into a plurality of sub-regions, perform further processing on the plurality of sub-regions, and automatically identify an object of interest within the selected frame based on the further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
    Inventor: Kalon Kelley
  • Patent number: 11490791
    Abstract: A positioning system comprising a first working element having a first tubular shaft, a second working element having a second tubular shaft, an arcuate element having a holding element and an arcuate rail, wherein the arcuate rail is disposed on the holding element and the holding element is adapted to be fixed on the receiving section by means of a fastening element, and a guiding element having a holding section and a guiding section, wherein the holding section is guided on the rail and the guiding section receives the second shaft, the holding section having a locking element securing the guiding element to the rail, wherein the locking element in a locking position blocks displacement of the holding section in a transverse direction and in a release position allows displacement of the holding section in the transverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Robin Kielack, Steffen Nann, Michael Sauer
  • Patent number: 11490792
    Abstract: A video endoscope, in particular a video mediastinoscope, comprises an elongate rigid shaft and a handle detachably attached to a proximal end section of the shaft, wherein the shaft comprises an optics shaft comprising an imaging optics and an electronic image sensor, wherein the optics shaft and a plug connector housing arranged at a proximal end of the optics shaft form a hermetically sealed unit enclosing the imaging optics and the image sensor, and wherein the handle comprises a handle housing in which an electronics unit is accommodated, wherein the electronics unit is hermetically sealed. The invention also relates to a method for configuring a video endoscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co KG
    Inventors: Lawrence Geafer, Andreas Heni, Markus Kupferschmid, Daniel Ulmschneider
  • Publication number: 20220330798
    Abstract: A method for supplementing a component (20) of a medical instrument (10) by way of a plastic component comprises the steps of inserting (106) the component (20) of the medical instrument (10) into a casting mold (70) and closing (107) the casting mold (70), a first region (72) of a mold surface of the casting mold (70) being placed against the component (20) and a casting chamber (78) remaining between a second region (74) of the mold surface of the casting mold (70) and the component (20); a step of supplying (108) a liquid plastic to the casting chamber (76); and a step of coupling (111) electromagnetic radiation into the liquid plastic within the casting chamber (76) in order to trigger a solidification of the plastic and in order to form the plastic component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: KARL STORZ SE & Co KG
    Inventors: Lars Hedemann, Andreas Heni, Markus Kupferschmid
  • Publication number: 20220332021
    Abstract: A method for supplementing a shaft tube and an assembly of a medical instrument with a plastic component comprises a step of providing a shaft tube with a distal end; a step of mechanically connecting an assembly to the distal end of the shaft tube by way of a connecting device; a step of inserting the shaft tube with the assembly into a casting mold and closing the casting mold, a predetermined region of the outer surface of the assembly contacting a mold surface of the casting mold; a step of supplying a liquid plastic into the casting mold, the liquid plastic wetting the distal end of the shaft tube and the outer surface of the assembly; and a step of solidifying the liquid plastic, the solidified plastic forming the plastic component and creating a further mechanical connection of the assembly to the end of the shaft tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: KARL STORZ SE & Co KG
    Inventors: Lars Hedemann, Andreas Heni, Markus Kupferschmid
  • Patent number: 11471036
    Abstract: A laryngoscope blade (30) includes a blade proximal end (32), to be articulated to a handle (20), a blade distal end (38), a patient tongue side (34), a patient palate side (36), a plurality of adjacent rigid elements (40, 50, 60, 70) extending from the tongue side to the palate side, a plurality of joints (46, 56, 66) articulately connecting two of the adjacent rigid elements, and a force-transmitting mechanism (80), with a proximal end (82) and a distal end (87). The force-transmitting mechanism distal end is mechanically connected to the blade distal end. The force-transmitting mechanism is movable relative to the rigid elements in a longitudinal direction. The force-transmitting mechanism proximal end is mechanically couplable to the handle such that, by pivoting of the handle relative to the blade proximal end, the force-transmitting mechanism is moved relative to the blade proximal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & CO. KG
    Inventor: Jürg Attinger
  • Patent number: 11428923
    Abstract: A negative lens, for an oblique-view endoscope objective, has a first face with a first optical surface and a second face with a second optical surface opposing the first optical surface, the second optical surface being a concave optical surface, wherein a recess is formed in the second face adjacent to the concave optical surface. An endoscope objective, that includes a deflection prism having an entrance face and further including a negative lens, the negative lens having a first face with a first optical surface and a second face with a second optical surface opposing the first optical surface, the second optical surface being a concave optical surface. The negative lens is mounted on a distal planar surface of the deflection prism such that a rim encompassing the concave optical surface abuts the distal planar surface of the deflection prism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Robin Hegenbarth, Walter Vogel
  • Patent number: 11413113
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a holding device (12) for medical instruments (14) having a proximal base (20) for mounting on a frame (16), said base comprising a first joint (30), having a distal instrument holder (22) which comprises a second joint (32), having at least two sliding elements (52, 54, 58) between the base (20) and the instrument holder (22), and having at least two clamping elements (138, 140, 142, 144) which can be actuated by at least one transfer element (84, 86, 88), which can be operated jointly in a clamped stated and a released state, and which are designed to lock joints of the holding device (12) in the clamped state, wherein the at least two sliding elements (52, 54, 58) form a sliding joint (24) and can be displaced translationally relative to each other along a longitudinal axis (132), and wherein the at least two sliding elements (52, 54, 58) are telescopable relative to each other and coupled non-rotationally with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Florian Huber, Barbara Lettner, Bernhard Glöggler
  • Patent number: 11406440
    Abstract: A medical device equipped for switching the device on and off carries out at least one safety-relevant function in the operating state, using at least one operating parameter with a set target value. In order to ensure a reliable function of the device and not disturb a medical treatment, the device performs a first self-diagnosis following switch-on and before reaching an operating state and performs a second self-diagnosis following switch-off and before terminating the operating state, during which self-diagnoses the same operating parameter of the device is checked in each case for deviation from the target value. The technology also relates to a corresponding method for operating a medical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Axel Stickel, Achim Sauter
  • Patent number: 11406249
    Abstract: An endoscope includes a shaft having a distal end, an optical imaging device at the distal end of the shaft for producing a real image of an object observed by means of the endoscope and at least one of an image transfer device for transmitting the real image and an image sensor for capturing the real image. The imaging device has curved light-refracting interfaces, which are tilted in relation to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignees: KARL STORZ SE & CO. KG, UNIVERSITAT STUTTGART
    Inventors: Harald Gießen, Alois Herkommer, Simon Thiele, Klaus Irion, Werner Göbel, Benjamin Häsler
  • Patent number: 11410310
    Abstract: Apparatus for an automatic identification of medically relevant video elements, the apparatus comprising a data input, configured to receive a data stream of image slices, wherein the data stream of image slices represents a temporal course of a view of image slices defined by a masking strip of video images from a video which has been recorded during a medical surgery on a patient an analysis apparatus configured to analyze the data stream of image slices via an analysis comprising at least one predefined analysis step for the presence of at least one sought-for feature and to output a result of the presence, and a processing device configured to output a start mark which indicates a correspondence between the presence and a position in the data stream of image slices if the result indicates the presence of the sought-for feature. Also, a corresponding method is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christoph Hiltl, Heinz-Werner Stiller, Nader Hassanzadeh, Mélissa Wiemuth, Frank Stock, Lars Mündermann, Bernd Münzer
  • Patent number: D961074
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Marian Pfeffer, Ann-Kathrin Huber, Daniel Kaercher, Regis Besse, Yann Thouement
  • Patent number: D962431
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Uwe Wittke, Philip Lips
  • Patent number: D965779
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Kay Behrendt, Andreas Schmal, Daniel Müllenmeister, Theo Wolf
  • Patent number: D966509
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Kay Behrendt, Theo Wolf, Daniel Müllenmeister
  • Patent number: D966513
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Marian Pfeffer, Ann-Kathrin Huber, Daniel Kaercher, Regis Besse, Yann Thouement
  • Patent number: D969585
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Elena Rimmele, Michael Strobel