Patents by Inventor Akihiro SHIMAZU

Akihiro SHIMAZU has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11911020
    Abstract: A needle holder includes: a flexible sheath portion which is capable of being inserted into an instrument channel of a flexible endoscope; a first grasping member which is rotatably coupled with a distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion; and a second grasping member which is provided in the distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion. In a state where a curved needle is grasped by a first grasping surface of the first grasping member and a second grasping surface of the second grasping member, the second grasping surface inclines such that a grasped region of the curved needle that is grasped by the first grasping surface and the second grasping surface is positioned between a distal end of the second grasping member and a needle tip of the curved needle in a direction of a center axis of the second grasping member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20210236116
    Abstract: A needle holder includes: a flexible sheath portion which is capable of being inserted into an instrument channel of a flexible endoscope; a first grasping member which is rotatably coupled with a distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion; and a second grasping member which is provided in the distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion. In a state where a curved needle is grasped by a first grasping surface of the first grasping member and a second grasping surface of the second grasping member, the second grasping surface inclines such that a grasped region of the curved needle that is grasped by the first grasping surface and the second grasping surface is positioned between a distal end of the second grasping member and a needle tip of the curved needle in a direction of a center axis of the second grasping member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro SHIMAZU
  • Patent number: 11020105
    Abstract: A needle holder includes: a flexible sheath portion which is capable of being inserted into an instrument channel of a flexible endoscope; a first grasping member which is rotatably coupled with a distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion; and a second grasping member which is provided in the distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion. In a state where a curved needle is grasped by a first grasping surface of the first grasping member and a second grasping surface of the second grasping member, the second grasping surface inclines such that a grasped region of the curved needle that is grasped by the first grasping surface and the second grasping surface is positioned between a distal end of the second grasping member and a needle tip of the curved needle in a direction of a center axis of the second grasping member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20180338760
    Abstract: A needle holder includes: a flexible sheath portion which is capable of being inserted into an instrument channel of a flexible endoscope; a first grasping member which is rotatably coupled with a distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion; and a second grasping member which is provided in the distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion. In a state where a curved needle is grasped by a first grasping surface of the first grasping member and a second grasping surface of the second grasping member, the second grasping surface inclines such that a grasped region of the curved needle that is grasped by the first grasping surface and the second grasping surface is positioned between a distal end of the second grasping member and a needle tip of the curved needle in a direction of a center axis of the second grasping member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Publication date: November 29, 2018
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro SHIMAZU
  • Patent number: 9737295
    Abstract: A suture-needle holder includes: a sheath part; a grasping portion; an operation wire; and an operation part body formed to extend along a longitudinal axis, and connected such that the sheath part is movable in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis and rotatable around the longitudinal axis. A first groove part having a distal end and a proximal end and extending along the longitudinal axis, and a second groove part having one end connected to the proximal end of the first groove part and the other end at a position separated from the one end in the direction aligned with the longitudinal axis and in a circumferential direction of the longitudinal axis, and extending from the one end to the other end are formed in the operation part body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ichikawa, Akihiro Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20170095249
    Abstract: A suture-needle holder includes: a sheath part; a grasping portion; an operation wire; and an operation part body formed to extend along a longitudinal axis, and connected such that the sheath part is movable in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis and rotatable around the longitudinal axis. A first groove part having a distal end and a proximal end and extending along the longitudinal axis, and a second groove part having one end connected to the proximal end of the first groove part and the other end at a position separated from the one end in the direction aligned with the longitudinal axis and in a circumferential direction of the longitudinal axis, and extending from the one end to the other end are formed in the operation part body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki ICHIKAWA, Akihiro SHIMAZU
  • Patent number: 8419452
    Abstract: An electric connector portion includes first and second electric contact portions which are connectable to first and second target electric contact portions, respectively, and a protective member which is movable from a protecting position where the first and second electric contact portions are protected to an opening position where the first and second electric contact portions are opened in a moving direction extending from the first electric contact portion side to the second electric contact portion side, wherein the protective member includes an opening portion which is configured to open the second electric contact portion when the protective member is arranged at the opening position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignees: Olympus Medical Systems Corp., Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Hino, Takashi Sawai, Akihiro Shimazu, Tsuyoshi Mandai
  • Publication number: 20120208403
    Abstract: An electric connector portion includes first and second electric contact portions which are connectable to first and second target electric contact portions, respectively, and a protective member which is movable from a protecting position where the first and second electric contact portions are protected to an opening position where the first and second electric contact portions are opened in a moving direction extending from the first electric contact portion side to the second electric contact portion side, wherein the protective member includes an opening portion which is configured to open the second electric contact portion when the protective member is arranged at the opening position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicants: OLYMPUS CORPORATION, OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko HINO, Takashi SAWAI, Akihiro SHIMAZU, Tsuyoshi MANDAI