Patents by Inventor Andreas Efinger

Andreas Efinger 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: 9333332
    Abstract: A valve for medical instruments having a canal configured in a medical instrument and serving as input for at least one additional medical instrument is insulated from a distal-end fluid, whereby the valve housing wherein at least one fluid opening is configured, and positioned in the housing at least one insulating body can be inserted at least partly into the canal. The invention has at least one fluid opening configured in the valve housing by which the fluid can be conducted to the outside of the insulating body such that the fluid opening is so configured that the distal-side fluid can be guided out of the canal to the outside of the insulating body in such a way that the distal-side fluid reshapes the insulating body inward, insulating it, to be essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the insulating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Peter Eisenkolb, Andreas Efinger
  • Patent number: 9044184
    Abstract: The invention relates to a spreadable medical instrument for endoscopic interventions having a base body, a handle positioned on the base body, and at least two spatula blades that are connected with the handle and can be displaced between a closed starting position and at least one working position parallel and/or at an angle to one another by means of an adjustment device, in such a way that the adjustment mechanism is positioned on the handle so that it is possible simultaneously to grip the handle and activate the adjustment mechanism with the same hand. To create a spreadable medical instrument that has the widest possible range of applications and is easy and safe to operate, it is proposed with the invention that the adjustment mechanism is configured as a continuous, adjustable screw-in mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: KARL STORZ GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Efinger, Rainer Hermle
  • Publication number: 20150141991
    Abstract: A medical coagulation instrument having a shaft as well as at least one electrode tip that extends beyond the distal end of the shaft. To create a coagulation instrument whose electrodes are of simple structure and ensure an atraumatic and safe handling, at least one electrode tip should be widened or be configured as widening in the distal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Uwe Bacher, Rainer Hermle, Andreas Efinger, Hans-Peter Eisele
  • Patent number: 8721806
    Abstract: A device is used for cleaning a flexible hollow shaft of a medical instrument, the wall of said flexible hollow shaft is provided with openings. The device comprises a hollow space in which at least one portion of said hollow shaft can be received. A cleaning liquid can be delivered into said hollow space via an attachment piece. An inside wall of said hollow space is at a radial distance from the outer face of said hollow shaft. Flow resistance means, spaced axially apart from one another, are provided, either in the form of sealing means or in the form of narrow annular gaps which respectively seal off or delimit, in the axial direction, a space between said outer face of said hollow shaft and said inside wall of said hollow space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Efinger, Rainer Hermle
  • Patent number: 8672921
    Abstract: A flexible shaft to be received in a curved shank of a medical instrument has a hollow shaft having a wall with cuttings therein such that said hollow shaft can also transmit rotary forces in a curved state. Said hollow shaft has a proximal end for coupling to a drive mechanism of a medical instrument and a distal end on which a tool is arranged. In view of tension relief a body extending through an inside of said hollow shaft from said distal end to said proximal end is provided, said body is flexible but is axially inextensible and axially incompressible. In terms of pressure relief said distal end of said hollow shaft is provided with a limit stop which interacts with a limit stop on said medical instrument in such a way that a compression of said hollow shaft beyond a certain extend is blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Efinger, Rainer Hermle
  • Patent number: 8317683
    Abstract: An endoscope having a hollow shaft for inserting an image guide, so that the distal end of the shaft is configured at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and the shaft is closed at the distal end by means of an end piece provided with a pass-through borehole for the image guide. To create an endoscope with an image transmission system of sufficient image size and image quality that can be autoclaved for cleaning purposes, it is proposed with the invention that the image guide should be positioned in the shaft in such a way that the bending radius of the image guide in the area of the bending of the shaft is greater than the bending radius of the shaft in the area of the bending.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Efinger, Hans-Peter Eisele
  • Patent number: 8317203
    Abstract: A coupling device for securing medical instruments to a holding device allows for simple and rapid handling and exact positioning of the medical instrument. A coupler socket is configured on one component and a coupler plug is configured on the other component, wherein the coupler socket and coupler plug can be fixed in mutually connected position with respect to one another by means of at least one locking element. The coupler socket is configured as a sleeve-shaped collet chuck including several mutually distanced spring arms. The coupler plug includes a coupling pin equipped with at least one radially outward-pointing catch cam. When coupled, at least one catch cam of the coupling pin catches on a corresponding back-cut on the collet chuck. The locking element can be screwed onto the collet chuck so that the spring arms of the collet chuck in the coupled position are affixed facing radially outward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Rainer Hermle, Andreas Efinger
  • Patent number: 8177919
    Abstract: A medical cleaning device is used to clean interior surfaces of hollow shafts of medical instruments. The device has a closed body which can be inserted into the hollow shaft of the medical instrument to be cleaned, an outer diameter of the body being smaller than a clear inner diameter of the hollow shaft such that an inner lumen remains which is reduced compared to the inner lumen of the hollow shaft. The body has a connection starting from one end, a cleaning liquid can be guided into the reduced inner lumen when the body is inserted in the hollow shaft. Furthermore, provision is made for a support by means of which the body can be supported on the medical instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Efinger, Horst Weiss
  • Patent number: 8133175
    Abstract: A device serves for temporarily immobilizing a tissue in an area of a pulsating blood vessel during a cardiac and thoracic surgical intervention. A pod of the device can be placed onto a tissue beneath a pulsating blood vessel. The pod has a rigid holder supporting a flexible element. The flexible element has suction openings in an area of contact with said tissue. The pod has a connector piece for the connecting to an underpressure source. A flexibility of said flexible element is in that said flexible element adapts to a shape of said tissue in said area of contact when placed on said tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Efinger, Rainer Hermle
  • Patent number: 7935049
    Abstract: A medical instrument in particular a uretero-renoscope has a proximal head part and an elongate thin shaft for introduction into a small diameter elongate hollow organ. An instrument channel and at least one further channel is disposed within the shaft. The instrument channel is arranged centrally in the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Maurice Stephan Michel, Peter Eisenkolb, Andreas Efinger
  • Patent number: 7857784
    Abstract: A medical instrument for suction and irrigation comprises an elongate shaft with a first channel serving as suction channel and with a second channel serving as irrigation channel, the shaft having a first tube which is closed in cross section and in which one of the channels is present. The shaft has a second tube which is open in cross section along its length and is placed with its open lengthwise side on an outside face of the first tube and secured sealingly thereon, the other channel being formed in the space between the outside face of the first tube and an inside face of the second tube. A method for production of the instrument is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jochen Schmidberger, Andreas Efinger
  • Patent number: 7842011
    Abstract: A medical instrument comprises a tubular body, housing at least one injection needle with a radially outwardly directed tip portion in an axially undisplaceable manner. A control element serves for deploying the tip of the injection needle out sideways from the tubular body. It is proposed that the control element is housed in the tubular body in an axially displaceable manner, and that said element it in operative connection with the at least one injection needle in such a way that, in a first axially displaced position, the outwardly directed tip portion of the injection needle is fully retracted in the body and, in a second axially displaced position, at least the tip of the outwardly directed tip portion is pressed sideways out from the tubular body (FIG. 5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Philippe Maerten, Andreas Efinger, Rainer Hermle
  • Patent number: D621937
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Efinger, Kevin Pilz
  • Patent number: D631963
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Efinger, Rainer Hermle, Kevin Pilz
  • Patent number: D650078
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Efinger, Kevin Pilz
  • Patent number: D667549
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jean Destandau, Andreas Efinger, Kevin Pilz
  • Patent number: D674082
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Efinger, Kevin Pilz, Mathias Stengele
  • Patent number: D700700
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Andreas Efinger
  • Patent number: D753283
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Andreas Efinger
  • Patent number: D755368
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Efinger, Mathias Stengele, Andreas Halbleib, Dejan Ilic