Patents Assigned to EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbH
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Patent number: 11185316Abstract: A medical net-and-loop type retrieval instrument has a distal loop and a retrieval net held on the loop by way of a net holding portion that is firmly held in the interior of the cross section of the loop. The medical net-and-loop type retrieval instrument is suitable for use in medical endoscopy.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2017Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Patent number: 10946173Abstract: A hand-operated functional hose instrument has a hose-like functional part and a wire-like functional part which extends in the hose-like functional part. An operating unit, which is designed for releasable coupling to an operator control handle body, is arranged at a proximal end section of the functional parts and includes two operating parts, which are axially relatively movable and have a hose fixing arrangement or a wire fixing arrangement. The first operating part is axially fixed to the operator control handle body, and the second operating part has a finger-operated operator control slide element.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2017Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Patent number: 9895159Abstract: A multiwire unit having a plurality of wire sections which are formed in one piece from a tubular piece whose tubular jacket is subdivided in at least an axial subsection by a plurality of axial slots. The wire pieces remain interlinked at a front end section at a distance to a front tube face, and assume a bent functional state downstream of the wire linking area in a defined functional state of the multiwire unit. The front wire linking area, in the functional state of the multiwire unit, is shaped to an essentially tipless front end closure. For this purpose, the axial slots end at an appropriate small axial distance to the front tube face. The multiwire unit may be formed as, for example, a wire basket unit or a wire filter unit for medical instruments.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2005Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Patent number: 9174022Abstract: A medical catheter instrument has a shaft portion, a distal portion bendable in a controlled manner in at least one direction relative to the shaft portion, and a control element extending in an axially movable manner through the shaft portion to the distal portion. The axial movement of the control element controls a corresponding bending movement of the distal portion. The catheter instrument includes a bending assembly having at least one elongated, elastically bendable stiffening element and at least one elongated, bendable and axially length-adjustable bending element, the elements being provided in an axial sub-region of the distal portion and extending therein with an axial main component, wherein the stiffening element forms an element restoring bending movement and has a higher flexural stiffness than the bending element, and the bending element is coupled to the control element or forms part of the same.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2010Date of Patent: November 3, 2015Assignee: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Patent number: 8852203Abstract: A multi-wire instrument has a distal functional section, in which a plurality of individual wires form a wire basket, wherein they are combined at a distal end and connected to one another by being joined directly to one another or to a distal terminating body while forming a respective predetermined breaking connection. A shaft section extends between the distal functional section and a proximal end region of the multi-wire instrument. The individual wires extend in one piece from their distal end to the proximal end region of the multi-wire instrument and the shaft section is formed by the individual wires, which are combined there and held together.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2007Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Patent number: 8562624Abstract: A stone catching instrument for use, for example, as a stone catching basket and a wire filter unit for medical instruments, and method for producing the same, are provided. The stone catching basket instrument has a multiwire basket unit with several wire sections connected with one another as a cohesive wire complex, the wire complex cut in one piece out of a planar material in a rosette-shape and bent to form the wire basket unit. The wire sections extend essentially radially and are cohesive with one another at their inner radial ends at a wire linkage area. The wire basket unit when in a widened condition is arranged to catch particles caught through spaces between the wire sections, and when moved to a drawn-together condition, holds particles in the wire basket unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2008Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Patent number: 8540648Abstract: A guide wire for a medical instrument, such as an endoscope, has a marking pattern, which extends at least across part of the axial length of the guide wire and includes markings of different marking types that can be sensed. On the guide wire, markings of first and second marking types are formed by marking surfaces, of which the marking surfaces of at least the first marking type each extend across only part of the circumferential surface of the guide wire and across only part of the axial length of the marking pattern, and in the axial direction of the guide wire follow each other at a distance by at least one interposed marking surface of the second marking type. At least one longitudinal marking strip is formed as a marking of a third marking type, which extends continuously across the axial length of the marking pattern.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2008Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Patent number: 8292828Abstract: The invention relates to a guide wire for a medical instrument, which has a guide wire core (2) and a sheathing (3) that surrounds the guide wire core at least in sections. According to the invention, the sheathing (3), at least in a shaft section (5) joined to an end section (4), is provided with a rigidity greater than that of the guide wire core. The invention is for use, e.g. in medical instruments for magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) suitable applications.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2006Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Patent number: 8128598Abstract: A pressure connection device for a guidewire unit that is operated with a pressure medium is provided. A return valve is mounted in the interior of a tube end section of a pressure medium tube of the guidewire unit, the return valve opening for introducing the pressure medium into the pressure medium tube and closing in order to prevent the pressure medium from escaping from the pressure medium tube, and/or a connecting body accommodates the tube end section of the pressure medium tube and has a pressure medium-controlled tube holding element which secures the tube end section to the connecting body in a fluid-tight manner when impinged upon with pressure and, in a pressure-relieved state, releases it so it can be detached from the connecting body.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2007Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Publication number: 20110040282Abstract: A tube that can be stiffened in a controlled manner has a pressure channel for controllable production of a stiffening overpressure by introduction of a pressure medium. The tube has several flexible stiffening elements, of which at least one is stable with respect to tensile force and which are pressed onto one another when acted upon by the stiffening overpressure with the result that the tube is changed from a more flexible state to a more flexurally stiff state. A channel is separate from the pressure channel and, in the stiffened state of the tube, forms a working channel whose course corresponds to the tube shape.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2007Publication date: February 17, 2011Applicant: EPFLEX FEINWERKTECHNIK GMBHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Publication number: 20110021951Abstract: A guide wire for a medical instrument, such as an endoscope, has a marking pattern, which extends at least across part of the axial length of the guide wire and includes markings of different marking types that can be sensed. On the guide wire, markings of first and second marking types are formed by marking surfaces, of which the marking surfaces of at least the first marking type each extend across only part of the circumferential surface of the guide wire and across only part of the axial length of the marking pattern, and in the axial direction of the guide wire follow each other at a distance by at least one interposed marking surface of the second marking type. At least one longitudinal marking strip is formed as a marking of a third marking type, which extends continuously across the axial length of the marking pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2008Publication date: January 27, 2011Applicant: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Publication number: 20100168758Abstract: A multi-wire instrument has a distal functional section, in which a plurality of individual wires form a wire basket, wherein they are combined at a distal end and connected to one another by being joined directly to one another or to a distal terminating body while forming a respective predetermined breaking connection. A shaft section extends between the distal functional section and a proximal end region of the multi-wire instrument. The individual wires extend in one piece from their distal end to the proximal end region of the multi-wire instrument and the shaft section is formed by the individual wires, which are combined there and held together.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2007Publication date: July 1, 2010Applicant: EPFLEX FEINWERKTECHNIK GMBHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Publication number: 20100069794Abstract: A guide wire includes a core which extends from a proximal to a distal end of the guide wire. The core is designed as a single part or from multiple longitudinal sections adjoining one another, and includes a distal cladding which surrounds the core in a distal section and is made from a polyurethane material or another soft-flexible plastic material. The core, in a section adjoining the distal section which is surrounded by the soft-flexible distal cladding, is unclad or is surrounded by a connection cladding which is stiffer than the distal cladding and is in the form of a helical spring or in the form of a tube, made of polytetrafluoroethylene or another plastic material with a similar stiffness, which contacts and surrounds the core, with the tube having an enlargement at its distal end, by which it surrounds a diameter-reduced proximal end region of the distal cladding and terminates, substantially flush in terms of the external diameter, on an annular shoulder of the distal cladding.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2007Publication date: March 18, 2010Applicant: EPFLEX FEINWERKTECHNIK GMBHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Publication number: 20090163873Abstract: A pressure connection device for a guidewire unit that is operated with a pressure medium is provided. A return valve is mounted in the interior of a distal tube section of a pressure medium tube of the guidewire unit, the return valve opening for introducing the pressure medium into the pressure medium tube and closing in order to prevent the pressure medium from escaping from the pressure medium tube, and/or a connecting body accommodates the distal tube section of the pressure medium tube and has a pressure medium-controlled tube holding element which secures the distal tube section to the connecting body in a fluid-tight manner when impinged upon with pressure and, in a pressure-relieved state, releases it so it can be detached from the connecting body.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2007Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: Epflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Publication number: 20080312597Abstract: The invention relates to a guide wire for a medical instrument, which has a guide wire core (2) and a sheathing (3) that surrounds the guide wire core at least in sections. According to the invention, the sheathing (3), at least in a shaft section (5) joined to an end section (4), is provided with a rigidity greater than that of the guide wire core. The invention is for use, e.g. in medical instruments for magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) suitable applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2006Publication date: December 18, 2008Applicant: EPFLEX FEINWERKTECHNIK GMBHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Publication number: 20080311318Abstract: A multiwire unit having a plurality of wire sections which are formed in one piece from a tubular piece whose tubular jacket is subdivided in at least an axial subsection by a plurality of axial slots. The wire pieces remain interlinked at a front end section at a distance to a front tube face, and assume a bent functional state downstream of the wire linking area in a defined functional state of the multiwire unit. The front wire linking area, in the functional state of the multiwire unit, is shaped to an essentially tipless front end closure. For this purpose, the axial slots end at an appropriate small axial distance to the front tube face. The multiwire unit may be formed as, for example, a wire basket unit or a wire filter unit for medical instruments.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2005Publication date: December 18, 2008Applicant: Epflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard Uihlein
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Publication number: 20080208211Abstract: A stone catching instrument for use, for example, as a stone catching basket and a wire filter unit for medical instruments, and method for producing the same, are provided. The stone catching basket instrument has a multiwire basket unit with several wire sections connected with one another as a cohesive wire complex, the wire complex cut in one piece out of a planar material in a rosette-shape and bent to form the wire basket unit. The wire sections extend essentially radially and are cohesive with one another at their inner radial ends at a wire linkage area. The wire basket unit when in a widened condition is arranged to catch particles caught through spaces between the wire sections, and when moved to a drawn-together condition, holds particles in the wire basket unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2008Publication date: August 28, 2008Applicant: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventor: Bernhard UIHLEIN
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Patent number: 5656011Abstract: In an endoscope tube system, an elastically bendable section is constructed of individual members spaced with respect to one another. A stabilizing spring band and a tension spring band are provided. The spring bands extend in a mutually opposite manner axially along the circumferential area of the individual members and at least one of the bands have a natural curvature which is opposite to the bending direction of the bendable section. The individual members are fixed on the stabilizing spring band, while the tension spring band is only connected with the most forward individual member. This construction of the bendable section requires no tension cables and is therefore operationally reliable, easy to take apart, and easy to clean.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 1995Date of Patent: August 12, 1997Assignee: EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbHInventors: Bernhard Uihlein, Andreas Melzer