Abstract: Electromagnetic actuators (10) are used, for example, to focus a lens in an endoscope (10). Actuators (10) of the generic type are very small. Even the smallest, manufacturing-related variations in the dimensioning of the permanent magnets (20, 21) of the actuator (10) have a negative effect on the field pattern of the magnets (20, 21) and thus on the switching behavior of the actuator (10). The invention creates an actuator (10) which can be switched particularly reliably. This is achieved by arranging the permanent magnets (20, 21) in such a way that a magnetic south pole (25) of the one permanent magnet (20, 21) faces a magnetic north pole (24) of the other permanent magnet (20, 21).

Abstract: An endoscope including: an endoscope shaft having an outer tube and an inner tube rotatable relative to each other, the outer tube radially surrounding the inner tube; a first optical assembly disposed in a distal region of the endoscope shaft and being accommodated in and/or operated by the outer tube; a second optical assembly disposed in the distal region and being accommodated in the inner tube; an axial bearing arranged between the outer tube and the inner tube in a proximal region of the endoscope shaft wherein the axial bearing includes an outer ring associated with the outer tube and an inner ring associated with the inner tube; and a fixing device for the axial bearing, the fixing device including a first elastomer body provided for the outer ring of the axial bearing and/or a second elastomer body provided for the inner ring of the axial bearing.

Abstract: An actuator for a surgical instrument. The actuator including: a sliding tube; and a rotor arranged in said sliding tube; wherein the sliding tube has at one end a receiving cavity for a rotor positioning key, the receiving cavity being configured such that after the rotor positioning key has been positioned in the receiving cavity, and after the rotor positioning key has been twisted in the receiving cavity, the rotor positioning key is releasably locked.

Abstract: An endoscope having a distal electrical feed-through, the endoscope including: an endoscope shaft having a distal objective unit comprising an electromagnetic actuator and a distal optical assembly that can be shifted in a longitudinal direction by actuation of the actuator, the endoscope shaft having a proximal unit having a proximal optical assembly arranged after the distal optical assembly in the direction of incident light, the objective unit is rotatable relative to the proximal unit about a longitudinal axis during assembly of the endoscope and is fixed rotationally relative to the proximal unit after assembly; and a cable for supplying current to the actuator, the cable being fed from the proximal unit to the objective unit, the cable having an excess length at a transition from the proximal unit to the objective unit, such excess length being at least half of the outer circumference of the objective unit.

Abstract: A video endoscope including: an outer casing tube; an inner casing tube disposed within the outer casing tube; a fiber tube disposed between the outer and inner casing tubes, an image-forming unit being accommodated in the inner casing tube; and a heating film provided between the fiber tube and the inner casing tube.

Abstract: A sideways viewing endoscope including: a proximal handle, an endoscope shaft having outer and inner tubes, and first and second optical component assemblies arranged in a distal region of the endoscope shaft, the optical components assemblies can be rotated with respect to one another about a longitudinal axis of the endoscope shaft and are mounted against each other by an axial bearing that is disposed between the optical component assemblies and pretensioned by a pretensioning device; wherein the first optical component assembly is distally connected to the outer tube and comprises optical windows, prisms and/or lenses having a sideways viewing direction and the second optical component assembly is distally connected to the inner tube and comprises an image sensor having a straight-ahead viewing direction oriented in the direction of the longitudinal axis; and the pretensioning device is disposed in the distal region of the endoscope shaft at the axial bearing.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator for a medical instrument including: a stator; and a movable element, at least partly composed of a paramagnetic and/or a ferromagnetic material, and which can be reversibly moved from a first to a second position by the application of a switchable magnetic field, wherein the stator and the movable element have annular distal and proximal pole shoes corresponding to each other, wherein the distal pole shoes and/or the proximal pole shoes of the stator and the movable element are aligned with each other in an overlapping manner in the first and/or the second position, and the distal pole shoes and/or the proximal pole shoes of the stator and the movable element have a structure in the circumferential direction on the surfaces of pole shoes facing each other, with the structures corresponding to each other.

Abstract: A bistable electromagnetic actuator including: a tube; a stator arranged outside of the tube; and a rotor mounted in the tube so as to be displaceable along the longitudinal axis, the rotor at least partially comprises one or more of a paramagnetic and a ferromagnetic material and can be reversibly displaced between a first position and a second position by applying an electromagnetic field; wherein the stator comprises two ring permanent magnets, a coil for producing the electromagnetic field, and a back-iron element having two stator pole shoes; and the two ring permanent magnets comprise hard magnetic particles that are embedded in a plastic matrix.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrical connection piece for a video endoscope having a hermetically closed video unit in a shaft of the endoscope, a video endoscope, and a method for producing an electrical connection in a video endoscope. The electrical connection piece according to the invention includes an at least partially flexible printed circuit board having conductive tracks, wherein the printed circuit board has a base surface with openings for contact pins of a hermetic feedthrough, and a flexible first arm and a flexible second arm that branch off in different, in particular opposite, directions from the base surface, wherein the first arm and the second arm each have a flat end surface at the respective ends facing away from the base surface, wherein the conductive tracks extend between the openings on the base surface and electrical contacting surfaces in the end surfaces.

Abstract: An electrical connection piece including: a flexible circuit board having: a central section penetrated by contact openings arranged mirror-symmetrically; a first and second arm, each of the first and second arms extending in different directions away from the central section, the end of the first arm having a first end surface, the end of the second arm having a second end surface, the end of the first arm having a third end surface opposing the first end surface and end of the second arm having a fourth end surface opposing the second end surface; first strip conductors extending between the contact openings and first electrical contacting surfaces; and second strip conductors extending between the contact openings and second electrical contacting surfaces; wherein the first electrical contacting surfaces have a contact configuration different from a contact configuration of the second electrical contacting surfaces.

Abstract: An imaging unit including: a guide tube having an inner lateral surface extending in a longitudinal direction of the guide tube, the inner lateral surface defining an inner chamber; a lens tube having an outer lateral surface extending in a longitudinal direction of the lens tube, the lens tube being at least sectionally accommodated within the inner chamber of the guide tube; and at least one optical element which is accommodated in the lens tube; wherein the lens tube comprises a plurality of bars disposed on the outer lateral surface, each of the plurality of bars interacting with a corresponding one of a plurality of grooves recessed in the inner lateral surface of the guide tube.

Abstract: An endoscope having a viewing direction aligned obliquely with respect to a longitudinal axis, the endoscope including: a shaft with a cladding tube and a fiber tube arranged therein; an object lens arranged in the shaft; and a prism module arranged in the shaft for deflecting the beam path, wherein the prism module is arranged eccentrically with respect to the object lens.

Abstract: An electrical connection piece including: a flexible circuit board having: a central section penetrated by contact openings arranged mirror-symmetrically; a first and second arm, each of the first and second arms extending in different directions away from the central section, the end of the first arm having a first end surface, the end of the second arm having a second end surface, the end of the first arm having a third end surface opposing the first end surface and end of the second arm having a fourth end surface opposing the second end surface; first strip conductors extending between the contact openings and first electrical contacting surfaces; and second strip conductors extending between the contact openings and second electrical contacting surfaces; wherein the first electrical contacting surfaces have a contact configuration different from a contact configuration of the second electrical contacting surfaces.

Abstract: A surgical instrument having: a wall; an electrically insulating substrate; an electrical connection, wherein at least a portion of the electrical connection is applied on an exterior surface of the electrically insulating substrate; an insulating layer applied on the portion of the electrical connection; and a hermetic connection layer applied to the insulating layer, wherein the hermetic connection layer is hermetically connected to the wall to separate a hermetic chamber from an outer area.

Abstract: An endoscope optic including: an outer tube having an opening at an end face in an end region of the outer tube, a fiber tube disposed in the opening, the fiber tube containing an objective lens, and a fiber bundle for illuminating a region in front of the objective lens, the fiber bundle being provided at an outer periphery of the objective lens, wherein a distal end region of the fiber bundle being arranged in a distal aperture in the fiber tube, the aperture being surrounded by material of the fiber tube.

Abstract: A flexible printed circuit board for use in a video endoscope is provided. The flexible printed circuit board including: a body extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end, the body having two end sections provided at the first end, the two end sections being spatially separate from each other relative to the longitudinal axis and each of the two end sections being configured to be connected to an imaging apparatus. A video endoscope having a flexible printed circuit board is also provided, where the first end of the flexible printed circuit board is arranged in the distal region of the video endoscope.

Abstract: A video endoscope including: a shank; an image-recording device arranged in a distal region of the shank; a flexible circuit board electrically connected to an image-recording device; and a cooling element; wherein the flexible circuit board rests on the cooling element and at least portions of an exterior of the cooling element fit an inner contour of the shank in a stress-free manner

Abstract: A video endoscope including: an endoscope shaft; an optical assembly provided in a distal region of the endoscope shaft, the optical assembly being mounted in the endoscope shaft by a mounting; and one or more reversibly deformable bending actuators operatively connected to the mounting such that the one or more bending actuators move the optical assembly relative to the endoscope shaft.

Abstract: A bistable electromagnetic actuator including: a tube; a stator arranged outside of the tube; and a rotor mounted in the tube so as to be displaceable along the longitudinal axis, the rotor at least partially comprises one or more of a paramagnetic and a ferromagnetic material and can be reversibly displaced between a first position and a second position by applying an electromagnetic field; wherein the stator comprises two o ring permanent magnets, a coil for producing the electromagnetic field, and a back-iron element having two stator pole shoes; and the two ring permanent magnets comprise hard magnetic particles that are embedded in a plastic matrix.

Abstract: An endoscope having a distal electrical feed-through, the endoscope including: an endoscope shaft having a distal objective unit comprising an electromagnetic actuator and a distal optical assembly that can be shifted in a longitudinal direction by actuation of the actuator, the endoscope shaft having a proximal unit having a proximal optical assembly arranged after the distal optical assembly in the direction of incident light, the objective unit is rotatable relative to the proximal unit about a longitudinal axis during assembly of the endoscope and is fixed rotationally relative to the proximal unit after assembly; and a cable for supplying current to the actuator, the cable being fed from the proximal unit to the objective unit, the cable having an excess length at a transition from the proximal unit to the objective unit, such excess length being at least half of the outer circumference of the objective unit.