Abstract: An endoscope including an elongated shaft. The elongated shaft including: an inner shaft tube in which an optical system is received; an outer shaft assembly including an outer shaft tube and a tubular support body proximally abutting the outer shaft tube; at least one bundle of optical fibers disposed between the inner shaft tube and the outer shaft tube; and an electrical connector arranged between the inner shaft tube and the support body. Where the support body includes at least a first web and a second web each extending radially between an inner surface of the support body and an outer surface of the inner shaft tube, the first web and the second web also extending in a longitudinal direction of the shaft such that an annular space between the inner shaft tube and the support body is divided into at least two segments.

Abstract: An electronic device including: a multilayer printed circuit board; and a molded retaining body; wherein the printed circuit board is formed of structured layers of conducting and non-conducting materials adhered together, the conducting materials form conductor tracks and contact areas, the printed circuit board being stiffened in a rigid region by stiffening material, the rigid region having electronic components and encapsulated in an epoxy; the printed circuit board having a flexible region that is more flexible than the rigid region, the flexible region having contact areas; the retaining body having an arc-shape formed on a radial inner side of the retaining body for arrangement on an inner tube of an endoscope; the retaining body having, on a radial outer side, a receiving contour for receiving and shaping the printed circuit board; and the retaining body having a retainer for holding the printed circuit board in a bent state.

Abstract: A method for tracking the status of at least one medical device in a distributed medical device system includes a) determining an operational status of the at least one medical device, b) computing a digital representation of the operational status of the at least one medical device, and c) storing the digital representation in an electronic storage medium of the at least one medical device; wherein the method further d) comparing the digital representation of the operational status with a previously stored digital representation of a previously determined operational status of the at least one medical device, e) preparing a change report identifying any differences between the digital representation of the current status and the previously stored digital representation of the previously determined operational status, f) transmitting the change report to a status repository server, and g) storing of the change report in a database.

Abstract: An electrosurgical generator is provided, including: at least one interface for connecting an electrosurgical instrument to the electrosurgical generator; an electrosurgical signal generation unit for supplying an electrosurgical signal to an electrosurgical instrument connected to the electrosurgical generator; a processor configured to control the electrosurgical signal generation unit; and an instrument detection unit configured to detect the type of an electrosurgical instrument connected to the electrosurgical generator; wherein the instrument detection unit comprises a camera and an image processor, the camera being configured to acquire one or more images of an electrosurgical instrument connected to the electrosurgical generator, and the image processor being configured to analyse the one or more images to detect the type of the electrosurgical instrument; and wherein the processor is configured to control the electrosurgical signal generation unit depending on the detected type of the electrosurgical

Abstract: An implant with which prostates of different sizes can be treated is achieved by the fact that the length of a deployed implant is modifiable to a variable extent. Through the change of length of a stretched-out wire structure of the implant, the implant can be adapted individually to the patient anatomy and the outcome of treatment can thus be improved.

Abstract: An electrosurgical generator including housing and an internal circuitry to generate a high-frequency voltage and to output the generated high-frequency voltage to an electrosurgical instrument, further including at least one output socket for connection of a plug of the electrosurgical instrument. The output socket is configured as self-contained unit including: a casing configured for mounting at a front plate of the housing; a plug socket mounted at a frontal face of the casing for plugging of the electrosurgical instrument; a conductor board inserted into the casing and being configured to provide internal connections of the output socket; and a connector provided at the conductor board for a connection to the internal circuitry. Thereby the output socket is modularly exchangeable. Being self-contained, the output socket can be easily exchanged against another output socket of different functionality, allowing for easy re-configuration.

Abstract: An optical system for an endoscope, the optical system including: a distal optical assembly; a proximal optical assembly; and at least one elongated bar-shaped fixing element; wherein the proximal optical assembly is fastened to the distal optical assembly by the fixing element.

Abstract: An illumination device for fluorescence image guided surgery and a surgical instrument. The illumination device includes a glass rod, a mixing rod and a plurality of optical fibers surrounding a circumferential surface of the glass rod. A first mixing rod end face of the mixing rod abuts a second rod end face of the glass rod and end faces of the optical fibers, so that white light and excitation light are guided and homogenized in the mixing rod.

Abstract: A high-frequency generator connects an electrosurgical instrument, including an electrical output connection point for an electrosurgical instrument, a power supply, which is at least indirectly connected to the output connection point, and a power controller for controlling the electrical output power output via the output connection point. The power controller is designed to begin the output of an electrical output power when an output energy balance amount is greater than an output energy limit value and to end the output of the electrical output power when the output energy balance amount falls below a minimum value.

Abstract: A medical system including: a trocar configured to provide an artificial access to a body cavity of a patient; a medical instrument configured to be inserted through the trocar and into the body cavity of the patient for performing a medical function in the body cavity of the patient; and a controller configured to: determine whether the medical instrument is inserted into the trocar; and enable the performing of the medical function by the medical instrument only if the medical instrument is determined to be inserted into the trocar.

Abstract: A surgical handheld devices are essentially made up of a device body or main body and of a tubular shaft. In the production of known surgical devices, the tubular shafts are welded to the device bodies. A large number of very complex work steps are necessary for this purpose. On account of the high quality demands placed on surgical handheld devices in respect of mechanical stability and sterility, the weld seam has to meet the most stringent requirements. The invention makes available a method for producing a surgical handheld device, which can be used particularly easily and reliably. This is achieved by the fact that at least one device body and at least one tubular shaft of a surgical handheld device are connected to each other with form-fit engagement by hydroforming.

Abstract: An endoscope, including: at least one outer shaft tube, at least one inner shaft tube disposed within the at least one outer shaft tube; a window distally hermetically sealing one of the inner shaft tube or the outer shaft tube, a heater disposed proximate to the window between the at least one outer shaft tube and the at least one inner shaft tube, a temperature sensor disposed embedded in a potting compound proximate to the window, and an encasement filled with the potting compound, the encasement at least partially surrounding the temperature sensor.

Abstract: An electrosurgical generator supplies, during operation, a high-frequency alternating current to an electrosurgical instrument for plasma cutting of body tissue. The electrosurgical generator has outputs for connecting an electrosurgical instrument to supply an electrosurgical instrument connected to the outputs with a high-frequency alternating current, and for determining the impedance of a load connected to the outputs. The electrosurgical generator features impedance and voltage measuring units as well as an output voltage control unit. The output voltage control unit is designed to control the AC output voltage depending on a maximum output voltage value that is set during operation depending on an output value of the impedance measuring unit and/or depending on an output value of the voltage measuring unit, such that the maximum output voltage value predefines a lower AC output voltage during a vaporization phase than during an ignition phase occurring subsequently to the vaporization phase.

Abstract: A bipolar electrode instrument for use in a resectoscope and having an elongated shaft section, through which a first conductor extends, which forms a working electrode to which high-frequency current can be applied at the distal end of the electrode instrument, and a second conductor further extending through the shaft section, which forms a counter electrode in the distal end region of the electrode instrument. The working electrode and the counter electrode are spatially separated from one another in such a way that the distance between them cannot be bridged by a straight conductor which has a length of 6 mm or less. When used in a resectoscope for endoscopic surgery with a cladding tube, the electrode instrument is mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable inside the cladding tube.

Abstract: An illumination device for fluorescence image guided surgery and a surgical instrument. The illumination device includes a glass rod, a mixing rod and a plurality of optical fibers surrounding a circumferential surface of the glass rod. A first mixing rod end face of the mixing rod abuts a second rod end face of the glass rod and end faces of the optical fibers, so that white light and excitation light are guided and homogenized in the mixing rod.

Abstract: A container for one or more of storing and transporting a disinfected surgical instrument. The container including at least one wall having an inner surface defining a storage space for accommodating the surgical instrument. At least a portion of the inner surface is an antimicrobial surface.

Abstract: An endoscope including: an elongated shaft comprising at least a first shaft tube with a window inserted in its distal end, and an electrical heating device arranged proximate to the window at or in the first shaft tube; wherein the heating device includes a flexible printed circuit board on which a resistive heating element configured as a conductor loop and a temperature sensor are arranged, and a heat-conducting structure connected in a thermally conductive manner to the temperature sensor is applied to the printed circuit board.

Abstract: An endoscope including: a shaft; a main body arranged at a proximal end of the shaft; an eyepiece arranged at a proximal end of the main body; an eyepiece system tube, in which the eyepiece is arranged; an eyepiece cone arranged at a proximal end of the eyepiece, wherein the eyepiece cone comprises at least two parts; and an electronic component arranged between the at least two parts of the eyepiece cone; wherein the electronic component is connected to an electronic circuit arranged inside the endoscope and outside the eyepiece system tube.

Abstract: An electrode instrument and a resectoscope, wherein a cross section of the at least one electrode carrier is locally enlarged between the distal end of the electrode carrier and a guide element.

Abstract: Electrosurgical generator and method for outputting a high-frequency alternating voltage to an electrosurgical instrument, including an inverter that generates a high-frequency alternating voltage having variable frequency and amplitude which is fed to an output socket for the electrosurgical instrument. Ahe inverter is a multi-level inverter controlled by a reference signal defining shape of the generated HF alternating voltage, the reference signal being defined by a datagram including a finite series of sequenced amplitude and frequency data vectors for a defined number of periods. By such datagrams including descriptive data for the desired HF sinusoidal curve, data amount and bandwidth required can be reduced. Thereby a variety of modes can be described using a minimum of data which can be as low as just a few dozen bytes long. This allows for efficient control even of complex modes.