Abstract: A surgical instrument such as a forceps having a handle at its proximal end, a pair of jaws at its distal end for gripping an object, and a connecting member for transmitting user-applied force from the handle to the pair of jaws. The connecting member includes a force transmitting and limiting member for transmitting the closure force imparted by the jaws upon the object to a predetermined value. The force transmitting and limiting member is preferably made of a material that is superelastic (i.e. reversibly deformable such that it returns to its original physical shape or form after the material has been deformed substantially) and is comprised of a rod, a spring or a portion of a scissors-shaped forceps. The extent of relative movement of the handle grips is limited by a stop to prevent the superelastic material from undergoing excessive deformation.

Abstract: An instrument for manipulating organs in endoscopic procedures in the interior of the body includes two spreading members at the distal end of the instrument. The spreading members can be swiveled outwardly and actuated by means of a handle at the proximal end of the instrument. A control member displaceably guided in the instrument shaft connects the handle and spreading members. The distal end of the instrument is bent in such a way that the spreading members spread out in a curved plane so that organs can be reliably guided with the manipulator.

Abstract: The endoscopic instrument has a long, stretched out shaft (5) and at least one rod-shaped lens (6) arranged therein. The rod lens (6) is provided on its peripheral surfaces (10) with a coating that increases the breaking strength. The coating may be, for example, polyimide, amorphous carbon, or silicon-oxide carbide. To increase adhesion of the coating the rod lens may be pretreated with caustic on its peripheral surfaces.

Abstract: A device, which is especially made for the generation of shockwaves to detect inner-body objects, is equipped with piezo-ceramic transducer elements which act as an electro-acoustical transducer which can be driven by a high-voltage source with high-voltage impulses to generate shock waves or sound impulses through directed deformations and length changes of the transducer elements is dependent on the given polarization of the transducer elements and the polarity of the high-voltage impulses. The sound energy emitted by the device may then be especially high if the transducer elements are excited and biased with a bias potential before the appearance of a high-voltage impulse and the polarity of the bias potential is opposite to that of the high-voltage impulse.

Abstract: A medical insufflation device having a control device with feedback sensors for regulating the flow of a gas into an inflatable body cavity. The device includes a conduit for channeling gas from a gas supply into an insufflation instrument, sensors for measuring gas pressure and gas flow in the conduit, and a control device responsive to the sensors for automatically regulating the pressure and flow of the gas into the body cavity from the conduit. The control device has an automatic processing unit for receiving the measured gas pressure and flow values from the sensors and for using those values to control an actuator in the conduit and which is operatively adjustable for regulating the flow of gas into the body cavity.

Abstract: An endoscopic instrument includes an elongate shaft with an optical system arranged therein. The shaft is closed off at least its distal end by a window which is firmly and tightly connected to the shaft. The closure window is constructed of spinel or yttrium-aluminum-garnet. The spinel may be cubic monocrystalline spinel or polycrystalline spinel, and the yttrium-aluminum-garnet may be undoped or neodymium-doped. Similar closure windows of the same materials may be provided at other openings in the endoscope shaft, such as a proximal end ocular or eyepiece or a lateral light guide window. The closure window may optionally be in the form of a lens to function as part of the optical system.

Abstract: A stereo endoscope has a shaft containing two optical systems which extend through the shaft and are arranged in close proximity to each other and a housing on the proximal end of the shaft for containing an interior holding assembly for a stereo optical device which provides a stereo view into the optical systems. The stereo optical device has on each side a duplicate, mirror-image arrangement having a first deviating prism aligned coaxially with its the associated optical system, a second deviating prism which follows the first prism and again aligns the optical axis of the associated optical system parallel to the direction of observation, and a transparent protective element in the direction of observation. The holding assembly includes a first holding part, which extends transverse to the optical axis of the two optical systems of the endoscope shaft.

Abstract: A surgical manipulator arm has a first and a second control ball rotatably mounted and disposed at a proximal end and a distal end of an outer-shaft tube, respectively. The control balls are coupled to each other through coupling elements such, for example, as control wires so that rotational movements of the first control ball can be transmitted correspondingly to the second control ball or vice versa. The manipulator arm has an actuator portion connected to the first control ball and a follower portion connected to the second control ball for selectively and detachably mounting a handling part and an effector part of an instrument. The first and second control balls are mounted in such a way so as to permit their respective actuator and follower portions to rotate and pivot about the longitudinal axis of the outer-shaft tube. The central bore defines a connective passage from the actuator portion, through the outer-shaft tube, and to the follower portion.

Abstract: An endoscopic instrument, particularly a continuous flushing cysto-urethroscope, has an oval cross-sectioned outer shaft and an inner shaft having a contour formed by two semi-circular arcs with different diameters, the arcs having their openings facing each other and connected by two approximately straight sides. The inner shaft is so dimensioned that it contacts the inside of the outer shaft at three points in a linear manner along essentially the entire shaft length, thus forming three free spaces between the inner shaft and the outer shaft for conveying rinsing or flushing fluids. The free spaces may be closed off at their distal ends with flanges projecting from the outer surface of the inner shaft.

Abstract: The extracorporeal treatment apparatus has an electroacoustic transducer for producing focused sound waves and a patient support which can be moved with respect to the transducer for the purpose of positioning a patient. The transducer is arranged pivotably about its focus with respect to the patient support. The treatment apparatus is provided to connect an external X-ray location device essentially comprising an X-ray source, an X-ray image-receiver and a support frame connecting these components. Mechanical coupling between the X-ray location device and the transducer of the treatment apparatus takes place such that the X-ray location devices may follow the pivoting movements of the transducer.

Abstract: A tissue punch for surgically cutting tissue is provided with an inner shaft having an opening with a cutting edge at its distal end, which collaborates with a counter cutting edge at the distal end of an outer shaft, so that during operation of the tissue punch tissue, which extends through the opening into the inner shaft, is separated by the two cutting edges moving against each other. The inner shaft is rigid and is straight in its proximal region but changes distally into a curved shape. The outer shaft, which moves axially on the inner shaft, is flexible at least in the area of the curve of the inner shaft.

Abstract: An instrument is provided for working of surfaces of parts inside engineered cavities by means of a tool, with the possibility of simultaneous viewing of the site of the working operation. The instrument, also called a borescope, has a tool that can be placed at the end of the instrument shaft and be driven in a rotating fashion by means of a belt that goes around a drive pulley at one end and, at the other end, around a pulley secured to a shaft that is mounted in a head that carries the tool and can swivel. In its operating position, the head is turned at an angle of 90.degree. to the shaft, whereby the pulleys lie in the same plane. At other angles, the belt is prevented from jumping out of the pulley.

Abstract: A surgical suture material is provided with a thread (1) and, in some cases, a needle (2) to allow formation of a knot with the greatest possible security while expending little effort, even in situations where space is limited--for example, during an endoscopic operation. The suture material has at least one inherently stable coil, loop or similar preformed feature in at least one initial preformed section (3,4) of its length. Another section of the thread (1) or an end of the thread can be threaded or guided through this preformed feature for the purpose of forming a loop and/or knot. The preformed section can take the form of a preformed feature with an approximately spiral shape, for example.

Abstract: A shaft for medical instruments, especially for guiding instruments into body cavities, has neighboring segments that are hollow on the inside and that form sections of the shaft. The segments can be adjusted in their positions by means of control wires so that various shaft curvatures can be set, whereby at least two groups of segments can be adjusted independently of one another. The segments of a first group, provided distally, are flexibly linked with each other. A tensioning device provides a variably adjustable spring force to the segments of the second group such that when under low tension, the segments are non-positively locked, and under high tension, the segments are positively locked.

Abstract: The flexible shaft suitable for technical and surgical endoscopes consists at least partly of circular braiding of webs interwoven with one another. A particularly stable and torsion-resistant shaft also having low wall thickness is produced in that weaving of the webs formed by the flat wires is single-braided, and in that the circular braiding is machined by hammering, particularly in the region of the crisscrosses of the flat wires.

Abstract: A device has a light source apparatus, which, as required, feeds white continuous light or sequential colored light by means of a filter device having several color surface regions and two filter discs which can be rotary driven, into a particular endoscope. One filter disc is provided with the color segments red, green and white and the other filter disc is provided with the color segments blue and white to achieve a simplified and structurally compact light source apparatus, both filter discs being arranged to be rotatable on a common rotary axis and adjustable relative to one another and fixable such that the white color segment of one filter disc covers the blue color segment of the other filter disc in a first operating position of the filter discs, and the white color segment of one filter disc is aligned to be axis-parallel with the white color segment of the other filter disc in a second operating position of the filter discs.

Abstract: A resectoscope has a shaft and a lock body which is slidable along the shaft and to which the proximal end portion of a resection electrode can be fixed. A handle is provided for displacing the lock body and thus the electrode along the shaft. The handle consists of a first portion connected to the lock body and projecting radially outwardly of the lock body and a second portion connected to the shaft, for engagement by a thumb of the user of the resectoscope. The first portion of the handle is formed as a disc provided with gripping aids for the user's fingers.

Abstract: An endoscope has a tubular shaft for receiving a viewing lens and a treatment instrument. The shaft has a distal end portion of channel-shape, providing a viewing window for the viewing lens. The circumference of the shaft is of oval cross-section around which the wall of the channel-shaped portion extends asymmetrically. An aperture recess forming an additional viewing window for the viewing lens is provided in the wall of the end portion. The endoscope is particularly suitable for use in endoscopic operations in the female breast, since the additional viewing window allows inspection of an implant before opening a capsule surrounding the implant.

Abstract: An instrument is provided which is suitable, inter alia, for the implantation and extraction of stents in hollow body organs. The instrument has an inner first tube and an outer second tube that can be displaced axially relative to each other, and spreading elements that can be directed radially outwardly and flexibly from the longitudinal axis of the instrument for the purpose of holding the stent. The spreading elements can be brought into a position against the stent by means of a displacement of one of the tubes in one direction. The proximal and distal ends of the spreading elements are attached to respective rings which fix the spreading elements at a radial spacing from the longitudinal axis of the instrument. Through displacement of one of the tubes, which acts upon one of the rings, the distance between the rings can be changed, whereby upon reduction of this distance, the spreading elements are deformed, creating outwardly directed bows which exert force against the inner circumference of the stent.

Abstract: The therapy apparatus described for treating concretions and tissue in the body of a patient by means of sound waves comprises a sound wave generator and an available X-ray device for locating an object for therapy, wherein the therapy apparatus has a spot film device. The spot film device is arranged within the axial passage of an X-ray cone for the available X-ray device attached to the sound wave generator and with its central longitudinal axis aligned with the focus thereof to be able to precisely adjust and fix a known X-ray device available to the therapy apparatus relative to the therapy apparatus quickly and safely.