Abstract: A steering mechanism for a surgical instrument having a shaft. The steering mechanism is disposed on the shaft and the shaft includes a bending mechanism. The steering mechanism has two motor-driven drives configured to spatially align a swash plate which controls the distal bending mechanism. The first drive has a first drive shaft driven by a first motor and is operatively connected to a first traction pulley of a first drive wheel via a first traction mechanism. The second drive has a second drive shaft driven by a second motor and is operatively connected to a second traction pulley of a second drive wheel via a second traction mechanism. The first and second drive wheels each a bevel wheel rim, wherein the swash plate is located between the two drive wheels, and the bevel wheel rims being positioned facing each other on the axis of rotation.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment relates to an input unit (10) for operating a medical instrument (12) with a hollow shaft (14) extending along a longitudinal axis (L) for receiving guide wires (20), with a tool (16) arranged on the distal side of the shaft (14), extending along an extension axis (E) and a control unit (18) arranged proximally on the shaft (14) for handling the tool (16) by means of the guide wires (20), comprising first input means (22) for continuous, pivoting and rotation-true, preferably uninterrupted and/or absolute, conversion of an ergonomically limited user input, in particular a natural user movement of movable first operating means, into an adjustment movement of the tool (16) in a first handling mode, in order to pivot the tool (16) by means of the control unit (18) relative to the longitudinal axis (L) in a limited way and/or to rotate about the extension axis (E) in a limited way.

Abstract: A deflection control mechanism for a steerable flexible endoscope, the endoscope having an elongate flexible shaft comprising a steerable section that is deflectable by movement of at least one elongate control element, comprises a support structure, a drive wheel rotatably supported in or on the support structure, and a hand wheel rotationally coupled to the drive wheel, wherein the deflection control mechanism includes a brake stator element rotationally coupled to the support structure and a brake rotor element rotationally coupled to the drive wheel, and wherein a first one of the brake stator and brake rotor elements comprises an elastically deformable lip and the other one of the brake stator and brake rotor elements comprises a friction surface, the elastically deformable lip being arranged for being pressed against the friction surface by axial displacement of the brake stator element relative to the brake rotor element.

Abstract: An elongated shaft for a medical instrument includes an end section that is angled relative to a longitudinal central axis of the shaft by means of a joint mechanism, and a tool is arranged on the end section which can be angled. Multiple guiding elements are guided through the interior of the shaft in the longitudinal direction and connects a drive to the joint mechanism. The shaft has an outer tube or an inner tube and an elongated profiled guide between the outer tube for guiding the guiding elements. The profiled guide includes a first contact point for contacting the outer tube or the inner tube such that a guide channel or multiple guide channels is/are formed in the longitudinal direction between the outer tube and the profiled guide or between the profiled guide and the inner tube for guiding a guiding element or multiple guiding elements.

Abstract: A method for producing a laryngoscope blade and a laryngoscope blade including a base blade and a tube which is arranged at least in part on an outer face of the base blade, extends approximately in a longitudinal direction of the base blade and is firmly connected to the base blade, wherein the tube, at its side facing toward the base blade, has at least in part a longitudinally extending corrugation which, with the outer face of the base blade, forms a longitudinally extending cavity, wherein the tube is connected to the base blade by a respective soldering seam in the lateral edge regions of the corrugation.

Abstract: The invention concerns an optical system, and a video endoscope therefor, with at least one electronic active pixel image sensor with a progressive offset micro-lens array, and a lens system with a plurality of lenses in order to receive image light from an object field and direct it to the image sensor. The optical system has at least one interference filter coating located within the optical system, such that the angle of incidence of the image light on the filter coating is minimized, minimizing thereby the filtration characteristics of the coating that are angularly dependent. This minimization improves the reliability of fluorescence imaging with short optical systems. The location for the filter coating may be on a curved surface, such as a lens, or on a properly positioned flat element within the optical system.

Abstract: A steering gear for a surgical instrument includes an angling mechanism which can be controlled by a spatially adjustable wobble plate. The steering gear has a first and a second drive wheel with a respective associated motor, and the second drive wheel is arranged offset by 180° relative to the first drive wheel on an axis of rotation in common with the first drive wheel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The wobble plate is mounted between the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel in a steering ring. A retaining bracket rotatably about the common axis of rotation of the drive wheels, wherein the steering ring is mounted in the retaining bracket an rotatable about the axis of rotation of the third gear wheel, such that the engagement between the third gear wheel and the drive wheels is secured.

Abstract: A device for capturing an image of an object of medical interest in remitted or reflected illumination light and for capturing an image of the object in fluorescent light generated by Cy5.5 and/or SGM-101 and for capturing an image in fluorescent light generated OTL38 and/or indocyanine green (ICG). The device includes an image sensor for detecting blue, green and red light, another image sensor for detecting fluorescent light of Cy5.5 and/or SGM-101 and OTL38 and/or ICG, a beam splitter guiding light having a wavelength smaller than a predetermined cutoff wavelength to the first sensor and guiding light having a wavelength greater than the predetermined cutoff wavelength to the second sensor, and filters upstream of the second sensor for partially, substantially or completely suppressing light having a wavelength exciting Cy5.5 and/or SGM-101 and for partially, substantially or completely suppressing light having a wavelength suitable for exciting fluorescence of OTL38 and/or ICG.

Abstract: An optical filter system and a video endoscope therefor are disclosed. The optical filter system is arranged in a distal end section of a shaft. At least one image sensor for receiving image light is positioned in the distal end section. The optical filter system contains an optical filter and an objective lens system with a three or more lenses to collect image light and to pass it to the image sensor. The filter has transmission characteristics that vary relative to the radial distance from its center and is located between the first lens and the second lens of the objective lens system. Used in conjunction with fluorescence imaging, emission radiation collected by the image sensor is substantially free of excitation radiation. Additionally, a display system clearly delineating the regions with reliable fluorescence and/or visible light is also disclosed.

Abstract: An endoscope (10) includes an endoscope shaft (13), with a distal shaft portion (20), a central shaft portion (30) and a proximal shaft portion (40), and a light admission face (11) at the distal shaft portion (20). A cross section of the central shaft portion (30) is smaller than the cross section of the distal shaft portion (20) and smaller than the cross section of the proximal shaft portion (40).

Abstract: A video endoscope that includes a handle with a housing and an interface portion rotatably mounted relative to the housing, and an elongate shaft with one or more electronic image sensors, wherein a proximal end section of the shaft is detachably connected to the interface portion of the handle, where the interface portion includes a first connector element electrically connected to an electric transmission element of the interface portion and the shaft includes a second connector element electrically connected to the one or more electronic image sensors, the first and second connector elements co-operating to form a detachable electrical connection, and where the handle includes an electrical connection assembly arranged at an exterior of the interface portion forming an electrical connection to at least one stationary electric and/or electronic component of the handle in a multiplicity of rotational positions of the interface portion relative to the housing.

Abstract: A device for performing a function in a medical facility is provided, together with a data management system including such a device as well as to a related method for providing data. The device includes: an input interface configured to receive a query for data; a functional unit configured to perform a function of the device; a data recorder configured to record, periodically or continuously, data pertaining to the function of the device; a data processor configured to select, based on the query, a portion of the recorded data; and an output interface configured to output an output signal providing the selected portion of the recorded data in response to the query.

Abstract: A handpiece according to the invention for a flexible endoscope or a flexible endoscopic instrument which comprises a shaft with a shaft portion that can be set at an angle by means of at least one Bowden cable has a control element for actuating a pull element of the at least one Bowden cable, wherein the handpiece comprises at least one clamping plate which has at least one clamping slit and/or at least one clamping groove for clamping a Bowden cable sheath of the at least one Bowden cable. The invention also relates to a flexible endoscope and a flexible endoscopic instrument and also to a method for assembling a flexible endoscope or a flexible endoscopic instrument.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating application-specific data for training artificial intelligence-based object recognition, comprising the creation of a command file for execution on a processor for the purpose of creating an image data record using at least one configuration file, the creation of at least one configuration file describing a scene to be simulated, the transfer of the command file and the configuration file to and the execution of these files on the processor for the purpose of creating the image data record and an annotation file associated with the image data record, and the storage of the image data record together with the annotation file.

Abstract: A medical imaging device, in particular a stereo endoscope or stereo exoscope, includes a first light source and a second light source; a first optical path having a first image sensor having a first sensor filter; and a second optical path having a second image sensor having a second sensor filter; wherein the first optical path and the second optical path are spatially offset from one another, and a first image and a second image form a superposed image having a dual piece of image information. The particular light source is designed to illuminate the viewing region with a particular light spectrum such that physiological parameters of the viewing region can be determined on the basis of the particular light spectrum and different spectral ranges of the particular image can be evaluated to obtain an additional piece(s) of image information regarding the physiological parameters in the viewing region.

Abstract: A lens system (1) for a video endoscope comprises, in order from an object side, a cover glass (20), a first lens (40), a second lens (60) and one or more further lenses, wherein all lenses are single lenses. An aperture stop (21) is arranged at the object side of the first or the second lens (40, 60), all lenses on an image side of the aperture stop (21) are aspherical, all lenses are made of glass or of a crystalline material, and at least one lens has a refractive index n approximately equal to or exceeding 1.66. The invention also relates to an endoscope objective, to a video endoscope, and to a method for assembling an endoscope objective.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for the at least partial optical overlay on at least one piece of information in the foreground of a digital image of an observed region, recorded by a medical imaging device, with pieces of image information corresponding to the region in the field of view of the medical imaging device concealed by the at least one piece of information.

Abstract: A steering gear for a surgical instrument includes two motorized drives and spatially orients a swash plate by way of the adjustment angles of the two drives, in order to control a deflection mechanism of the surgical instrument. The swash plate is arranged in a steering ring and each of the two motorized drives has a drive shaft driven by a motor and are operatively connected with the steering ring via a respective force transmitter. The first force transmitter contacts the steering ring on a first active portion, and the second force transmitter contacts the steering ring on a second active portion, wherein the steering ring is mounted cardanically around a gimbal center, wherein the active portions have a common sphere center at which a first tilt axis and a second tilt axis is defined by a contact point at a respective first transmitter and second transmitter.

Abstract: A control mechanism for a surgical instrument including a shaft, and an angling mechanism for actuating a tool. The control mechanism has a shaft element which forms an extension of the shaft when the control mechanism and the surgical instrument are assembled. The control mechanism includes a control ring, operatively coupled to the angling mechanism and has a central-axial through-opening for a bearing device which can be rotated about the longitudinal axis together with the shaft element. Three motorised drives are operatively coupled to the control ring to transmit the adjustment angle of the three drives to the control ring, wherein the control ring can be aligned to one another and to the longitudinal axis, via the adjustment angle of two of the three drives, and can be rotated about the longitudinal axis via the adjustment angle of the third of the three drives.