Abstract: A measuring system for checking a measured-image state and/or a calibration quality for a stereo measured image, comprising: a first image capturing apparatus; a second image capturing apparatus spaced apart from the first image capturing apparatus; an output apparatus; and an evaluation apparatus designed to generate a stereo measured image from the at least first measured image and the at least second measured image by way of stereo reconstruction; wherein the evaluation apparatus is designed to check a measured-image state and/or to check the calibration quality of the stereo measured image and, should the at least one capturing defect overshoot or undershoot a predetermined threshold value, to transmit a first alert to the output device, and/or, should the calibration quality overshoot or undershoot a predetermined quality limit value, to transmit a second alert to the output device.

Abstract: An input unit for operating a medical instrument includes: a hollow shaft extending along a longitudinal axis for receiving steering wires; a tool arranged at the distal end of the shaft and formed along an axis of extent; and a control unit, which is arranged at the proximal end of the shaft, for manipulating the tool by means of the steering wires. The input unit comprises first input means for continuously converting, in a pivotably and/or rotationally true manner and preferably without interruption and/or absolutely, an ergonomically limited user input, in particular a natural user movement of movable first operating means, into an adjustment movement of the tool in a first handling mode, in order to pivot the tool to a limited extent relative to the longitudinal axis and/or rotate it to a limited extent about the axis of extent by means of the control unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a carrier device for pre-mounting and holding a sensor assembly and for insertion into a shaft of a medical imaging device, the carrier device having as a respective side a distal side, a proximal side, a top side, a bottom side and two opposing sides, the sensor assembly being assignable to the carrier device and having at least one sensor and the sensor being mountable on the distal side of the carrier device, the carrier device having a continuous cavity from the proximal side to the distal side, so that, when the sensor is pre-mounted on the distal side of the carrier device, the sensor can be aligned from the inside into a predetermined position by means of an alignment tool which can be inserted into the cavity. Furthermore, the invention relates to a medical imaging device and a method for pre-assembling a sensor assembly.

Abstract: A medical imaging device such as an endoscope or exoscope is presented. The device has a light source for illuminating a viewing area and an image sensor, and may include a shaft having a distal section, a proximal section, an end face arranged on the distal section. The light source and the image sensor are accommodated in a common compartment at the distal section of the shaft and an operating heat emitted by the light source and/or by the image sensor is dissipated by means of a heat sink. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for controlling and/or regulating a medical imaging device in response to the generated heat exceeding a predetermined threshold.

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: The disclosure relates to an endoscope having a rigid or flexible shaft tube, which comprises a rotary drum and is mounted at a distal end, preferably on a mounting fork, so as to be rotatable about at least one axis of rotation, wherein the rotary drum comprises a recess in which an associated imaging system is at least partially accommodated, which comprises at least one imaging optical unit and an image sensor, wherein the imaging system is conductively connected to the proximal region of the endoscope by a preferably flexible circuit board, and wherein the endoscope has at least one control means for moving the rotary drum, in particular for rotating it about the at least one rotational axis. According to the disclosure, the rotary drum is designed as a single piece, preferably monolithically, and has at least one preferably resilient control extension.

Abstract: An endoscope with a rotating drum or a rotation module, in particular for use as a sterile disposable instrument, having an elongate rigid and/or flexible shaft tube which at a distal end mounts the rotating drum, so as to be rotatable about at least one first axis of rotation, an optical imaging system being arranged in the rotating drum, with the at least one first axis of rotation running approximately transversely to a longitudinal axis of the shaft tube and with the endoscope having at least one control line for rotating the rotating drum. Here, the at least one control line of the rotating drum runs on an outer side/outer face of the shaft tube, and is fastened to the rotating drum at at least one lever distance (a) from the at least one first axis of rotation.

Abstract: A method and a control system for image analysis and optimization of at least one image acquired at the distal end of an endoscope includes the following steps: acquiring image data by means of an image acquisition device of an endoscope; receiving the image data by a control unit, pre-analyzing at least a subset of the image data of one or more consecutive images by a control unit to determine at least one image structure; determining a quality value by means of a training data-based, preferably self-learning, module by comparing the at least one determined image structure with image structures of a reference database stored in a memory unit, and on the basis of the determined quality value, manually or automatically outputting control instructions from the control unit to a unit for activating image optimization.

Abstract: A device for image analysis and/or cleaning of a window arranged at the distal end of an endoscope includes: an image capture device having an optical window for illuminating an object space using an illumination device, a cleaning module including a fluid channel and a nozzle for cleaning and/or drying the optical window by means of a fluid; and a control unit. The control unit analyzes captured image data and, based on a deterioration in the image quality of the captured image data, outputs control instructions for activating image optimization to the cleaning module either automatically or manually so as to activate a fluid pulse for cleaning and/or drying the at least one optical window.

Abstract: A computing device includes an image embeddings generating module configured to generate a data array as an image embedding for each image received; a clustering module configured to determine, a plurality of clustering parameter values within the images based on the generated image embeddings; an evaluation module configured to construct a trajectory in a parameter space, wherein one dimension of the parameter space represents the plurality of clustering parameter values and another dimension of the parameter space is based on the number of clusters determined by the clustering module; wherein the evaluation module is further configured to determine a measure of the parameter space between the origin of the parameter space and the trajectory; and a user interface configured to to indicate changes and/or effects of the user input on/in the measure.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus for capturing an image of an object of medical interest in reemitted and/or reflected illumination light, for capturing an image of the object in fluorescence light generated by protoporphyrin, and for capturing an image in fluorescence light generated by indocyanine green. The apparatus includes an image sensor for capturing blue, green and red light, another image sensor for capturing fluorescence light from protoporphyrin and indocyanine green, and a beam splitter for guiding light from the object that has a wavelength shorter than a predetermined threshold wavelength ?0 to the first image sensor, and for guiding light from the object that has a wavelength longer than the predetermined threshold wavelength ?0 to the second image sensor. A filter arranged upstream of the second image sensor partially, extensively or completely suppresses light at a wavelength suitable for exciting fluorescence of indocyanine green. A corresponding method is also presented.

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: 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 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: 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.